Ball joint or bushing problem

[spyderdrifter]

This past Monday, Labor Day, I was returning home from work and stopped to grab lunch. While I was in the drive through line, I happened to turn my wheels and heard a weird clunking/ binding, metal on metal sound coming from the driver side front wheel. This was while stationary. It persisted while driving slowly as well, and turning wheels to replicate the sound. So I carefully rushed home and got the front up on jacks, and haven't driven it since.

I did some searches and came across the recall info for the lower lateral control arm ball joints. So I contacted the Mitsubishi dealership here in town, and they suck at returning calls, and found out that this recall was performed on one side, but they couldn't tell me which one got replaced. They said it wasn't showing on the computer. I call BS. So I said screw it, and ordered a new control arm w/ball joint from JNZTuning. Still waiting for it.

I have looked over the components on the car and the ball joints look ok, despite being able to push in on the rubber. Shouldn't they be firm, like having grease inside? Also I discovered my driver side outer tie rod bushing is basically split in half along the seem that used to be there. Its split around half the circumference of the bushing with obviously no grease inside. Would this tie rod bushing be more likely the reason for the noise than the ball joint? I don't want to end up replacing the control arm and having to pull everything apart to do the bushing and have no need to do the control arm. I'm aware that regardless of the control arm, I need to replace this bushing immediately so that needs not be said, I will be doing it. Just would like that to be the problem after all and not the control arm.

 

[bryanwheat]

You are not looking at a bushing, you are looking at a boot. That is just to keep the grease in and dirt out. No one here is going to be able to tell you what is wrong with your car. The only one that will be able to figure that out is you. You need to pry up on the spindle and see if there is any play in the ball joint on the straight arm. You will also want to shake the wheel to make sure that there is no play in the tie rod.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Ok, I've looked inside the ball joint boot, and inspected the tie rod, and besides the tie rod boot being split, everything looks good. I wobbled the brake assembly before I put the wheel back on, and only got the brake disc and caliper to move. Wheel is back on, and torqued down. There is very minimal play from side to side, and top to bottom. I further placed my hand on each part while wobbling the wheel, and felt no movement of any sort in any of the parts other than the axle where it joins to the wheel hub. I'm thinking that one might be normal though.

 

[bryanwheat]

You can't test the lower ball joint on these cars by just shaking the wheel, you will need to pry up on the spindle to test the lower joint.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Which part exactly is the spindle? Will this require me to remove the hardware attaching it to the knuckle?

I shook the wheel to test the tie rod.

 

[bryanwheat]

Which part exactly is the spindle? Will this require me to remove the hardware attaching it to the knuckle?

I shook the wheel to test the tie rod.

The spindle and knuckle are the same thing, just a different term.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Ok, that helps. And the play I'm looking for is where the ball joint connects to the spindle right?

 

[bryanwheat]

Ok, that helps. And the play I'm looking for is where the ball joint connects to the spindle right?

You will be looking for play between the actual shaft comes out of the joint and the control arm itself.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I still couldn't tell if there was any play in the joint. So I've decided to remove the control arm since I already have a replacement coming. But the ball joint is being a bi*** and doesn't want to come out of the spindle. Got some penetrant on it so hopefully that helps.

 

[bryanwheat]

I still couldn't tell if there was any play in the joint. So I've decided to remove the control arm since I already have a replacement coming. But the ball joint is being a bi*** and doesn't want to come out of the spindle. Got some penetrant on it so hopefully that helps.

Use a small sledge hammer and smack the spindle around where the joint stud goes thru it. The shock of the hammer hitting it will break it loose.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I'll have to use my alternative to a hammer. All my hammers are at work and I forgot to bring one home today. Been using one of my balance shafts since I don't need them anymore. Lame I know.....

 

[Kng Nothg]

If needed you can check the ball joint by raising the car up and to where the tire is about 1inch off the ground. Then use a long pry bar under the tire to check for your lower ball joint.

 

[spyderdrifter]

Too late now. The bolt holding the control arm to the strut fork took 45 minutes of beating on to come out, not putting it back in needs to be replaced due to corrosion and now the slightest bit of mushrooming I did to it.

 

[DSM1G90]

That's when a "Pickle fork" comes in handy to split the strut from the lower control arm after taking the locking nut off.

 

[boarderlib]

If you have a clicking sound when turning your wheel, and moving slow. It is probably the drive axle. It will also cause vibration at highway speeds.

The, "pickle fork" is gonna be one of your best friends when doing front end work.

 

[spyderdrifter]

The only vibration I've noticed has come from my polyurethane engine mounts. It wasn't a clicking sound. More of a grinding sound like metal grinding on metal. Even a pop sound, but no clicks. Only hear it when the car is stationary or inching forward, but not during actual driving.

 

[boarderlib]

Grinding would lead me to believe either brakes or bearings. Clunking i would lean more towards bad bushings somewhere or a ball joint. I'm sure that doesn't help you out to much, but thats where i would start. It makes the noise when it's sitting still?

My wifes dodge pops and clunks due to bad swaybar bushings.

 

[spyderdrifter]

It will do it if I turn the steering wheel while the car is sitting still, yes.

 

[boarderlib]

That sounds like it may be in your steering rack. All the other stuff mentioned above would require the car to be moving in a fore or aft manor.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I know it would be a long shot, but what about the axle? Mine, like many I'm sure, has a rubber section on the driver side axle placed right where the axle passes by the oil pump area. I can twist that rubber piece ever so slightly. Is that normal? Also, what is the purpose of this piece.

 

[boarderlib]

On a 1g awd i know the driver side axle is actually a 2 piece axle. The inner axle has a bracket with a bearing that keeps it lined up. The bracket if i remember correctly, is attached to the back of the block. Are you referring to that bracket? I would have to say no, its not the bearing inside there. If it was you would only here grinding when the car is rolling, not when you turn the wheel.

Its a good try at getting out of the PIA fix though. That bearing might be going bad, but i highly doubt that would cause your issue.

 

[spyderdrifter]

I've experienced bad wheel bearings on past DSMs and never had this problem. I know the 2G AWDs have that beaker on the axle too, and mine doesn't, which it shouldn't. At first, I thought maybe someone swapped the original for one from a GSX, but the driver side axle would be shorter than the one I have so that's not the case. This one is my 3rd GST, and don't recall ever seeing this rubber piece before.

Here's a pic of the axle...

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[DSM1G90]

Not familar with 2G's, but do they have equal drive lengths with the longer side having that real short shaft with the support bearing on the other end, then from the support bearing to the drive lin, then to the hub?

Looks like something just aint right in that pict - drive line that needs a middle support bearing or sorts.

 

[bryanwheat]

Not familar with 2G's, but do they have equal drive lengths with the longer side having that real short shaft with the support bearing on the other end, then from the support bearing to the drive lin, then to the hub?

Looks like something just aint right in that pict - drive line that needs a middle support bearing or sorts.

2g's are just like 1g's, fwd's have a long axle on the driver side and a short axle on the passenger side. Awd's have equal length axles. The reason for the awd having the equal length axle is to clear the transfer case.

I've experienced bad wheel bearings on past DSMs and never had this problem. I know the 2G AWDs have that beaker on the axle too, and mine doesn't, which it shouldn't. At first, I thought maybe someone swapped the original for one from a GSX, but the driver side axle would be shorter than the one I have so that's not the case. This one is my 3rd GST, and don't recall ever seeing this rubber piece before.

Here's a pic of the axle...

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The rubber is there to absorb harmonics. That is perfectly normal and nothing looks out of place.

 

[spyderdrifter]

At least that part is good.