I see alot of threads, reguarding suspension components.
Namely - Balljoints, tierods and upper control arm faults.
These Items should be inspected 6 monthly, 12 monthly at the most.
I've seen threads where the OP has said "My upper ball joint broke, now my wheel has like 50 degrees positive camber" - Thats very scary, especially if it happens on the freeway.
Even driving a car w/o knowing the condition of the suspension components can be fatal, and it only takes a few minutes to check.
This thread is like a DIY to some basic suspension checks you can do yourself.
Upper and lower ball joints:
To check the balljoints, you need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground), Grasp the wheel at the top and bottom and wiggle it back and forth.
If the balljoints are bad you will feel play as you wiggle the wheel. Also you want to check if the boots are split.
Tie-rods:
To check the Tie-rods, you need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground), Grasp the wheel at the left and right plane, and wiggle it back and forth.
If the Tie-rods are bad you will feel play as you wiggle the wheel. Also you want to check if the boots are split.
Wheel bearings:
Usually first noticed by a humming noise from around one of the wheels when driving.
To check the wheel bearings, you will need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground)
For the front wheels - Place one hand on the upper control arm and spin the wheel with the other hand.
For the rear wheels - Place one hand on the upper control arm, or on the lower control arm and spin the wheel with the other hand.
If the wheel bearing is bad - you will feel a "rough" vibration through your hand on the control arm.
Also you can often hear a rumbling sound coming from the hub.
Namely - Balljoints, tierods and upper control arm faults.
These Items should be inspected 6 monthly, 12 monthly at the most.
I've seen threads where the OP has said "My upper ball joint broke, now my wheel has like 50 degrees positive camber" - Thats very scary, especially if it happens on the freeway.
Even driving a car w/o knowing the condition of the suspension components can be fatal, and it only takes a few minutes to check.
This thread is like a DIY to some basic suspension checks you can do yourself.
Upper and lower ball joints:
To check the balljoints, you need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground), Grasp the wheel at the top and bottom and wiggle it back and forth.
If the balljoints are bad you will feel play as you wiggle the wheel. Also you want to check if the boots are split.
Tie-rods:
To check the Tie-rods, you need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground), Grasp the wheel at the left and right plane, and wiggle it back and forth.
If the Tie-rods are bad you will feel play as you wiggle the wheel. Also you want to check if the boots are split.
Wheel bearings:
Usually first noticed by a humming noise from around one of the wheels when driving.
To check the wheel bearings, you will need to jack the car up (so the wheels are off the ground)
For the front wheels - Place one hand on the upper control arm and spin the wheel with the other hand.
For the rear wheels - Place one hand on the upper control arm, or on the lower control arm and spin the wheel with the other hand.
If the wheel bearing is bad - you will feel a "rough" vibration through your hand on the control arm.
Also you can often hear a rumbling sound coming from the hub.
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