# Protective Gaiter's on Balljoints? Confusing car magazine terminology **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 6, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731 "2019-07-06T01:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/1 "2019-07-06T01:31:55Z")
From _Classics Monthly_, June, 2019 "on the front suspension where the wishbone assembly meets the vertical link there is a protective gaiter to protect the joint. " Note the caption refers to a “top ball joint”. That larger rubber gaiter on the tie rod doesn’t look like it is protecting the upper ball joint to me. The upper ball joint isn’t even involved with that rubber gaiter or the tie rod, right? Or is the gaiter something else altogether in the photo? ![ball_joints](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/d/6d4200238541bee593f93ea2eafac203f0aa4fe8.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![CapitalTruck](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capitaltruck/32/16592_2.png) [@CapitalTruck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapitalTruck)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/2 "2019-07-06T01:51:20Z")
They keep referring to the upper ball joint, I don’t think the tie rod has anything to do with it. Look at the upper ball joint and the light piece of broken plastic that seems to come down over it. Maybe that is what they are referring to? The upper wishbone, as I best understand it, is the suspension member that connects the upper balljoint to the vehicle frame. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/3 "2019-07-06T02:02:59Z")
I see what you mean. I wouldn’t call that thing a gaiter myself. But you could be right. Would you say that thing is where the wishbone ass’y meets the vertical link? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/4 "2019-07-06T02:11:23Z")
The boot on the upper ball joint is torn, we don’t call those “gaiters” in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/5 "2019-07-06T02:13:19Z")
So JS’s idea above is correct? By clicking to enlarge the photo I can see that it is indeed torn. The “gaiter” terminology is what is causing the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 12:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/6 "2019-07-06T12:09:12Z")
Just for giggles, I put “gaiter” in a Google search and one definition is “leggings”. I wonder if this is something the British or the Aussies use. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/7 "2019-07-06T12:54:23Z")
Yes, this is a term for “boot” that protects the ball joint that the Brits use. Not sure about Aussies. Gaiter can also refer to the wrappings used to protect leaf springs. That can be leather sleeve or rope wrapped tightly around a greased leaf spring. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/8 "2019-07-06T13:13:09Z")
Y’all are really mixed up: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/a/1a89621fdda0f873186aa8e29800255ec7ad3ec1.jpeg) [https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/xxx\_travel-kiawah-island-beach-17234\_49734857.jpg?w=768&h=461&crop=1](https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/xxx_travel-kiawah-island-beach-17234_49734857.jpg?w=768&h=461&crop=1) ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/protective-gaiters-on-balljoints-confusing-car-magazine-terminology/143731/9 "2019-07-06T13:24:39Z")
Here’s a gator ![Capture](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/8/48a4c69129b3ae94cf832785e960a340107606e5.jpeg)