Ball joint service: Insights and replacement tips for a variety of vehicle applications, according to Auto Service Professional.
Ball joint service isn’t always as straightforward as we’d like. Certain vehicles are prone to premature wear, some ball joints are not available separately from the OEM, theoretically requiring replacement of an entire control arm or steering knuckle assembly, and some are just downright difficult to access. In this article we provide insight and replacement tips for a variety of vehicle-specific examples.
Ford Transit Connect van
Lower ball joints on these vehicles have been known to fail after as little as 20,000 miles. The main issue is a weak plastic bearing that doesn’t hold up to the rough conditions of heavy usage in daily commercial service. In addition, the tightness of the area around the ball joint makes it impossible to grease the joint, eliminating the chance to flush away contaminants.
