Ball Joints on a Ford Dana 60 front axle

[Jspafford]

My front differential seal is leaking all my gear oil out. I was also told when I took it in for an estimate that one of my lower ball joints was going bad. The truck has 65K miles on a stock setup.

I lifted the truck up on a jack and grabbed the tires at 6 and 12 and jerked like hell. I got NO movement at all. IIRC that means that the balljoints, while may be GOING bad, are not in all that bad of shape.

Am I correct in my thinking? Or is there some other test I should be doing?

You could say a brand new trucks joints were going bad, because as soon as they become used for the first time, they are no longer new, and therefore on their way to going out...

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Jack the front end up 1 tire at a time about 4 inches off the ground and get under the tire with a big pry bar and pry up to check them.

 

[Jspafford]

Am I looking for up down movement? If so at what part?

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

You will be looking for any movement at the balljoint itself (usually the lower more often than not) I usually put my finger on the boot on the ball joint to feel for any movement.

This is deffinatly easier with 2 people, one person working the prybar, one checking the balljoints.

65000mi is a good life for a stock balljoint

 

[projectnitemare]

Shaking it won't do too much. I use the pry bar method also and I also use 2 people. You will most likely find vertical movement but any movement at all means they are bad.

Matt

 

[bobbywalter]

if there is movement easily by hand then they are far beyond driven



s/d balljoints and unitbearings are generally short lived (80k or less). and costly. may as well have chevy sla frontends under them.....a total waste of a solid axle. balljoints and unitbearings.

those in that decision process needed to be run over with a 79 one ton.