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HIMA MAX Posted on Feb 10, 2016
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Is it a ball joint or a tie rod?

My steering wheel is bad and loose. I feel vibration on the road. I Jacked up the car and there is play movement when i put my hands on a 3 and 9 position. One mechanic told me it's a ball joint and the other mechanic said it's a tie rod. Neither of them guarantees it will be fixed. Help PLEASE

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David-Margaret Roach

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  • Contributor 3 Answers
  • Posted on Dec 26, 2019
David-Margaret Roach
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To begin with jack the car up put it on jack stands either in front or in back of the wheel giving you the problem you will need someone else to help you with the wheel in the air safely you looking at the wheel at the back side have your helper grab the wheel at the 3-9 o-clock and move the wheel gently back and forth if the tie-rod is bad you will hear or see move at the tie rod joint, now at the ball joint your helper will need a crowbar about 3 ft long or longer place the pointed end under the wheel and gently lift up and on the wheel you will hear or see movement at the bottom metal joint, but never replace both unless you have the money to spend then I say BLESS YOU

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  • Hyundai Master 1,149 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 11, 2016
Sam Akber
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Replace both, better be safe then sorry.

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1 Related Answer

BaronVonNuke

Mark Schmit

  • 1915 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 08, 2016

SOURCE: Steering wheel still goes to the right. How to fix it?

If the suspension is so worn that the wheel can be wobbled then yes you either have a bad ball joint or a worn tie rod. There are a couple of possible causes. Do you trust your mechanic? If so take his advice and get the ball joint replaced. I would ask him to guarantee that this will fix the problem before letting him work on it though, otherwise it might turn into a job where suddenly, you need this too and this too and this too and a cheap job winds up costing you a ton of money.

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2helpful
3answers

1998 voyager front tires wobble back and forth when jacked up. Is it tie rod or ball bearing?

If it wobbles with your hands at 9 and 3, its a tie rod end.
If it wobbles with your hands at 12 and 6, its a wheel bearing.
0helpful
1answer

Lots of shaking from side to side.

Could be a bad tire ( or bent rim Have balance checked), ball joint, idler arm, wheel bearing, steering tie rod end or defective rack and pinion unit. Lift vehicle about 1 inch off ground ( do each side independently) Use a pry bar and pry from ground up and down on wheel. Much play? bad ball joint. With both hands, try to move wheel side to side. Much play? could be a tie rod end or bad wheel bearing. Visually check play of steering arm into rack and pinion unit, more than about a half inch play, bad rack and pinion unit. Try to move back and forth with hands top and bottom. Much play? Bad ball joint or wheel bearing, verify visually that it is ball joint moving, else it is the wheel bearing. Manually check for play in each joint in steering control rods from steering knuckle all the way through each rod where there is a joint. Replace the one you find excessive play in. Check mounting studs for sway bar for loose fit, deteriorated rubber bushings or a crack / break in the sway bar. Replace if needed. That's about all I can think of unless it only happens when applying brakes, in which case it could be a warped rotor.
0helpful
2answers

What is a CV joint?

A wobble in the steering is more likely to be one of

- loose wheel nuts
- loose hub nut
- worn steering tie rod outer joint
- worn steering tie rod inner joint
- loose steering rod universal
- worn steering knuckle ball joint

Out of these a worn or loose steering tie rod joint is most likely. If you can, jack the front of the car up and rest it on axle stands, NOT just on the jack, then have one person shake the front wheel back and forth while holding it at 9 and 3 o'clock, while another holds the steering wheel still. Then look at and feel each joint to see if you can locate the looseness.
1helpful
2answers

Steering wheel movement

Could be your tie rods coming out of the rack and pinion and attached to the wheels. Grasp the tie rod near where it attaches to the wheel and see if you can shake, twist or move it. If you feel any play or looseness at all in the tie rod joint, then it is worn badly. Both outer tie rods at each wheel should be replaced. If the outer tie rods are tight, you can't move them with your hands, then have a shop check your inner tie rods for wear. Have them check the ball joints for wear, also. Or you can raise the wheel off the ground. Be safety conscious. Grab the tire at top and bottom. Can the tire move in and out, feel play in the lower ball joints? Any side to side play in the wheel? Maybe you can spot the looseness at the tie rod or balljoint. Maybe you'd better let a shop look at it.
A CV joint wouldn't have those symptoms. A wheel bearing possibly, but usually accompanied by a grinding noise. Have it checked out.
1helpful
1answer

We have a 2004 Ford Expedition when you turn right there is a noise coming from the wheel on the driver side. At first it was like a grinding noise so we changed the inner/outer tie rods. The noise...

There are several components that could cause noise from the front when turning. The components to be concerned about are, Wheel bearings, Ball Joints, Tie rod Ends, CV joints and brake rotors.

Wheel Barrings:

Jack the car up under the control arm until the wheel is off the ground about 3 inches. Slide a pry bar under the tire and place the other hand on the top of the tire. As you lift and lower the pry bar fell for loose movement in the tire. If there is such movement you have a bad wheel bearing.

On your vehicle this is a sealed Hub.

Ball Joint:

Repeat the test above and watch the upper and lower ball joints for movement. Is there is movement replace the bad ball joint.

Tie Rod ends:

You have changed the inner and outer tie rod ends so you are probably covered there.

CV joint:

The Joint is housed in a rubber boot. If you can feel the joint inside the boot you can turn the tire forward and back and feel for play in the joint. If you are not able to feel the play you can loosen the clamp on the boot and push the boot out of the way. Then repeat the test.

Brake Rotors.

You have already changed the rotors so this is not likely the issue.

2helpful
1answer

I have a knocking as i do long left hand turns from the front nearside of the car (2003 x type jag) worse if someone sat in passenger seat

There are several components that could cause noise from the front when turning. I am assuming when you say the Front nearside you are saying the fromt left wheel is where the knocking is comming from when making a left turn. The components to be concerned about are, Wheel bearings, Ball Jionts, Tie rod Ends, CV joints and brake rotors.
Wheel Barrings:
Jack the car up under the control arm until the wheel is off the ground about 3 inches. Slide a pry bar ybder the tire and place the other hand on the top of the tire. As you lift and lowere the pry bar fell for loose movement in the tire. If there is such movement you have a bad wheel bearing.
Ball Joint:
Repeat the test above and watch the upper and lower ball joints for movement. Is there is movement replace the bad ball joint.
Tie Rod ends:
With the tire still off the ground grip the tire in the front and back and rey to move it as if your were trying to turn the tire. Watch the tie rod ends for loose movement. If they are loose replace them.
CV joint:
The Joint is housed in a rubber boot. If you can feel the joint inside the boot you can turn the tire forward and back and feel for play in the joint. If you are not able to feel the play you can loosen the clamp on the boot and push the boot out of the way. Then repeat the test.
Brake Rotors. Inspect the brakes for wear and any signs of pitting or grooves in the rotors.
You need to take this seriously because if you have a Ball joint or tie rod end break while driving, it will cause a wreck.
0helpful
1answer

Steering was loose while driving and turning, then suddenly would **** to the right

It sounds like you have at least one bad tie rod end....this is the most likely problem, but I have listed other things to check out.

To figure out which tie rod end(s) are bad, you need to jack the front end up and put it on jackstands, or if you have a buddy that works at a shop that can put it on a lift, that is even better.

With the front end jacked up and the steering unlocked, have somebody turn the wheel left and right and watch as the tie rods (the rods that actually "steer" the wheels) move - there should be no "play" or looseness in either the inner or outer tie rod ends.... the large turnbuckle looking ends on the rods. Most often, it is the outer tie rod ends that go bad, and if it is pulling right on you the one on the right side is most suspect. Also try and hold one wheel at a time still while your buddy steers and see if there is any slop.... there should be ZERO play or slop between the steering wheel and the front wheels.

Bad ball joints can also cause steering problems. With the front still jacked up, grab a wheel and try and shake it up and down, in and out. If you feel it move, replace both the upper and lower balljoints on that wheel (only one set may be bad, but if so, the other is certainly worn!).

Bad wheel bearings can also cause steering problems, and allot of shaking and vibration when you are driving. If you can shake your jacked up wheel any which way and it is loose, or if you spin the wheel and hear allot of crunching noises, you have bad wheel bearings.

All of these problems are serious, and if you have a sudden complete failure of the bad part while you are driving, you can lose control of your truck. You need to determine which of the above is causing your problem and take care of it immediately. The best answer is to go to a qualified mechanic, but if you are up to doing it yourself, be careful and don't try and do it all alone.
2helpful
1answer

1995 Ford Crown Victoria - shakes/vibrates @ highway speeds.

Alignment has alot to do with the tires not shimmying.. Like zero toe setting. Loose componants like tie rod ends and the idler ar worn. You can ck for excess front end play by holding the front and back of the wheel and pushing and pulling on it, like rocking it. OR have someone rock the steering while you watch where the play is from underneath. By rocking I mean turn the steering wheel back and forth. Look at all th joints and pivot points for excess play, which is, movement not immediate to the rest of the steering system. Tire balance is very important. Wheel hop is a sign of a bad tire and it overtaxes the shock absorber. Shocks don't cause shimmy because they are a vertical movement controlA shimmy is lateral or side to side.Wheel balance weights must be spit. If a 2 oz. weight is needed to balance the tire, Oe once should be on the inside of the wheel and one ounce on the outside directly across from each outher.. Loose wheel brgs will cause shimmy, but they would not last long. Caster setting on the wheel alignment will also cause shimmy. Like on a shopping car. too much caster causes the wheel to start fluttering and is very hard on other componants. This may be why you have worn tie rod ends and a bad pitman arm. Worn control arm bushings and ball joints directly affect titre wear and can only be feltwhen the front end hits a dip and detected by side wear on the tire edges. Summary: replace the tie rod end and have the car aligned. Good Luck, -Ned_ sorry about the book
0helpful
2answers

98 altima loose wheel bearing

if you jacked up the car and you grab the tire from side to side u could tell if loose or bad but if you feel looseness in the steering wheel could be a tie rod bad move tie rod side to side and in and out to see if a problem
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