Town Car V8-302 5.0L (1987)
Ball Joint: Testing and Inspection
Ball Joint, Upper
UPPER BALL JOINT
Mark VI & 1982---88 Town Car
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 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 joint. Also, do not mistake loose wheel bearings for a worn ball joint.
Fig. 4 Lower ball joint wear indicator. Mark VI & 1982---88 Town Car
Mark VI & 1982---88 Town Car
These models are equipped with lower ball joint wear indicators, Fig. 4. 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, replace the ball joint.
