Definitions for "Ball Joint"
A ball joint is a part of a vehicle front suspension. Most cars have one or two ball joints at each front wheel. When a ball joint becomes bad, a vehicle could be unsafe to drive; a ball joint, when badly worn, can disjoin causing the vehicle to lose control unexpectedly. One of the possible indication of a bad ball joint could be a knocking noise coming from the front end, particularly while driving over bumps or making sharp turns. If you suspect your vehicle has a bad ball joint or any other suspension component, have your car inspected as soon as you can, it can be unsafe to drive.
Mechanical joint in which a spherical end moves freely within a recessed socket. Ball joints act as pivots which allow turning of the front wheels and compensate for changes in the wheel and steering geometries that occur while driving.
The sphere shaped end of this flexible plumbing join rests in a socket.