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Old 06-07-2018, 10:16 PM   #1
tmontague
 
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Ball Joint Warning

I figured it was worth mentioning my recent experience with the ball joints on my Yaris to save someone guessing down the road. Long storey short after I installed my transmission built by Tom w/ the reduced final drive and clutch type LSD, I had some clunks and noises that weren't there before. This is not really a surprise as clutch type LSD are known to be noisy.

Anyways, after installing my custom rate coil overs I noticed my steering wheel was off center and I had a loud clunk sometimes when going in and out of a driveway. This made no sense as I didn't mess with the tie rods and the ride height was essentially the same. What was more strange was that the steering wheel angle got progressively worse a week later, then better and then worse. Change like this typically signals warn suspension parts. Every single part is brand new in my suspension except for the ball joints. I checked for tire play at the 12 and 6 o clock positions and there was none, everything felt rock solid.

I got a race alignment and re centred the wheel, a week later same issue. I took it back to the alignment shop and the alignment was bang on perfect. The mechanic told me to change out my ball joints as he said he had seen it before. A week later while driving it and waiting for the ball joints to show up the clunk I would hear made more sense that it was the ball joints. It would happens when torque direction was changed on the wheel - entering or exciting driveway curbs at a sharp wheel angle, coming to a stop etc.

The mechanic explained that what happens is a small part of the nylon cup that the ball sits in becomes worn. In a high torque/power front wheel drive car with very tight suspension parts the nylon cup will actually rotate during hard corners which moves the pocket that is worn. This small tolerance causes large changes in the steering due to it being located on the outer most part of the suspension control arm. The reason the wheel feels solid is the worn part is so small and sometimes its in a position that you cannot feel by using your hands to move the wheel.

In a stock car the soft suspension and rubber bushings will hide the mildly worn ball joint. But in a track set up car with poly bushings and coil overs at triple the spring rates of factory specs plus running r40 compound tires, this shows up at a problem.

I replaced both ball joints today w/ Moog parts that comes with a grease fitting. The passenger side was still tight and solid but the drivers side was very loose. This alone isn't typically a problem but when you pushed the joint in and out there was a very small amount of play that you could barely detect, but it was there.

New ball joints in and the clunk sounds is gone. Steering wheel is slightly cocked to the right so I'll have to go back for an alignment again to correct the toe.

Keep this in mind if this ever happens to your steering/alignment and you are running stiffer suspension components. I had 215k km on my original ball joints, not too bad considering the roads around here suck.

As a side, when replacing your ball joints keep in mind that there is a snap ring located under the boot on the oem ball joints. Remove that before you press out the joints.
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Old 06-08-2018, 11:04 AM   #2
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Interesting and helpful...
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Old 07-02-2018, 03:36 PM   #3
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From the limited maintenance schedule I can find online (2010 Yaris sedan) it mentions inspecting the ball joints even starting at 50k.

My question- how many folks have replaced these? what is the best part to use? OEM? or? (do not want cheap aftermarket ones I have to replace again in 25k. Too much labor to have to do twice)

Sealed is much easier (to me) and do not want 'performance upgrades' of any kind. Car is a commuter and want functional and long lasting parts.

Car has 55k currently (got used).

Thanks for any input

Hoping for most these last the life of the vehicle? Would appreciate input from anyone in the know.
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Old 07-02-2018, 07:16 PM   #4
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But those with 500,000 miles really want to do it
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Old 07-02-2018, 07:23 PM   #5
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That's interesting. My car has 178k km now, and recently developed clunking noise, but doesn't happen on every bumps. Pretty sure I have a loose ball joint somewhere, but it's a matter of figuring out which one now.

Shook the wheels when I put on the summers, but didn't notice anything that can be felt!

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Old 07-02-2018, 09:28 PM   #6
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In my experience the only way to be sure is to disassemble the front and removing the nuts that secure the end of the ball joint been moving the stud back-and-forth to check for play
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Old 07-03-2018, 02:41 PM   #7
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Oem ball joints last a very very long time if in oem suspension. Mine likely failed prematurely due to very stiff followers as well as tracking my car.

I'm a fan of moog aftermarket ones that come w/ grease fittings, their quality is pretty decent but they are not cheap.

As stated above, best way to tell is to remove the ball joint from the knuckle and once it's loose assess how freely the joint moves.
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Old 07-04-2018, 12:57 PM   #8
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I had a 71 VW bus camper with 180,000 miles on it just for the heck of it I removed the control alarms and touch the ball joints. There was like an eighth of an inch of play or more in each one yet when you shook the wheel there was no Pla y at all!
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Old 09-05-2018, 08:58 AM   #9
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This is a good information. When you said about your issue, it makes sense to me now. Ever since I installed my coilover 1 year ago, in the 2-3 months period, everything was fine and didn't make any sound until on the 4th month, as I go a bumpy or rough surface like gravel road, it has that clunking sound also on my left side. I am using a 3 puck exedy clutch for 3 years now and I can say my torque is slightly more than stock engine producing. Thanks again for the information. ������
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Old 08-11-2021, 04:48 AM   #10
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Has anyone done this yet is there a thread with photos pls help
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Old 08-14-2021, 11:09 AM   #11
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You can use any ball joint DIY removal on YT to help you out. They aren't any different on the Yaris
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Old 10-14-2022, 09:33 PM   #12
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Thank You!!!

I’ve been chasing the clunking noise in the front driver side of my car for a little over a year now. I installed the Tein lowering springs some years ago, and about 2 years of driving later CLUNK! The awful road conditions when I was stationed in San Diego didn’t helped. I initially suspected the lower control arm bushings, upon inspection, I noticed that the rear driver side bushing was a little torn. So I pressed it out and replaced it, during that time I inspected the forward bushing on the same lower control arm and the ball joint and they looked fine so I dismissed them as the faults. But the clunking noise still persisted. My next thought was the sway bar bushing, but I’ve been busy and dreading lowering the subframe so I’ve been dismissing it.
When I replaced the stock struts to the Bilstein B8 recently, I noticed that when I was transferring the spring on the driver side, after I compressed the spring to undo the top bolt for the top spring perch, the bolt wasn’t tight and I was able to unscrew it just by turning the rubber strut mount. So when I put it all back together I made sure the nut is really tight, I was hoping that was the issue, unfortunately it wasn’t, but I think that might have contributed to the problem. Since I was still suspecting the sway bar bushings, today it occurred to me to remove both of the end links to take it out of the equation. Before I was able to go for a short test drive, I turned the steering wheel left and right while the car was still stationary, and I could already hear the clunking noise. Frustrated, so I took a break and did a search in the forum and found this. So I put back the sway bar end links. While the driver side wheel was still in the air, I grabbed 3 & 9 o’clock and there was no clunking noise. I grabbed 6 & 12 o’clock and viola!!! Clunk!!! Clunk!!! But I remember doing this before when the car was on a lift when I replaced the rear lower arm bushing and didn't get the noise!!?
Maybe it’s a bit more worn out now??! Anyway, this will just give me an excuse to justify to The Admiral (wife) to get the extended ball joint!!!
I apologize for the long story.
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Old 10-15-2022, 10:02 AM   #13
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Glad to hear this thread hopefully helped you.

This likely wouldn't be noticed on stock suspension, bit as soon as you make things stiffer, things become.more noticable.
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Old 10-18-2022, 12:51 PM   #14
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actualy ive been chasing a clunk for a few weeks now after a few hard hits on gravel roads

suspensions stone stock

clunk only happends at hard angle with direction change OR over "perfect" bumps..as in i cant reliably replicate it...aside from a cv on its way out which i highly doubt would do it

so now doing the balls is on my list
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