LTD Crown Victoria V8-302 5.0L VIN F FI (1986)
Ball Joint: Testing and Inspection
Ball Joint, Lower
UPPER BALL JOINT
1.
Raise car on floor jacks placed beneath lower control arms.
2.
Grasp lower edge of tire and move wheel in and out.
3.
As wheel is being moved in and out, observe upper end of spindle and upper arm.
4.
Any movement between upper end of spindle and upper arm indicates ball joint wear and loss of preload. If any such movement is observed,
replace upper ball joint.
During the foregoing check, the lower ball joint will be unloaded and may move. Disregard all such movement of the lower ball joint. Also, do not
mistake loose wheel bearings for a worn ball joint.
Fig. 1 Lower ball joint wear indicators
LOWER BALL JOINT
These models are equipped with lower ball joint wear indicators, Fig. 1. To check ball joint for wear, support vehicle in normal driving position with
both ball joints loaded. Observe the checking surface of the ball joint. If the checking surface is inside the cover, Fig. 1, replace the ball joint.
