Steering head knocks: what to do and how to find a reliable replacement

By design, the steering tip is a ball joint, the task of which is to transfer force from the rods to the fists, which ensures the rotation of the wheels. On average, a part serves from 30-40 to 80 thousand kilometers. If the operating conditions are harsh and are associated with constant off-road driving, the resource can be reduced by 2-3 times. Therefore, it is recommended to inspect the tips every 15 thousand kilometers.

How to find a malfunction

If you often travel outside the highways and move on uneven primers, a knock indicating wear on the part will quickly “crawl out”. Another thing is a quiet ride on smooth asphalt. In this case, there will be no constant knocking - it appears from time to time and what it is connected with is not immediately clear. You can determine the “culprit” at a speed of 90-100 km / h: the car will begin to rock (as if because of the wind), the handling will deteriorate: it seems that the road is slippery. At lower speed everything is fine. But when the tip reaches the last stage of wear, specific signs will appear:

• ✪ beating and vibration, increased effort when turning the steering wheel
  
• ✪ its big backlash
  
• ✪ frequent dull tapping on turns and when driving over bumps
  

Tip condition check

Drive the car into a viewing hole or use a lift. Inspect the assembly and first of all anthers. If the cover is torn, it means that dirt and moisture got into the tip, which caused premature wear of the part. If the anthers are intact, testing is carried out differently. Put the car on a jack, secure it with stands. Further:

• ? Grasp the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock, shake to check for play - its presence indicates the need to replace the tip (assuming the wheel bearing is in good condition)
  
• ? Another way is to grab the tie rod closer to the wheel and try to swing it, play will indicate wear on the tip
  
• ? The third method involves dismantling the part - if the hinge pin dangles freely in the seat, buy a new part
  
• ? You can also ask an assistant to get into the car and turn the wheel - under the car, look at the progress of the spare part in order to identify backlash
  

If the steering tip is not replaced in time

An extremely dangerous situation could arise. In the worst case, the finger will be pulled out of the seat. Then the car will become completely uncontrollable. If everything happens at high speed, the probability of an accident is maximum. Inattention to the condition of the tips also causes technical problems:

• ✪ camber and toe are violated (wheel alignment angles)
  
• ✪ tires wear unevenly and quickly
  
• ✪ the load on the steering rack increases, which disables it ahead of time
  

Selection of new steering tips

The market offers a wide range of these parts. It’s worth saying right away: you need to change a pair of tips: left and right. Otherwise, after wear and replacement of the second one, you will have to do wheel alignment again, which costs money. What tips are most popular among Russian car owners?

Lemforder

Production - Germany. The item is of high quality, corrosion resistant. The sales package includes a nut, a clamp. Car owners who installed this steering tip claim that the part from this manufacturer “walks” longer than the “conveyor one”. The service life of Lemforder reaches 200 thousand km.

MOOG

The country of origin of the brand is the USA. The part is made of steel hardened by high frequency induction heating. This technology increases the resource and durability. The liner is made of carbon fiber, which has reduced the radial displacement by almost half. The tips are coated with a zinc lamellar composition that protects against corrosion. The bearings have a special synthetic lubricant. Product warranty - 75 thousand kilometers.

TRW

A German company that produces steering tips in which the risk of pulling a finger out of the seat is minimized. The manufacturer also strengthened the protection of the product from dust, moisture and dirt getting inside: the case is crimped with a pair of metal rings, there is an additional shoulder. The end of the pin has a hole for the hexagon, which facilitates the dismantling of the part (you can even do without a puller). The manufacturer declared a service life of 40 to 70 thousand kilometers.

CTR

The South Korean company offers tips that comply with the ISO 9001/9002 standard. The item is distinguished by the high quality of the tip cover: the rubber is completely free of a characteristic unpleasant odor. In this case, the anther is glued into a special groove. The tightness is complemented by a metal ring coated with an anti-corrosion compound and securely pressed to the fist. Product warranty - up to 40 thousand kilometers.

RTS

A Spanish company that manufactures steering tips designed for use on any road. The production is equipped with robotic equipment controlled by a computer multi-stage system. Parts are tested under extreme load conditions at high and low temperatures. The tips are certified according to ISO9000, the resource declared by the manufacturer is 50 thousand kilometers.

NK (Nordjysk Kobling)

A Danish company that produces tips made of durable steel and coated with an anti-corrosion compound. The boot is made of rubber resistant to aggressive environments. To ensure tightness, the cover is placed in a special groove. The delivery set includes a flange nut made of high-strength metal. The spare part is certified according to the ISO 9001 standard. The manufacturer guarantees a minimum product life of 40 thousand kilometers. Users note the reliability of anthers, but there are many fakes for this brand on the market.

How to increase the resource of steering tips

To extend the life of these parts, it is enough to follow the simple rules related to the operation of the car:

• ✪ do not turn the steering wheel unnecessarily on a stationary car
  
• ✪ go around any serious obstacles, bumps, holes on the road surface, do not jump on the curb while turning the steering wheel
  
• ✪ if the road is bad, drive slowly along it
  
• ✪ every 15 thousand kilometers, inspect the anthers - if gaps are found, change
  

Difficulties with self-replacement

It is strongly discouraged to buy cheap, low quality tips. Firstly, they will not be enough for 20 thousand kilometers, and secondly, after the replacement, you will have to do wheel alignment again, that is, there are additional financial expenses. Also, do not be "tempted" by inexpensive refurbished parts.

Problems usually arise when dismantling old tips that have “wound” more than one tens of thousands of kilometers. In such cases, you will need a special puller, which is unlikely to have an ordinary car owner. You can also use the assembly with a hammer: but in the absence of experience, there is a risk of damaging neighboring parts.