What part is this?
Lower ball joint, yes it should be replaced, it will cause uneven tire wear, will cause "cluck" when turning if it gets too worn
You usually replace both upper and lower ball joints at the same time, and you do BOTH sides of the vehicle at the same time
Ball joints allow the front wheels to turn side to side while still supporting the full weight of the vehicle, the pivot point for steering
Lower ball joint supports all the weight so it is the one that wears out first
They are not expensive but does take a bit of labor to replace, and often a special tool to force the old one out and put the new one in
There are different kinds of tools, like this one: http://www.sportruck.com/howto/rebuildkit/25.jpg
Like a heavy duty C-clamp, basically you need to "press" the old one out and "press" the new one in
You can hammer the old one out, but..............DO NOT try to hammer the new one in, lol
You can rent these type of tools
The upper ball joint is different for 1997 and older and 1998 and newer, for 1998 and up you need to get upper control arm with new ball joint, and bushings, as the factory control arm didn't have removable upper ball joint, the new one will.
1997 and older 4x4, you would also install new u-joints in front axles when doing ball joints
1998 and up 4x4 check front axle CV joints to make sure they are OK
You usually replace both upper and lower ball joints at the same time, and you do BOTH sides of the vehicle at the same time
Ball joints allow the front wheels to turn side to side while still supporting the full weight of the vehicle, the pivot point for steering
Lower ball joint supports all the weight so it is the one that wears out first
They are not expensive but does take a bit of labor to replace, and often a special tool to force the old one out and put the new one in
There are different kinds of tools, like this one: http://www.sportruck.com/howto/rebuildkit/25.jpg
Like a heavy duty C-clamp, basically you need to "press" the old one out and "press" the new one in
You can hammer the old one out, but..............DO NOT try to hammer the new one in, lol
You can rent these type of tools
The upper ball joint is different for 1997 and older and 1998 and newer, for 1998 and up you need to get upper control arm with new ball joint, and bushings, as the factory control arm didn't have removable upper ball joint, the new one will.
1997 and older 4x4, you would also install new u-joints in front axles when doing ball joints
1998 and up 4x4 check front axle CV joints to make sure they are OK
Last edited by RonD; Jul 16, 2019 at 11:18 AM.
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