Checking an upper ball joint

[tonydanzah]

Walk me through how to check an upper ball joint for wear. My neighbor has a clunk on a newer suburban. I checked the lowers and found no play. I jacked under the lower control arm and placed a prybar under the tire. What the procedure for the upper.

 

[bmxr4life87]

Compress the suspension and try to tilt the wheel in/out at the top and bottom with your hands at 12 and 6 if you can see anyplay in the joint it should be replaced. This is how we check uppers and lowers at work

 

[tonydanzah]

Thanks. I found it in a second during the daylight, I missed the bump stop last night in the dark. enjoy

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[warmpancakes]

check the rear torsion bar mounts they are common "clunk" problems

 

[mooman]

That's on a newer Suburban?????

 

[tonydanzah]

yeah, its a mid 2000s. Not 100 percent but i think 2004-2005ish. It has 160k on it.

 

[Teken]

This guy didn't have any turning problems?

 

[caper]

Unless the guy has been doing jumps with the truck I think you might want to check the ride height on that front suspension.Those torsion bars look to be letting the truck ride low and destroy the bump stops.

 

[c_mccann]

Does this guy have a teenage driver? Road salt- Yuck.

 

[tonydanzah]

Unless the guy has been doing jumps with the truck I think you might want to check the ride height on that front suspension.Those torsion bars look to be letting the truck ride low and destroy the bump stops.

After I showed him, he told me right after he got it he went offroading and jump the piss out of it.