Ball join question

[ellis1142]

Hello. i spent all day today fixing minor issues with my car. now on to the big one. when i turn left there is a popping and clicking sound comping from the right side it seems. from what iv read it is a ball joint gone bad. am i right? and if so can anyone post a link on a guide to replacing a ball joint? Thanks alot everyone.

[EvoEatr]

First off...What model and year car do you have? How many miles are on this car? any modifications?...From the info you've given your describing what sounds like one of your outer CV joints has gone bad....Take a look under the car and see if your outer axle joint boots are torn/ or you see grease all over your brake caliper/strut/Lower control arm.....What happens is the boot gets torn (from age and mileage and whatnot) and grease starts to get thrown out of the boot....plus now that theres a hole salt, dirt, and road grime can get in there....and the joint goes bad due to lack of lube and contamination and commonly causes a clicking noise while turning...As a side note...I have the original lower ball joints in my 96 Legacy with over 200k miles...It is def. more common for a Subaru to need a new CV joint than a ball joint...

[SD_GR]

Yes it sounds CV to me too. You should be able to see what's going on if you put the car on a jack stand and check for grime or play. Post back.

[ellis1142]

it is a 2002 wrx with 85k miles on it. ill go look in a few and see if i can see anything. iv had it checked out at a couple shops and they all said everything looked fine.

[EvoEatr]

the thing that got me is you said it clicks/pops when you turn...

[ellis1142]

and i forgot to mention that i have had the cv axle replaced and this sound still is there.

[SD_GR]

Has anyone looked at the suspension?

[ellis1142]

supposedly. i took it to 3 mechanics. actual mechanics at shops and had them ride in the car and hear the popping. left the car with them to look at it and they said everything looked fine. obviously something is wrong. 2 of the mechanics are out of town and i dont personally know them or their reputation and the 3rd one is down the road from me and has a very good reputation but is kind of a small time 2 person garage. doesnt mess with turbos or foreign cars alot at all. but this isnt anything dealing with the turbo and a suspension is a suspension. variations here and there but basically the same on cars. but like i said earlier, from what i have read, it sounds like all the symptoms of a ball joint.

and the cv axle was replaced due to a pothole being filled with water and raining i didnt know it was a pothole. it was a very very strong clanking when turning to the left. and i mean very strong.

[EvoEatr]

was the axle that was replaced OEM Subaru reman or new? Ive said it before and ill say it again...Subarus are very touchy when it comes to certain aftermarket componants...thermostats and axles just off the top of my head...are you hearing the noise on the same side the axle was replaced.... you had to really nail that pothole to need a new axle....maybe you do need a ball joint...do you get any play when you grab the tire at 12 and 6 and rock it back and forth?

[ellis1142]

i cant remember what kind of axle it was. im pretty sure it was oem. i try and keep everything i put in my car name brand. it was about 6 months ago. i have had the car off the road because i lost my job due to lack of work because of the winter. iv just gotten it back on the road since i have found a nice job.
I just jacked the car up and did the 12 and 6 oclock shake test. i didnt feel or hear anything. I looked uner and dont see anything obviously wrong.
yes the noise is coming from the right side front wheel well. and i nailed the pothole extremely hard. it was in a break in the grassy area on an interstate. where the cops sit. i went in one to turn around and if you can visualize it, i was turning to the left, trying to not slow down too much to impede traffic and my tire went into the hole during the turning. so a good majority of the cars weight was pressing on that axle and suspension set up.

[EvoEatr]

was the noise there before you stopped driving the car?

[Sarra]

Does it make the sound when the car is running, but not moving? Do you feel a clicking or change in resistance in the steering wheel when it clicks?

[ellis1142]

Yes. The noise was there when I stopped driving the car but I didn't worry to much with it cause I was on a streak of bad luck. O2 sensor went bad, wheel lug threads messed up, and a few other minor things. I didn't have the money to keep the car on the road soe obviously I couldn't afford the repairs. but iv got everything fixed except this popping. The sound isn't there with the engine running. But. It will pop when I jack the car up. When going up and weight is coming off the wheel and suspension it pops a couple times. Iv listened but can't tell where its coming from.

[EvoEatr]

How does the strut/strut mount and spring look?...my legacy had somewhat this problem...but it was because the previous owner had cut the springs to lower the car...idiot..lol... I mean if you feel like it.. the ball joint is easy enough to replace and ive seen them for as little as like $30...so if thats your inclination I would throw one in and see where it gets you....

[ellis1142]

the strut and mount look fine. i know the previous owner did no modifications to the car. it only had one owner. i think i will take your advice and just throw a ball joint in. ill do it within the next couple of days and ill post on the results. thank you very much for your help. really appreciate it.