You’re Chevrolet, Ford, or Ram diesel pickup is a heavy-duty machine, designed to tackle all kinds of situations. The ball joints that connect your suspension to the rest of the truck are under a tremendous amount of strain, both on and off-road - it’s important to keep an eye on them, and make sure they’re in proper working order. Here’s how to gauge the condition of your ball joints, from the professionals at Van Meter Auto Repair in Mantua, NJ.

Your ball joints obviously have a pretty important job to do. Like anything else on a vehicle, they inevitably fail; the important thing is to catch them before they fail completely. When one breaks, it’ll likely be at an inopportune moment, while towing, off-road, or even while driving down the highway. So how do you prevent that from happening?

Ball joints have two fairly obvious symptoms of failure. First, you might hear excessive squeaking while driving over dips and bumps, particularly at low speeds, like when pulling into a parking lot or going over a speed bump. You can probably even bounce the truck up and down by hand while it’s parked to hear the sound. Secondly, a ball joint might pop or rattle going over bumps and rough terrain, and you might even feel it in the steering wheel if it’s bad enough.

If you notice either of these conditions, get it looked at sooner rather than later. Obviously, this is one of those situations where preempting the problem is much better than waiting for the part to fail. No matter your repair or maintenance needs, we’ve got you covered. For the best diesel service shop in Mantua, NJ, call or stop by Van Meter Auto Repair today.