GS owners - are your ball joints broken?
04-09-06, 10:53 PM
#1
GS owners - are your ball joints broken?
I heard that if you shake the top of your front wheels vigorously and you hear a slight clicking noise like a paperclip tapping on an empty soda can, you need new ball joints.
Can you all go check and post whether or not yours click?
Thanks!
Clifford
Can you all go check and post whether or not yours click?
Thanks!
Clifford
04-10-06, 09:13 AM
#4
Originally Posted by cliffud
I thought you don't have to jack up your car for this check. Don't you just walk up to your car and shake it?
haha- that sounds kinda duuuuuuurrty.
haha- that sounds kinda duuuuuuurrty.
i wouldn't wanna wait that far 
04-10-06, 10:05 AM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (12)
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: California
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
mine have gotten pretty bad, so I have to replace them. My only thought now, since I got the daizen bushings and I have to replace the ball joints which include the arms, should I just press the stock bushings out and put the daizen's back in?
04-10-06, 10:37 AM
#6
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: California
Posts: 607
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't belive that test is a good indication of worn balljoints.
I tried it on my Altima because I was hearing some clunking from the passenger front wheel. The wheel felt completely tight with no sounds etc when being shaken top to bottom.
I bought and changed the balljoints anyway (which was a much harder job than on the GS) and the clunking sound disappeared. There was no clunking from the driver's side, but I changed them there anyway.
I feel they should be changed based on mileage - it's just like a timing belt...you'd rather spend the money to change it before it breaks because if it does break, it will be quite devastating.
They're very easy to change on the GS - you'll just need an alignment after. You just need to get the right tools (metric socket wrenches, tie rod end puller and pittman arm puller) and everything is just held on by nuts and bolts. No pressing/zerk greasing involved.
I tried it on my Altima because I was hearing some clunking from the passenger front wheel. The wheel felt completely tight with no sounds etc when being shaken top to bottom.
I bought and changed the balljoints anyway (which was a much harder job than on the GS) and the clunking sound disappeared. There was no clunking from the driver's side, but I changed them there anyway.
I feel they should be changed based on mileage - it's just like a timing belt...you'd rather spend the money to change it before it breaks because if it does break, it will be quite devastating.
They're very easy to change on the GS - you'll just need an alignment after. You just need to get the right tools (metric socket wrenches, tie rod end puller and pittman arm puller) and everything is just held on by nuts and bolts. No pressing/zerk greasing involved.
04-10-06, 08:39 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hmm i did this "test" and both sides made a slight clicking sound, but when i was at lexus and the alignment place they only said one side was loose.. so maybe this test is flawed...
Trending Topics
05-04-06, 01:30 AM
#8
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: California
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When my ball joint was going bad, it sounded like metal on metal grinding noise. It was pretty much every time I turned the wheel. At first I thought it was maybe the caliper/pads that were loose. I tried tightening all the brake components, and I thought it went away. The sound would only come after I drove for more than hour. I have no F*&%ing clue what it was. It was so odd, i've lowered plenty of cars, and worked on every car I've owned, and I could not figure it out.
Anyway, I finally figured out after hours of checking every part on the car, and going through clublexus, that it was the ball joint. The thing was, other people having ball joint problems did not have the same symtoms as me. The reason the ball joint was only makin noise after an hour was because, the whole brake assembly was gettin so hot that it would heat up the ball joint, and pretty much degrease it. If you've ever taken off a ball joint, there's plenty of grease in there, but i guess the heat was causing the grease to be thinner and there would be more metal on metal. After I took the ball joint out, you could see the heat marks, and stress from metal on metal.
I bought a new ball joint assembly, had the part for a few week, and was not able to install the part because of conflictin schedules. Since I knew the ball joint was bad, I tried driving the car for less than hour, no hard turning, or hard braking. After like a month or so, (yes i was being lazy) the handling on the GS started to act funny. It was as if my rack n pinion was bad becasue the car wouldnt drive straight. I knew it was from the ball joint having too much play, and wheel alignment was f'ed.
The next day, I decided to fix the ball joint, but I had to pick up some stuff from Pep boys before I did the install. As I was backing out my car, the ball joint snapped, and the entire lower control arm was sitting on my wheel. Luckily it was my stock wheels and I wasnt driving more a few MPHs.
sorry for the long post, but If your ball joints make noise...change it ASAP. I could have been going like 80mph on the freeway, thank God I wasnt.
Anyway, I finally figured out after hours of checking every part on the car, and going through clublexus, that it was the ball joint. The thing was, other people having ball joint problems did not have the same symtoms as me. The reason the ball joint was only makin noise after an hour was because, the whole brake assembly was gettin so hot that it would heat up the ball joint, and pretty much degrease it. If you've ever taken off a ball joint, there's plenty of grease in there, but i guess the heat was causing the grease to be thinner and there would be more metal on metal. After I took the ball joint out, you could see the heat marks, and stress from metal on metal.
I bought a new ball joint assembly, had the part for a few week, and was not able to install the part because of conflictin schedules. Since I knew the ball joint was bad, I tried driving the car for less than hour, no hard turning, or hard braking. After like a month or so, (yes i was being lazy) the handling on the GS started to act funny. It was as if my rack n pinion was bad becasue the car wouldnt drive straight. I knew it was from the ball joint having too much play, and wheel alignment was f'ed.
The next day, I decided to fix the ball joint, but I had to pick up some stuff from Pep boys before I did the install. As I was backing out my car, the ball joint snapped, and the entire lower control arm was sitting on my wheel. Luckily it was my stock wheels and I wasnt driving more a few MPHs.
sorry for the long post, but If your ball joints make noise...change it ASAP. I could have been going like 80mph on the freeway, thank God I wasnt.
05-04-06, 09:23 AM
#9
Originally Posted by DynamicCK
When my ball joint was going bad, it sounded like metal on metal grinding noise. It was pretty much every time I turned the wheel. At first I thought it was maybe the caliper/pads that were loose. I tried tightening all the brake components, and I thought it went away. The sound would only come after I drove for more than hour. I have no F*&%ing clue what it was. It was so odd, i've lowered plenty of cars, and worked on every car I've owned, and I could not figure it out.
Anyway, I finally figured out after hours of checking every part on the car, and going through clublexus, that it was the ball joint. The thing was, other people having ball joint problems did not have the same symtoms as me. The reason the ball joint was only makin noise after an hour was because, the whole brake assembly was gettin so hot that it would heat up the ball joint, and pretty much degrease it. If you've ever taken off a ball joint, there's plenty of grease in there, but i guess the heat was causing the grease to be thinner and there would be more metal on metal. After I took the ball joint out, you could see the heat marks, and stress from metal on metal.
I bought a new ball joint assembly, had the part for a few week, and was not able to install the part because of conflictin schedules. Since I knew the ball joint was bad, I tried driving the car for less than hour, no hard turning, or hard braking. After like a month or so, (yes i was being lazy) the handling on the GS started to act funny. It was as if my rack n pinion was bad becasue the car wouldnt drive straight. I knew it was from the ball joint having too much play, and wheel alignment was f'ed.
The next day, I decided to fix the ball joint, but I had to pick up some stuff from Pep boys before I did the install. As I was backing out my car, the ball joint snapped, and the entire lower control arm was sitting on my wheel. Luckily it was my stock wheels and I wasnt driving more a few MPHs.
sorry for the long post, but If your ball joints make noise...change it ASAP. I could have been going like 80mph on the freeway, thank God I wasnt.
Anyway, I finally figured out after hours of checking every part on the car, and going through clublexus, that it was the ball joint. The thing was, other people having ball joint problems did not have the same symtoms as me. The reason the ball joint was only makin noise after an hour was because, the whole brake assembly was gettin so hot that it would heat up the ball joint, and pretty much degrease it. If you've ever taken off a ball joint, there's plenty of grease in there, but i guess the heat was causing the grease to be thinner and there would be more metal on metal. After I took the ball joint out, you could see the heat marks, and stress from metal on metal.
I bought a new ball joint assembly, had the part for a few week, and was not able to install the part because of conflictin schedules. Since I knew the ball joint was bad, I tried driving the car for less than hour, no hard turning, or hard braking. After like a month or so, (yes i was being lazy) the handling on the GS started to act funny. It was as if my rack n pinion was bad becasue the car wouldnt drive straight. I knew it was from the ball joint having too much play, and wheel alignment was f'ed.
The next day, I decided to fix the ball joint, but I had to pick up some stuff from Pep boys before I did the install. As I was backing out my car, the ball joint snapped, and the entire lower control arm was sitting on my wheel. Luckily it was my stock wheels and I wasnt driving more a few MPHs.
sorry for the long post, but If your ball joints make noise...change it ASAP. I could have been going like 80mph on the freeway, thank God I wasnt.
05-04-06, 09:49 AM
#10
glad to hear you're ok and that your car is fine now. did you have issues with your vsc and abs sensors?
i had 105k miles and I crazily drove about 400 miles to go see Todd at TM Engineering to get the work done on my car. Ball joints, tie rods, tein cs, daizen sways were all done so i should be good to go for another 100k. Next thing on the list would probably be the timing belt but not for at least a few years since I just had it replaced 2 years ago.
i had 105k miles and I crazily drove about 400 miles to go see Todd at TM Engineering to get the work done on my car. Ball joints, tie rods, tein cs, daizen sways were all done so i should be good to go for another 100k. Next thing on the list would probably be the timing belt but not for at least a few years since I just had it replaced 2 years ago.
05-04-06, 06:09 PM
#11
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: California
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by cliffud
glad to hear you're ok and that your car is fine now. did you have issues with your vsc and abs sensors?
i had 105k miles and I crazily drove about 400 miles to go see Todd at TM Engineering to get the work done on my car. Ball joints, tie rods, tein cs, daizen sways were all done so i should be good to go for another 100k. Next thing on the list would probably be the timing belt but not for at least a few years since I just had it replaced 2 years ago.
i had 105k miles and I crazily drove about 400 miles to go see Todd at TM Engineering to get the work done on my car. Ball joints, tie rods, tein cs, daizen sways were all done so i should be good to go for another 100k. Next thing on the list would probably be the timing belt but not for at least a few years since I just had it replaced 2 years ago.
05-05-06, 05:18 PM
#13
balljoint
I had my ball joint break on my old gs4. Car had about 100k when it happened. I had all the symptoms too, but I wasn't aware of the balljoint issue. Anyway, the final symptom that happened about a day before it finally snapped was whenever I made a turn the steering wheel wouldn't go back to its center position. I would have to turn it myself to go back. So if you have that same symptom you may have less than 24hrs before it breaks.
05-05-06, 11:21 PM
#15
Originally Posted by rominl
come on, i drive 400 miles for that too it's worth it ;0
it's worth it ;0he had no problem helping me adjust my tein CS setup juuuuuuuuust the right height and he helped repair my old suspension for Zach before putting it into his ride (bump stops were worn out).
But that's not all - we even dined at a cool japanese restaurant that Todd suggested - great food.