dangerous to drive on a worn ball joint?

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:13 pm

i've tracked down my strange front suspension behaviour to a worn lower ball joint on driver's side. The inner part of the tyre is wearing which i think is consistent with this. This has appeared after lots of driving on bumpy roads down in Ireland's south west.

On the plus side i replaced the LHM today and cleaned the filters - an incredible amount of gunk inside the conical one.

How dangerous is it to drive on this worn ball joint? I'll be doing about 600 miles in the car this week. I guess i should just take it easy. Obviously i'm going to get it replaced asap but that won't be till after all that driving.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:16 pm

I've been driving most of this year with a worn out balljoint, no issue except for tyre wear, so i wouldn't worry, just don't drive like a lune by launching the car into corners & expect the inside of the tyre to last. Mine must be fairly buggered as it makes a clonk if i hit the loud pedal from a standing start

Due to get replaced next weekend.

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:38 pm

I've noticed it is affecting the suspension on that side, with it feeling noticeably firmer, and the car dips and wallows towards the other (passenger) side more than normal especially on uneven camber roads, it's better over speed bumps with an even response from both sides. I guess it's the resistance / alignment being out caused by the ball joint that is not allowing free and true movement from the suspension. There is also some clunking noise over bad bits of road from that side at low speed, which i think is also consistent with a knackered ball joint. Lets hope it doesn't pop out this week!

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:19 am

maxgreenwood wrote:I've noticed it is affecting the suspension on that side, with it feeling noticeably firmer, and the car dips and wallows towards the other (passenger) side more than normal especially on uneven camber roads, it's better over speed bumps with an even response from both sides. I guess it's the resistance / alignment being out caused by the ball joint that is not allowing free and true movement from the suspension.

this is usualy/will amost certainly be down to sphere on the firmer side gone/lost all or most of its gas,
a lower swivle joint will not cause to the up and down movement at all,

There is also some clunking noise over bad bits of road from that side at low speed, which i think is also consistent with a knackered ball joint. Lets hope it doesn't pop out this week![/quote]

this could also be a drop link worn out,

regards malcolm

maxgreenwood · Post by **maxgreenwood** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:37 am

yes the drop links might need doing,

the garage said the spheres were fine but i'd like to get some new ones as i don't know how old these fronts are.

I was going to get some geniune Cit ones but the lead time on them is about a month, and they're expensive, so i might get some from AEP in Glasgow, they've been good before, had my rear spheres from them. £40 for a pair.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 1:37 pm

you can check the spheres your self, with the engine running and hight set at normal driveing position, press on and off on each of the corrners,

i think you will find the firmer side you wont have much if any movement in the suspension,

if so that sphere is dead,

the GSF spheres are usualygood

regards malcolm