I am about to have to replace my front drivers side lower ball joint for the third time in a year. I was wondering if there is another front suspension issue the could be causing the ball joint to go out early. Or am I just being plagued by a poorly designed product?

 

What is wrong with the ball joint? Is the ball joint loose? Is it making some kind of noise?

How are you installing the new ball joints?

 

They start to squeak and get progressively worse. When I pull them off and move the joint around by hand it feels as if its grinding. As far as the install goes, I pull the entire steering knuckle and have both pressed a joint in and tapped one in with a dead-blow hammer. There was no real difference in longevity from one to the next. About 4000 miles.

 

Any chance the rubber boot is opening up & dirt getting as you re-install the knuckle? IIRC, the rubber boot is long & when you put the tapered stud into the hole in the knuckle, it pushes it back a couple mm. Make sure everything is very clean.

 

What brand joint did you? Do they have zerk fittings or a plug for one.

 

is car stock??any suspension modifications ?? factory ball joints ??

those things should last a very long time

 

"When I pull them off and move the joint around by hand it feels as if its grinding."
Could this be the way they are new for the brand you purchased? I have seen people use a sledge hammer to install a pressed in ball joint and even dented up work fine. It takes a lot to have a problem. Could it be something else is making the noise?

 

The only thing that would screw up a ball joint (other than an incorrect installation) is another suspension component is worn out.

Check the lower control arm bushings, tie-rod (inner and outer), upper control arm bushings/ball joint, radius rod bushings, anti-sway bar end-links. Am I forgetting anything else?

A crappy part could also be the problem. I remember that the OEM ones from the Honda dealership are pretty cheap, around $20-$25.

 

But the OP isn't saying the joints are worn just that they squeak.

 

I admitt that the joints are the $16 Oreilly's special. The installations have been clean and as far as I can tell correct (properly seated). The car is stock. Moving the new and old joints around in comparison, the feel is completely different. The bad joint has a gritty feel to it, which I do not understand considering the cleanliness of the install. Concerning the other suspension components being worn out, is there one over another that would be a greater potential cause?