Bottom ball joint?

John Gordon

Paid Member
Hi,

Developed a wondering car when letting off throttle on the dual carriageway.

I jacked the car up and I have a fair bit of play with my hands at quarter to three and some but less play with my hands at half twelve.

Is that bottom ball joint play?

Thanks
 
Hi,

Developed a wondering car when letting off throttle on the dual carriageway.

I jacked the car up and I have a fair bit of play with my hands at quarter to three and some but less play with my hands at half twelve.

Is that bottom ball joint play?

Thanks

The ball joints would be 12 and 6. The 3 and 9 is probably track rods. When you checked the 3 and 9 are you sure it wasn’t the steering turning rather than actual play?
 
I don't think so. It felt like play, I'll double check again.

I've got a creak at low speed parking manoeuvres also.
 
Could still be tie rods or tie rod ends. No reason it can’t be the lower ball joint though with it being horizontal instead of vertical. If you can get someone else to produce the play so you can watch the balljoint you’ll know if there’s play in it. You can also get someone to push the tie rod/steering arm towards the rack as hard as they can without moving the steering and if you wiggle the wheel and the play has gone it’s the tie rod. Might be wrong but I thought creaking steering when static or low speed was hub pivots?
 
I've got a bad feeling it's the pivot hubs. I run a fair old whack of negative camber and it likes to tram a little at the best of times. The car is definitely become progressively more nervous feeling. Crossing white lines on the motorway even produces a little wiggle now.

Managed to book it in for tomorrow morning.
 
Took it to the garage this morning, they decided they don't have capacity today.

He drove it though, said he felt it pulling to the left, especially under braking.

He looked at the car and said he thinks it's tyres.