No, they can break at 100 mph. There is a picutre of a car on the devek web site that had the ball joitns break at speed. It's a mess.

However, it's more common for them to break at low speeds. Eighter that or we don't hear about the faster ones because the drivers are dead.

Apperently, thers something about low speed actions that load up the lower ball joints? Best I can guess is we're typicaly more jerky at low speeds, turning the steering wheel alought, and rather hard with the brakes.

Anyways, get 'em replaced, or else...

 

Back in "the day";
When ships were made of wood,
and men were made of steel.
This also dates back to when even Mom checked the oil before cranking the motor.
There were KING PINS.
It was only slightly more common to see a car on the side of the road with a wheel cocked in or out of the wheel well. Never saw or heard of a king pin going out at speed. Usually there was a wobble that got worse ... fast.
But still giving the driver adequate time to pull over. I think the last new car I saw with King pins was a early/mid sixties Rambler.
Some listers ... they won't get your names from me Dr, & Dennis... are older than me and if you can tear them away from the Geritol and Everclear highballs down at the Senior City, Shuffleboard finals
I'm sure they could offer up heaps of King pin info.
JE,
I could be wrong but is the shock body kinked in a bit?
The wishbone looks O.K. but either there is a huge casting blemish or it's been welded.
You might went to unleash the spring and examine it if it doesn't straighten up as well.
Ern has been after me to "change those ball joints !", well I might just do that......

 

What's the simplest, non-paying method to see whether the carriers are steel? Stick a magnet to it and if it falls off its aluminum? Tap it with a tuning fork?

 

Nah, no damage to the shock tower from this or anything previous. That's one sturdy SOB. I believe that is a pressed piece of sheet metal. I see what you are talking about, so it's a slight abnormality from the press process. He was going so slow it didn't even break the plastic wheel well liner. There are some nice rub marks on the ST, WWL and tire though.

 

Stick a magent on it.

The Al version there will be a slight attraction to the steel bolts, and the steel ball. The magnet will eighter link up with one of the above, or fall off.

The steel version will result in the magnet sticking to it anywhere you put it.

 

Flint - A magnet will tell you. Also, the aluminum ones are oval shape and thicker and the steel ones are figure eight shaped and thinner.

 

My passenger '82 side joint gave out in the rain on my way to the company Christmas party in Tyler, TX. We crossed the centerline (fortunatly no oncomming traffick or I (we) would be dead forever.) We plowed up three feet of mud and grass; I was hours late to the party butt fortunate to find a place to effect lower repairs. don't do this; I could be dead.

 

Also an excellent way to know if bondo has been used to patch up your steel body panels.