W203 Bottom Ball Joint Slack with Car on Jack

Merlin451

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When I jacked the front nearside of car up recently to replace the alarm siren, I noticed some slack in the bottom ball joint. With the wheel fitted and tight, there is a small amount of movement when you push and pull on the front and rear of the tyre. Looking underneath the wheel hub you can see movement from the bottom ball joint. When I jacked the offside front to compare with the nearside, the movement was the same.
Is this normal when the suspension is hanging down with the car jacked up?
Both front and rear lower suspension arms were supposedly changed last year and I thought the lower ball joint was part of this job.

Please advise your thoughts.
 

television

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Are you sure it isnt a little play in the wheel bearing, rock holding bottom and top of the wheel
 

brandwooddixon

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What movement are you seeing precisely?

Normally you'd have to grip the wheel at 12 and 6 O'clock in order to see any movement - assuming that you'd jacked the car up so that the ball joint wasn't under tension. Also ruling out bearing play (rocking but no suspension part movement).

I always thought that rocking the wheel, gripped at 9 and 3 o'clock was for checking steering ball joints.
 

Uncle Benz

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Any movement like that in the balljoint is not correct, and would need a new arm.
Get it checked by a competant garage if you are unsure.
 

WG M-B

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Any movement like that in the balljoint is not correct, and would need a new arm.
Get it checked by a competant garage if you are unsure.

+1. The camber arm ball joints do commonly wear
 
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Merlin451

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Thanks for your comments.
The movement I could feel on the wheel was definitely related to visible movement on the lower ball joint.
In December 2012 I had the NS suspension front and rear lower link arms replaced due bumping noise over pot holes. Would the lower ball joint be part of either of these two link arms.
I have used the part descriptions used on the invoice from 4 Ring Motors in Colnbrook.
 


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