Welcome to my blog. My name is Ken. One day, I was driving home from work when the engine in my car failed. While I waited for the recovery truck to arrive, I realised I didn’t have a clue what went on underneath the bonnet of my car. I signed up for an auto service course at my local community college, so I could gain the skills I needed to properly maintain my car and repair it if something when wrong while I was on the road. I wanted to start a blog to pass on these skills to other people so that they can look after their automobiles.
Some truck drivers keep incurring the cost of replacing worn ball joints because they don't know what measures they should take to prolong the service life of those vehicle parts. This article discusses what you can do to prevent the ball joints on your truck from failing prematurely.
Check the Lubrication
Most ball joints are inside a sealed component that contains grease to keep those moving parts well lubricated. Some vehicles don't require this lubricant to be topped up while others require more grease to be added into the ball joint periodically. Lack of lubrication can increase friction in the joint as the truck moves. This friction can accelerate the wear and tear on that ball joint. It therefore follows that keeping the joint well lubricated will have a beneficial effect on its service life.
Watch Your Loads
All vehicles have a maximum load capacity that they can handle. Exceeding that load rating can shorten the service life of the ball joint. This is because the excessive loads will prevent the joint from providing ample cushioning to the suspension system of the truck as you drive on different surfaces. Before long, the ball joint will fail. Avoid this eventuality by keeping within the load limits of your truck.
Check the Covers
Does your truck have dust covers on the ball joints? Those covers can become worn or torn by several factors, such as road debris. Their wear exposes the ball joint to infiltration by dust and moisture. These contaminants can shorten the life of the ball joint. It is advisable to check the rubber covers regularly so that you can replace them before their defects make the ball joints fail.
Be Careful About Rough Surfaces
Where do you frequently drive your truck? Driving on rough surfaces puts a very heavy strain on the ball joints. This is especially true for load-bearing ball joints that wear out sooner than ball joints that aren't load-bearing. Several precautions can be taken when driving on rough surfaces. For instance, minimise the loads that you carry in your truck so that the ball joints undergo minimal stress during that trip. Also, slow down so that the impact of road imperfections is reduced.
Worn ball joints can cause wheels to come loose once critical components of the suspension system fail. It is therefore wise to rush to a truck repair facility once you suspect that the ball joints have developed a defect. A mechanic will inspect the truck so that he or she can rule out other defects that can cause the symptoms that you witnessed.
Share18 July 2017
