Grand Cherokee Rear Upper Ball Joint

I would expect to find a ball joint, upper strut mount, or control arm bushing to be bad rather than the axle joints. Usually if a CV joint is going you hear a clicking noise as the wheel is turning not just one clunk. One clunk usually means something is shifting.

This could be almost any front end part, these Cherokees have front end problems that will drive anyone crazy, even techs .
Take a look at front end components, check for any broken sway bar link ends, these sometimes break and make noise when turning or going over a bump, they hit other components due to being broken.
The first thing is to check the front end. there are upper and lower are bushings that wear out, these are tough to check, you will need to really take a good look at them for wear. the next thing is the track bar, this is also hard to check due to the force on it, but you will need to check it by watching it for movement at the joint end as someone jacks truck up and lowers it.These trucks are also famous for ball joint problems, you will need to check them. jack up one side about 4 inches off the ground and with your hands grab the top and bottom of the tire and wiggle tire hard to check for movement in ball joint, if there is play then replace them. upper and lower, if there is no play then slide bar under the tire and pull up and and down this will apply and release pressure , this will allow you to check for play in the ball joint. you will feel and see movement in ball joint, have someone watch the ball joint as you pry on tire.
this is a start, good day.

Hello there,
To replace the front ball joint on your jeep. You will be needing these instruments, Lug wrench Jack, Jack stands, Wheel chocks, Socket set, Wrench set, Needle-nosed pliers, Hub puller, Ball joint separator, Hammer, Ball joint press, Torque wrench, then, Please follow the steps below:
Loosen the lug nuts on your Cherokee's front tires, using the lug wrench. Jack up the front end of the vehicle and brace it with jack stands. Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires to prevent rolling. Back the lugs off the lug nuts, and remove both front tires from your Cherokee.
Remove the bolts behind the calipers. Lift the calipers off the hubs and set them on a support so they do not stretch the rubber lines.
Pull straight out on the brake rotor to remove it from the wheel studs.
Remove the cotter pin from the end of the axle shaft that extends through the hub. This is best done with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Remove the drive nut from the axle shaft, and set it off to the side.
Remove the three bolts retaining the hub. These 12-point bolts are on the rear of the assembly.
Separate the hub assembly from the knuckle; a hub puller will make this easier.
Remove the cotter pins from the ball joints, using the needle-nosed pliers. You must detach the pins from both the upper and lower ball joints. Use a socket and ratchet to remove the nuts at the bottom of each ball joint.
Insert a ball joint separator between the knuckle and the ball joint. A hammer can be a big help to drive the separator into place and force the knuckle and ball joint apart.
Use a ball joint press to remove the joints. The ball joint press will force the upper and lower ball joints out. Follow the instructions included with your press.
Insert the new joints, using the ball joint press. You must reverse the motion of the press this time, pressing down on the upper joint and up on the lower joint. Be sure that the joints are completely in place within the knuckle.
Reinstall the steering knuckle onto the new ball joints, and thread the nuts onto the bottom of the joint. Check your manufacturer's specifications for the torque requirements for the nuts. Insert the cotter pins, and bend them down around the nut.
Reassemble the hub and axle around the knuckle. When replacing the three bolts, torque them to your manufacturer's specification.
Place the brake assembly back into position, both rotor and caliper. Replace the two bolts you removed on the caliper. Torque the bolts to your manufacturer's specification. Place the wheel back on the Cherokee, and tighten the lug nuts appropriately. With the wheel secured, lower the vehicle back to the ground.
Hope this was helpful to you. Goodluck Elect_Comp

It's called just as you saw it, rear upper ball joint. The parts guy may be trying to look it up through
the rear suspension diagram, my shop manual does not show it in the diagram either. But under
rear suspension components it's listed with pictures. Another reason they don't list it is becouse
it may be a dealer only item. Ask them to take another look or give the dealer a call, but it exists,
I swear. Hope this helps.

I had a similar problem about a year after having rear shocks replaced, turned out there is a round metal tube through the bushing at the top end of the shocks, if you tighten the mounting bolt down too tight these crack and allow a bit of movement which causes the clunk. Replacing the shocks (at another shop) solved the problem - two years ago, no recurrance. Take out the shocks and check that little metal tube (I'm sure it has a more technical name); if it is cracked, try to find replacements (otherwise you have to replace the entire shock) and be very careful when reinstalling them not to tighten the mounting bolts down too tightly. Don't know if maybe there is a torque specification for these mounts, perhaps a Haynes or Chiltons manual could help here. Good luck.

first. i don't know why you would have ball joints in the rear end. it is not a steering axle. don't do it. your gona get hurt. take it in and let a machanic work on it. second you don't take the shocks or springs out to replace ball joints. just the wheel assembly comes off. and yes i believe there are alighnment adjustments for the rear. but i wouldn't do that at home myself. take it in.

you have a warped rotor which is causing ball joint.tie rod end.idler arm(if equipd) probs.bad rotor caused by sticking caliper which over heated and warped rotor.and also bad tire or wheel or both.put the wheel on a balancer and see if its bent or if tire has belt blister.replace rotor,caliper,wheel bearings and ball joint and any other loose or worn susp/steering gear.if you just replce rotor , going to happen again but worse damage.poss breaking pwr brake booster from vibration. gino R

Ball joint, tie rod end or upper strut bearing. CV joints? Pulling to the left may be an alignment problem with front or rear tires. Get a four wheel alignment.

Illustration of control arm:
http://www.penguinscouts.com/pics/jeep/Differential%20Suspension.jpg

The wishbone part, number 12, is the control arm. In the two ends, left side of picture, are the two bushings. These are pressed in bushings.

The rubber bushings, with their bonded steel shells, are separate parts, the part number for the (2) bushings are: 52088425

These bushings normally won't be damaged, but, in my case, due to extensive towing of a heavy trailer, these bushings had tears in the rubber bonding between the shell and the central spindle. These tears caused by the trailer snatching the frame around (trailer hitch is frame mounted) while the differential is essentially connected to the earth, through the tire rubber, and to the frame, through the ball joint and arm rubber bushings.

You can easily view the condition of the rubber simply by rolling under the vehicle with a flashlight, and looking. The bolts are vertical, right up through the bushing spindle, into the frame.

The bolts through the bushing spindle mount the arm to the frame.

The ball joint, at the apex of the arm, is number 8, and is Jeep part number 52088808AB.

This ball joint is an assembly which also includes the mounting flange plate. This plate bolts atop the differential housing with three bolts. The ball joint pin protrudes through the hole in the apex of the arms, and is secured by a nut, item 11, Jeep part number 06502698

Again, don't replace the bushings unless you see visible tears in the rubber web, or rotted, aged, cracked out webbing.

One more thing to note if you take down the arm... the emergency brake cables and brake lines are secured to the arm with small metal clips and bolts. Minor point here is when you reattach these bolts, don't crank down on them more than about 12 ft lbs torque, as these bolts go into the sheet metal wall of the arm, and there's no need to try to strip out these threads... Just secure them a bit, not to tank down on them.

Problem I found: Clunk when driving over even small bumps.

If Grand Cherokee is 1999-2004, then check this: Above the differential is a wishbone cross member control arm. The cross member attaches to the frame in front of the rear axle (bolts through rubber bushings), and directly above the differential, at the apex of the cross member, is a ball joint. The ball joint assembly is a flange bolted atop the differential, with three bolts, and the ball joint pin protrudes from the flange through the cross member apex, with a nut atop the pin. Raise the frame slightly, and with a pry bar, pry above the flange, and below the cross member, very near the ball joint. If any motion is detected, then the ball joint is worn from the ball joint socket, or the nut is loose on the ball joint pin. If the nut is tight, then replace the ball joint. 2000 GC part number is 52088808AB, and is available from online sources or dealers. To replace this part, you'll probably need to remove the cross member, as the ball joint pin through the cross member is in a tight location, is tightly wedged into the cross member, and requires a special v-shaped puller to remove the pin from the cross member. If you don't have access to the puller tool, then remove the cross member for this operation. Raise vehicle slightly, under frame, in front of rear wheels. Unbolt the brake line and brake cable retainers from the cross member, then unbolt the flange from atop the differential. Then remove the two frame bolts and manipulate the cross member out of the vehicle, from above the differential.

With the cross member before you, support on blocks, loosen the ball joint nut somewhat, or remove it, and with a beater protective block, sledge out the pin from the cross member. Inspect the rubber bushings at this time. These bushings require an arbor press to remove/install, and the arbor press to install requires a spider so as to not rip the rubber bushing from either the bushing shell or center spool. The press spider is a 4-point tool you can make up from a piece of aluminum.

Bolt the new ball joint flange atop the differential, using blue thread locker, and torque the bolts to 100 ft-lb, cheater pipe useful here.

Replace the cross member to the frame, and install the two frame bolts, finger tight. Pull the member apex down onto the ball joint pin, and run the nut down. Using a box end wrench, hold the pin from rotation while tightening down the nut. Torque the nut to 100 ft-lb. Tighten the frame attachment bolts to 100 ft-lb, and reinstall the brake cable and brake line retainers. Do not over tighten these retainer bolts, as they are passing only through the sheet steel side of the cross member. Take care to not strip the sheet metal threadings. Lower vehicle and remove jack.