Pic. 218. Checking the axial play of the ball joint
Checking the ball bearings is carried out as shown in fig. 218 and 219. It must be borne in mind that certain efforts should be made during the verification in order to obtain an objective result. It is also important that the car is securely fixed to the lift or supports, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of the car falling during the check.
On fig. 218 shows a check of the axial play of the ball joint. You should take hold of the steering knuckle and shake it with strong movements up and down. In this case, there should not be a strong backlash.
Pic. 219. Checking the radial play of the ball joint
On fig. 219 shows a check of the radial play of the ball joint. To do this, grasp the wheel as shown and rock it hard from side to side. In this case, there should also be no noticeable backlash.
Before replacing the ball joint, it is necessary to make sure that the unsatisfactory results of the checks are not due to wear of the upper shock absorber mount and wear of the wheel bearing.