Ball Joints: Inspection
- To inspect lower ball joint for wear, jack up front of vehicle and support with jack stands. Ensure that front wheels are in straight forward position and depress brake pedal.
- Move lower control arm up and down, while checking for excessive play. Maximum vertical play is zero.
- To inspect upper ball joint for wear, move upper control arm up and down. Maximum vertical play is .091" (2.3 mm). Check lower ball joints for rotation condition.
- Using a torque wrench attached to ball joint stud, turn nut continuously one full turn each 2-4 seconds. Take torque reading on 5th turn. Torque reading for lower ball joint should be 26-52 INCH lbs. (3.0-5.9 N.m). Only lower ball joint requires this inspection.