Ball joint replacement

KARIMBARS

MEMBER
2002 MERCEDES BENZ ML55
5.4L
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
140,000 MILES

I purchased the car listed above (AMG model) from a police auction in 2015. I have had a lot of work done on the car because it was very abused by the previous, likely criminal, owner. The one problem I have noticed that is getting worse is the sound that comes from the steering/wheels whenever I go over any kind of bump. The inspection I got after purchasing the car noted that the front ball joints needed to be replaced soon but it was not urgent. I think the time is now. Is this something I could do by myself at home with a jack or should I take it to my mechanic? And how much should I expect a mechanic to charge for the replacement?

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,747 POSTS

Hi and thanks for using 2CarPros.com

I noticed that you listed "little knowledge" at the top of the page. To be honest, this is not a twenty minute job and does require some specific types of tools to complete the job correctly.

As far as a cost, this is not a cheap vehicle to maintain. Additionally, I do not know which ball joints are bad or how many are bad. Regardless, if only one needed replaced, I would expect the price to be around $250.00 which can vary based on your location and where you take it. If you want to try to replace them yourself, I have attached the directions. However, make sure this is something you feel comfortable doing. If a ball joint fails. you may lose steering.

NOTE: Picture 2 contains the replacement procedures from Alldata.
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The next pictures are for the wheel carrier joints. Picture 6 lists those directions.

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If you want, review this link. It discusses general guidelines for ball joint replacement.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-release-a-ball-joint

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As far as Alldata, the average price for an upper joint is $137.00. Labor will range from 1 to 1.5 hrs.

I hope this helps. Let me know how things turn out or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe

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