How much ball joint vertical play is tolerable?

[JG1966]

When I do the 12 o'clock/6 o'clock test on my right front tire (car jacked up, suspension unloaded), I'm getting a little wiggle. Maybe an 1/8 inch in and out (it's really hard to tell). When I use a big crow bar under the tire, I am getting less movement, but still a little bit. I know there is an acceptable vertical tolerance from the FSM of 0.070 inch, but I don't have the dial indicator tool. Is any noticeable movement too much? Both ball joints (and virtually everything in the front suspension) are relatively new (four years, probably 2,000 miles). What else can cause 12 to 6 movement? Thanks

 

[dadsbee]

All that I can advise, after 45+ years driving a mopar legally, don't get a GM tech to safety your mopar ball joints.

 

[493 Mike]

When I do the 12 o'clock/6 o'clock test on my right front tire (car jacked up, suspension unloaded), I'm getting a little wiggle. Maybe an 1/8 inch in and out (it's really hard to tell). When I use a big crow bar under the tire, I am getting less movement, but still a little bit. I know there is an acceptable vertical tolerance from the FSM of 0.070 inch, but I don't have the dial indicator tool. Is any noticeable movement too much? Both ball joints (and virtually everything in the front suspension) are relatively new (four years, probably 2,000 miles). What else can cause 12 to 6 movement? Thanks

Loose wheel bearings.
Mike

 

[JG1966]

Loose wheel bearings.
Mike

Thanks Mike. The bearings are newer too, but I'll check those out

 

[j-c-c-62]

You would think the FSM would address that or at state that WB play is figured into the .070" limit.

 

[JG1966]

You would think the FSM would address that or at state that WB play is figured into the .070" limit.

Thanks JCC. I don't think wheel bearing play figures into .070 limit. That's strictly lower ball joint movement

 

[wahya]

I don't remember now exactly how many miles were on my Satellite. I'm thinking less than 15000 miles, when I went to Goodyear to put new tires on and get an alignment. The tech then tells me that I needed ball joints. Got ball joints under warranty at dealership.

 

[bobsgtx]

67 FSM says to raise vehicle on the outer most portion of the control arm (lca). More than .050" ( a 1/16" is .0625") ball joint should be replaced. FMS is available at mympoar.com. You have to unload ball joints to test.

 

[JG1966]

67 FSM says to raise vehicle on the outer most portion of the control arm (lca). More than .050" ( a 1/16" is .0625") ball joint should be replaced. FMS is available at mympoar.com. You have to unload ball joints to test.

Thanks Bob. I did that test. 72 FSM B Body says more than .070 needs to be replaced. I'm working alone and I don't have the dial indicator, so that's tricky to know how much it's moving. It's very, very, very little with the crow bar, if anything. I unloaded the suspension and used a small jack and a piece of wood under the rotor, and the LCA and the UCA moved in exact unison. There was absolutely no play at all. I just finished with the wheel bearings and they look fine. I may have not done the bearing preload correctly when I changed the bearings the last time. I did it with the caliper and brake pads on. That's why the rotor wouldn't spin freely and I probably didn't accurately get the 90 inch lbs of torque (and then turn back one slot on the slotted nut cover to preload to .003 ) One thing I definitely have discovered is that the 12 o'clock 6 o'clock movement is significantly more when I did it with the wheel on. It's still not a lot. Less than a quarter inch in and out, at the very most. With the wheel off and suspension unloaded, I can't get any movement trying to move the rotor by hand or with a crowbar.