Ball Joint Squeal

[pitchman]

I just noticed a high pitched squeal when I turn the wheel in my 2001 Excursion. After sticking my head under the front end while someone else did the steering, I have taken my guess that the squeal is coming from the driver side lower ball joint. It is hard to pinpoint by the sound alone, but that ball joint and the area around it looks as though some fine powder "rust dust" has layered the immediate surrounding area and the boot on the top of the ball joint looks like it has had a small blowout.

I personally know the risks of a severely damaged ball joint, but wonder if anyone out there has any educated opinions or experience with how much more abuse a ball joint can take when it is just squealing. We are about to take off for a couple weeks with the travel trailer to a nearby lake and I am really in no mood to take apart the front assembly right now.

When I jack it up and try to shake the wheel from top and bottom and from side to side, it is as solid as a rock, no "play" at all. This leads me to feel that it can take some more abuse for a few weeks at least.

Have any of you out there had it any worse?

[rsecondchance1]

Your truck is your ride and your life is in it.You don't ask some one else to extend your life. Park it and fix it.

[pitchman]

I figured there would be a "do-gooder" out there.... how about someone who has actually seen a jiggly ball joint on a ford truck..... anyone?

I've seen plenty on cars and don't figure it would be any different with this, but the benefit of another's experience would be nice if it is out there.

[ponyponer]

i took a trip from jersey to california almost 3000 miles one way. they were bad for a while, but i made it almost 15k miles between the time they started making noise, and when i finally fixed it, but i am not reccomending you do the same.

[pitchman]

I just want to get to a lake a couple hours away and park for a week, then come home..... thanks for the input.... that is about what I figured.... as a teen, I had a couple different cars with wiggly jiggly ball joints...... took them forever to get to that point.... I don't imagine this ford suspension is much different, but it is MUCH heavier than the cars I had as a kid..... There is no way I'll be able to get to it before we get back so we decided to just go, but I figured asking for input here wouldn't hurt.

Thanks!