Ball joint?

2000 Dodge Caravan 125K 3.0L
While driving the front end wobbles sometimes. If I release the accelerator or jerk the steering wheel it stops. I can feel the wobble in the steering wheel also.
I jacked the van up and checked the wheels. The wheel does not move when I shaking it up and down, but it moves from side to side. It seems to me that it might be the lower ball joint. Could this be the problem?

Thanks,

negguy

With the car jacked up, slowly spin the tires to see if they are out of round. I had a set of Plainsman brand tires that split on the inside, causing them to go over 1/2" out of round, made for a very rough ride.

If they are round, grab the front and back of the tire and try to turn them, like the car is going around a corner. If there's a lot of movement, watch to see where the slop is coming from. Most likely culprit is the steering ball joints.

To properly check the ball joint you need to remove the tire and wheel. First make sure the car is jacked up and supported with a good jack stand and do not jack it up under the lower control arm. Under the frame only. Then place a pry bar or big screwdriver between the lower steering knuckle and lower control arm. Look closely at the ball joint while moving the pry bar up and down. If you get alot of movement? Say 1/4 to 1/2 inch play then u know u have a bad ball joint. Checking for side to side play is a sign u have a most likely culprit is a bad tie rod end. I dont have a picture. Look in a manual or look online. But if u look at the tie rod end while moving the wheel side to side you will see it move there really shouldnt be any slop if so u have a bad tie rod end. Tie rod ends are much easier to replace than a ball joint. Always make sure the vehicle is jacked up and stabilized securely.