Do you recently saw any accident on the road? If your answer is yes then my next question will be did it happen due to not having best ball joints? If your next question answer is also yes then I think that’s the reason for searching in google by typing the word how to check ball joints Silverado because maximum car enthusiasts do not give importance to the conditions of ball joint though it play a vital role in assisting the suspension system and steering system.

So if you want to keep your Silverado car accident free due to worn out ball joint then scroll down and follow our below given steps to know how to check ball joints by yourselves.

How to check ball joints Silverado

Now we are going to discuss with you the 3 different ways to check worn out ball joints of a Silverado car that are checking ball joint visually, while driving and off the knuckle. At first starting with visually

How to check worn out lower ball Joint visually

If the condition of your lower ball joint is bad then it will make clucking noise when ever you move the suspension or steering wheel. The clucking noise will become louder when it will totally become worn out.

To watch the worn out condition of your Silverado car ball joint you must bent your head down and look towards the upper portion of the left wheel. If you notice the boots of the ball joints are cracked which allows the dirt and water to get into it. Then either you may grease the lower ball joint or change it to get better performance.

Method 1

How to check worn out upper ball Joint visually

How to check worn out upper ball Joint visually
Jack
Longer size bar

Step 1

At first jacked the car in such a way so that it can securely move both the tires above the ground. Now you should grab the 12 the 6 o’clock position on the tire. Next wiggle it back and forth by pushing it in and out. When you will do the task you are going to feel some types of movement. Your tire will remain solid and if it moves or if you get some clicking feeling or a clunk feeling then your Silverado car has a worn out ball joint.

Step 2

Again when you lift the truck off the ground you must once again check the 3 and 9 position of the tire. When you will wiggle it back and fourth and play at that time you must indicate a bad tie rod, bad bushing or even a bad bearing at that time you must have some types of long bar.

Step 3

Get the longer size bar under the tire after that move it up and notice if there is any clicking or not? If you feel nice clock then you will show what’s causing there should be.

Step 4

There should be no upward and downward motion in a ball joint. So when you are doing a test with a tire on you are going to feel this clucking

Method 2

How to check ball joint off the knuckle

If you have worn out ball joint then it will remain loose. Not only loose but also it will remain clunky. So when you will try and move it back and forth you will notice that it does not remain smooth which is the sign of a worn out or bad ball joint.

Good ball joint will remain tight and smooth and when it will move up and down it will remain smooth.

Method 3

How to check worn ball joints when driving

Now we are going to discuss with you three different steps for checking the ball joints of your Silverado car when driving

Step 1

Speed limit check

You must drive your Silverado car at a minimum speed so that you can pay attention on the steering, engine and on the overall performance of your car.

While driving your car on the road you must check the vibration of the car which you can feel through the floor of the steering wheel. These types of vibration happens when the ball joint wears out. If you find these types of vibration then the task of identifying the ball joint becomes easier at that time.

Step 2

Speed Bump Check

After checking the ball joint condition by driving at a certain speed now its time to check your Silverado car ball joints on speed bump. To check whether the ball joint of your Silverado car has been worn out or not go over the speed bump a couple of times and turn a few times.

If your Silverado car ball joint have worn out then it will make clucking noise whenever your car will cross the speed bumps. As the ball joint becomes more worn out the noise will become louder.

Step 3

Turning the Steering wheel check

The last way to check whether the ball joint has become worn out or not is by turning the steering wheel. You must turn the steering wheel back and forth for a number of times and keep your ears to hear the noise. If you hear any noise then you must think that your ball joint has become worn out.

Conclusion

So we have discussed with you the three different ways to check the ball joints of your Silverado car which I think will help you to check the current position of the ball joint by yourselves.

If this article has helped in checking the ball joint of your Silverado car then you must share this article with your friends and relatives who have Silverado car in their home.