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Is your car’s steering wheel acting a bit weird these days? If it’s shaking a lot, you could lose total control of your car. And, we don’t need to tell you how dangerous the outcome can be. Usually, a shaking steering wheel is a symptom of a faulty lower ball joint.
Of course, a mechanic will run certain diagnostic tests to confirm this issue. Upon proper diagnosis, if it’s determined that the lower ball joint needs a replacement, here is the cost estimate for the same.
How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Lower Ball Joint?
The average cost for lower ball joint replacement sits between $200 to $400. The lower ball joint, also known as bearing knuckle, will cost you around $90 to $125.
The rest will go towards the labor charges. As you might already know, the labor charge is not standard in this industry.
So, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 for the labor fee, depending on how many parts the mechanic has to disassemble to get to the ball joints. The more the work is needed, the higher would be the labor cost.
| Auto Center | Price |
|---|---|
| Mr. Tire | $200 – $330 |
| NAPA | $230 – $400 |
| Midas | $205 – $380 |
| Your Mechanic | $250-$400 |
Importance of a Lower Ball Joint
Lower ball joints are crucial components of the car’s suspension system. After all, they do a vital job of connecting the steering knuckles to the two control arms present in the front suspension.
By connecting these parts, they guide the steering wheels to move.
Think of it as a flexible ball and socket joint. It enables the suspension to move up and down when you steer your car. Without them, you will have a hard time steering your vehicle.
More Information About Lower Ball Joint
A typical car features many ball joints, depending on the car’s model and the suspension system in use. Since they are constantly working whenever you are driving the vehicle, they can wear out over time.
When this happens, the wheels alignment will be off, which will, in turn, affect your ability to steer the vehicle. Therefore, it’s of paramount importance to fix or replace the lower ball joint as soon as the issue is noticed.
Geographically, ball joints are located either in the front or rear side of your vehicle, depending on the vehicle’s suspension design. You will know the exact location by looking at the product manual or by asking the car mechanic.
Of course, it’s advisable to take your car to a trustworthy mechanic to fix the issue before it’s too late because waiting for too long can cause the suspension system to collapse.
Not to mention that the car technician may find other issues when working on the car because a faulty ball joint can cause damage to other connected parts as well.
Important Information: The lower ball joints of well-driven cars usually last long. On the other hand, lower ball joints don’t last long on roughly driven vehicles. So, you should be careful about your driving habits, if you really care about the wellbeing of your car. If you repeatedly drive on rough roads or take sharp turns very often, don’t expect the lower ball joints to last long.
Lower Ball Joint Replacement Procedure:
To replace the lower ball joint, the mechanic will have to jack the car up because the procedure can be conducted successfully only after the front wheel is taken off.
The mechanic would make use of a ball joint separator to get rid of the existing ball joints from the steering knuckle and control arms.
The new ball joints will be fitted in the place of the old ones, and, of course, other parts will be put back into their respective places. Once everything is fitted back, the mechanic will test drive the car to make sure that the car is running smoothly.
How to Save Money on Lower Ball Joint Replacement?
If you want to save some money on lower ball joint replacement, you should perform the job yourself. This way, you will be pocket the entire capital that goes towards the labor charges. The good news is that the procedure isn’t too complicated. We can rate it as an intermediate DIY project.
So, if you have done minor car repairs in the past, you should be able to replace the lower ball joint without frying your brain during the repair process. You can also compare prices from different mechanics in your locality to choose a cheaper service.
Of course, make sure that you can trust the mechanic to do a good job to not regret saving money on a cheaper provider.