1996 Ford Explorer

The ball joint is the vertical pivot point for the front steering. They are attached to upper and lower control arms that act as the horizontal pivot points for the suspension. On the explorers, the upper ball joint is part of the upper control arm and is not servicable separate. The control arm only takes about an hour to replace, but the vehicle will then need an alignment. Sometimes the alignment is far enough out that it requires camber "slugs" to be installed on the arm. They are eccentric discs that allow different degrees of adjustment. If they have never been installed, they may be needed as an extra cost to the alignment.