When does a ball joint need replaced

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    • September 14, 2013 at 3:46 pm #30817
      timkirby
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        Mine is a Jinma 284 with hydraulic power steering. Yesterday while driving the tractor up the road from barn to house I noticed that the front wheels were wobbling left and right as the wheels encountered uneven terrain even though I was holding the steering wheel steady. I stopped the tractor on my driveway to take a closer look and observed a bit of relative sideway movement between the ball and socket of the ball joint (actually looks like a tie rod end with female threads) that threads onto the end of the hydraulic steering cylinder as I turned the steering wheel left and right.

         

        Next I separated the ball joint from the pitman arm on the wheel so I could do a closer inspection of the ball joint. The ball moved easily in its socket but it was not loose. When I pushed down on the threaded end of the ball, the ball did move downward, but I think there is a spring in the bottom of the socket and I was just overcoming the spring force.

         

        If this ball joint was in my car I would replace it, but in a tractor that never goes on road, I am not so sure it needs to be replaced now.

         

        So, my question is: does this joint need to be replaced right now?

        Jinma 284, logging winch, post hole digger, pallet forks, backhoe, back blade

      • September 15, 2013 at 9:35 am #36402
        DavidPrivett
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          if that is the only place you can feel slop replace it ,verses having them seperate later they are not expensive.

        • September 15, 2013 at 11:43 am #36403
          Affordable
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            If you remove the cotter pin at the top, you can take a big straight screwdriver and take some of the slope out, then put the pin back in.They are adjustable,and if it's already worn out give us a call we have the replacements in stock 

             

            Tommy

            Affordable Tractor Sales

            “Your Jinma Parts Superstore”

            http://www.affordabletractorsalesco.com

          • September 15, 2013 at 2:18 pm #36404
            RichWaugh
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              DO what Tommy said and adjust all your tie rod ends to take up the slop.  I did that on my 304 and it made a huge difference.  So far, I haven't needed to replace then, as I got the adjustment done before they had hammered themselves to oblivion.

            • September 15, 2013 at 9:01 pm #36405
              timkirby
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                Thanks guys. Had no idea the ball joint was adjustable. I shall give it a try.

                 

                Tim

                Jinma 284, logging winch, post hole digger, pallet forks, backhoe, back blade

              • January 30, 2014 at 2:46 pm #36736
                timkirby
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                  I apologize for taking so long to close the loop on this issue, but I did adjust the slop out of the ball joint as instructed by Tommy and it is now as good as new. Thanks Tommy for your help.

                  Jinma 284, logging winch, post hole digger, pallet forks, backhoe, back blade

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