Because of frequent removals of supporting ball joints that were OK, we would like to remind you that an inspection of the supporting ball joint for axial play is not required or possible.
The wear characteristics of the supporting ball joints are designed for a vehicle "service life".
This requires an undamaged rubber boot.
This can however be destroyed through inspections using assembly levers or other sharp-edged tools.
As part of maintenance operations, leaktightness and condition tests must be made on the boots to ensure that the supporting ball joint is not permanently damaged by exposure to corrosion.
For safety reasons, the raising of the vehicle at the transverse control arms and possible damage to the supporting ball joint is not allowed (refer to document AR00.60-D-1000A).
The arrangement of the supporting ball joints in the transverse control arms means that ball pelling, even on a damaged joint, is not possible.
D33.00-1102-79
1 Front axle housing
2 Transverse control arm
3 Transverse leaf spring
4 Shock-absorber strut
5 Rack-and-pinion steering
6 Spring limit stop
7 Steering knuckle
8 Supporting joint
Interrelation of forces at front axle
The Sprinter front axle has been designed such that the leaf end of the fixed transverse leaf springs (3) applies a force "F" to the transverse control arm (2) in every compression and rebound status. The transverse control arm (2) generates force "F1" to the ball head of the supporting ball joint (8).
When driving, the contact force "R" is applied over the steering knuckle (7) with force "R1" to the ball head in the ball socket.
If the vehicle is relieved at the front axle or jacked up, contact force "R" is zero. The suspension strut (4) moves to the rebound buffer and reaches the ball head of the supporting ball joint (8) over the steering knuckle (7) with force "A", the pre-compressed transverse leaf spring (3) acts with force "F" over the transverse control arm (2) and onto the ball socket with force "F1".
This in turn ensures that the ball journal of the supporting ball joints are not tensioned, neither during a driving maneuver nor when jacked up.
The ball of the supporting ball joint (8) is pressed into the ball socket whenever load is applied, an alternating rebound-pressure load does not occur!