# Ball Joint questions

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** silhouette, oldsmobile\
**Created:** [March 4, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196 "2011-03-04T16:55:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jeffmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jeffmork](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffmork)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/1 "2011-03-04T16:55:35Z")

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I just had a 100K service done at a Goodyear Service Center on my '97 Silhouette van. (Ended up costing about $1100).  
  
 As prat of the service (my first in about 5 years), I asked them to do a general check, including suspension and other elements. The mechanic discovered the left lower ball joint was loose, so I went ahead with replacement. He reported the right ball joint was in good shape.  
  
 The van now feels much more solid and firm on the road.  
  
  
  
 Question-should the ball joints be replaced in pairs, or is a single replacement adequate/safe?  
  
 Jeff Mork  
  
 Sandusky OH

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**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/2 "2011-03-04T17:01:10Z")

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Ball joints do not need to be replaced in pairs unless they are both worn and loose. A single replacement is fine.

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**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/3 "2011-03-04T17:06:17Z")

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If it’s not broken, don’t fix it…

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**Author:** ![Jeffmork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jeffmork](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffmork)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/4 "2011-03-04T17:09:50Z")

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Thanks for the quick responses! - Jeff

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**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/5 "2011-03-04T18:59:29Z")

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Those are good answers. Whenever I burn a twenty dollar bill I make sure I didn’t pull out two of them by mistake.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/ball-joint-questions/62196/6 "2011-03-04T20:07:07Z")

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Are you SURE they needed replacing…

Many of these national chains are notorious for FINDING things to fix when in fact they are perfectly fine.