What happens when your vehicle’s ball joints go bad?
If you take a step back to admire the handiwork that goes into your vehicle, it’s pretty amazing how all the components go together to complete it. With so many parts, though, you’ll be bound to run into an issue or two down the road eventually. Ball joints are just one of the many components that can go bad. See what happens when your vehicle’s ball joints go bad here on our blog!
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What do the ball joints do?
Ball joints are a crucial part of the suspension system. The suspension is what allows your vehicle to hit bumps and move around without causing a lot of jolts inside the cabin for passengers. Using a spring-like system for each wheel, the suspension makes for a smoother ride. The ball joint allows each wheel to move side to side and up and down with more versatility. Over time with many miles, these ball joints can get lose and eventually break or fall out. If this happens out on the open road, the suspension can come apart and you’ll lose control of the vehicle. This can obviously have dire consequences at higher speeds, so it’s important to look for signs that the ball joint needs to be replaced.
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How do I know if the ball joints need to be replaced?
There are three ways to know if the ball joints need to be replaced. The first is a faint, intermittent clunking sound when driving, which gets louder when you hit a bump. This sound gets louder as wear continues. Feeling a vibration in the steering wheel, or noticing that the steering wheel pulls harder one way or the other, is also a sign. Lastly, uneven tire wear can be a sign as well, though this can also be due to poorly-inflated tires.
Do you think it may be time to get your car’s ball joints replaced? Learn more by contacting us here at Hall Volkswagen or schedule a test drive on our website today!
