Guys today i came through strange sound on front left wheel. Mechanic said ball join damage on front left wheel. please tell me i have to change only front left side or all 4 wheels? workshop recommending to change all 4. can i drive with only 1 side replaced? or damage may cause to other 3 wheels?

 

You can always do individual corners but I'd do at least both front at the same time.

 

I am gonna change only one side just to fix problem right now.

 

Yes doing only one side at a time is not too bad. But you might have to do a front end alignment after each side. So you would be paying less by doing both fronts together. But it is your choice. I do understand how we have to work with a limited budget sometimes keeps you restrained.

 

My friend's XFR had similar problems. Parking in tight space is the main cause of wear and tear to ball joints. Poor rubber quality and tropical heat also cause boots and bushing to degenerate. It would be very costly to replace each and every member of the upper and lower control arms, tie-rods, drop links.... Found some replacement kit on eBay, but wonder if there are more affordable fixes instead of buying and replacing the front and rear lot.

 

I am not too far from you with my XF being in Guam. I too have many issues do to being in the tropics. The only difference is that we don't have a Jag dealer here. I have been doing all the work myself. With the terrible roads here, suspension parts take a beating each and every day.

 

'sfar as I can tell Guam is about 20 miles long by 8 miles across, must take a few laps to go on a decent length trip, you would need to go to your destination and back three times just to get the engine & gearbox up to operating temp!

 

Too funny! It is actually about 210 square miles with lots of hills. Yes you can drive around the whole island in about 45 minutes when no heavy traffic is present. But we do have a race track. And we also are targets for North Korea. Do you think that they could accurately hit something as small as our island?

 

To the OP?

What car is this on?

Rubber boots will all split and decay with age on all cars. What you show is average for any car with some age on it. I have learned to live with them until noise or play becomes evident. Yes you can change just the boots too.

Now you do have a problem with the ball joint?

But when is it making noise? Turning? Both ways the same? Constant speed? Going over rough pavement? Hitting speed bumps at 30mph?

Ball joints can squeak when turning as they age and lose lubrication. They tend to clunk as the car goes over bumps when worn. By your description I would suspect a wheel bearing first?

Be aware that a tire could also be a suspect?

I also agree with doing both sides if one side needs work. Of course we don't know what your willing to spend? With those pictures you will need more work in the future.
Are going to keep the car? Is it a daily driver? Miles driven per year?

I think you need to describe your problem in more detail otherwise just let the shop take care of it.
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