marjey Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 my 2005 Mazda 6 is making squeaking noises form the suspensions and my mechanic says its the frontball joint and i have o clue to what this is can somebody please explain?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowguy Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Front ball joint Ball joints are spherical bearings that connect the control arms to the steering knuckles. More specifically, a ball joint is a steel bearing stud and socket enclosed in a steel casing. The bearing stud is tapered and threaded. It fits into a tapered hole in the steering knuckle. A protective encasing prevents dirt from getting into the joint assembly. Motion control ball joints tend to be retained with an internal spring, which helps to prevent vibration problems in the linkage. Sealed ball joints do not require lubrication as they are "lubed for life" but standard ball joints must be lubed from time to time. It's best to inspect standard ball joints once a year. Generally speaking, standard ball joints will outlive sealed ones because eventually the seal will break, causing the joint to dry out and rust. While there is no exact lifespan that can be put on a sealed ball joint. Signs of a failing ball joint start with a clicking or snapping sound when the wheel is turned and eventually turns into a squeaking sound at the end of a stop, when the gas pedal is used and/or also when hitting bumps. Another symptom could be 'thud' noises coming from front suspension when going over bumps. If a ball joint fails, the results can be dangerous as the wheel's angle becomes unconstrained, causing loss of control. Because the tire will be at an unintended angle, the vehicle will come to an abrupt halt damaging the tires. Also, during failure, debris can damage other parts of the vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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