Does anyone know what the symptoms are for bad ball joints on a 1990 runner? How do you know when they need to be replaced? Guy at the shop says i need new lower ball joints before the alignment? Cuz if those joints are bad, then they will still mess up the alignment, right?

 

jack the front up and grab the wheel at 12:00 and 6:00 and try to move it in and out if it moves they are bad also look at them and see if the boot are torn thats a good sign that they are on there way out. You cant align a car with bad ball joints you will never get it in to spec.

 

Make sure you are looking at the ball joint because if the wheel bearings are going then the tire will wobble a bit from that too. Should be pretty obvious if they need replacing.

 

Does the boot around the joint have to be busted or leaking for the joint itself to be bad? And what is the probability that 3 of the ball joints needing to be replaced and not the fourth? Thanks.

 

The boot does not need to be damaged at all. You are looking for lateral movement (ie side to side) of the ball joint. If theer is any, replace it/them. Who knows what the probability is, get under there and check them yourself.

 

Not at all.

It doesn't take much to toast a ball joint, and the bottom ones always seem to go first. I would go ahead and replace both. The jack up and shake is the standard method of ball joint testing

 

thanks yotatecherz...you just confirmed my suspiscions.

 

Well I love this search button...

But when I jack up the front, you mean jack it up in a manner such that neither the LCA or UCA are bearing any weight? In other words full drop of both tires?