I'll be working on replacing all of the steering components one of these days and I'll be learning as I go, just like I've done to this point so far.

Can anybody explain to me what ball joints do exactly, along with radius arm, pitman arm, tie rod ends and so on.

I think I have a general idea on some of the components, but I could certainly use an education.

Sorry for being such an idiot, but how else do you learn?

 

Sorry to do this to you. When I first found this site, I went nuts and read for a long time on a variety of topics. Oh well; the torch is passed. You want an education? Here ya go!

http://www.howstuffworks.com/steering.htm

 

mmmm, books maybe? The repair manuals usually detail the parts in the beginning of their chapters.

 

if you crawl under your front end and have a look around you can pretty much figure out what everything does. the balljoints allow the knuckle that holds the wheel on to stay vertical as the control arm that it's attached to moves in a circular path when you corner or go over a bump. our cars don't have radius arms. other then that it's all self explainitory when you look at it. to check your ball joint you want to get the tire off the ground and then push at the top and bottom of the tire to see if there's play, to check your tie rods push on the left and right side of the tire to see if there's play, there shouldn't be any.

there is an adjustment screw on the steering gear to take the play out of your steering wheel. loosen the outside nut, turn the inside screw with an allen wrench and then tighten the big nut around it, do 1/4 turn increments on the inside screw and don't over do it cuz you'll bind stuff up. after each 1/4 turn, turn the car on and see how the steering feels, you shouldn't feel any binding.

 

Thanks guys

Ukraine, I'll run those checks you suggested.

Thank you.

 

Did this work for you gruveb?

 

Yeah, it's pretty much a what you see is what you get thing.