Symptoms
Clunks, wander, uneven tire wear, or movement when you rock a lifted wheel top to bottom. It's more common on lifted trucks with heavy tires.
The fix, step by step
- Remove the hub, axle shaft and knuckle, press out the old upper and lower joints with a JL-specific adapter set, press in the new ones square, and reassemble.
- Torque everything to the factory specs and finish with an alignment.
Tools & part numbers
- Ball-joint press with JL adapters
- breaker bar
- torque wrench
- pickle fork.
Where to buy the parts
Synergy heavy-duty ball joint kit, 2018–2022 JLQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
Dana Spicer 10048946 performance ball joint kit, 2018–2020 JLQuadratec ↗Amazon ↗
JL tie rods, ends and ball jointsExtremeTerrain ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Jeep Wrangler JL parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.