Who here has changed ball joints in a Jeep Wrangler?
For a bit of background, my dad is a huge gear head and I’m a minor gear-head. I can do basic maintenance to my car (changing brakes, plugs, distributor, serpentine belt, etc.), but want to get into the habit of fixing things myself. My dad is on vacation until Sunday and my ball joint just started to go out (thunks and thumps around corners and on bumps).
First off, can this issue wait a week or 2 without any long term bad effects? Second, should I order the replacement parts, or is this one of the jobs better done at a shop? I realize I have to get the car realigned afterwards anyway, but if I can save a few hundred bucks by putting in an afternoon of work, I’d rather go that route.
You should probably jack each front wheel up in turn and determine which ball joint(s) have play in them, and how much. That will likely tell you whether the situation is bad and requires immediate attention, or if you can put this off a bit.
Wasson, do you have a copy of a book like the Jeep Owner’s Bible? While I wouldn’t rely on it exclusively for repairs, it does have some good information (including ball joint replacement, though I must admit that leroy’s site looks nicer).
I second Jeep Owner’s Bible. IMHO, a copy of that should be included with every Jeep sold. If you’re lucky enough to have the old kind of unsealed of ball joints, you can squirt some grease in there to squeak out a couple more days life out of them. Odds are, though, you’ve got sealed joints, so I’d recommend replacing them ASAP.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I’ve owned the Jeep a little over 5 years now, and its become clear that I’ll likely never sell it. I guess its time for me to get the Jeep Owner’s Bible.
I’ll give the ball joint changing a shot tonight and report back on how well it works out for me. Thanks again!