How to Avoid the Common Honda Ball Joint Problem

Honda Ball Joint failure is a common problem

 

“I have a 2005 Honda Accord that always gives this problem: The front wheels keep falling off. First the left front wheel fell off while turning left at an intersection. Then the right one fell off while traveling 80km/h on the express. Fortunately for me, there was another driver behind me when it happened, and he flipped on his lights while I struggled to one sloppy area. Just some days ago again, the left front wheel fell off, while I was turning left at a roundabout. My question is, Why Are Honda Accords like this? My mechanics told me it’s a design flaw that causes the weight of the car resting on the lower ball joint at the wheels. Is this really true?”

The above question was asked in a blog post and really showed how frustrated the individual was after a few dangerous experiences. If you drive a Honda or know someone who does, have you also experienced this?

Honda and of course, Toyota are the most popular car brands in Nigeria if not throughout the world. Infact, it’s most likely that the one reading this article right now is a Honda or Toyota vehicle owner.

 Honda without doubt has its own premium quality. However, there are issues it brings to its users which can really be annoying. The common one we will be mentioning here is the ball joint. For instance, it can just pull off unexpectedly on highways, roundabouts, or anywhere as accurately described in the rant above.

Generally, there are two factors that can make a car wheels to just fall off.

First is if they're not fixed properly (i.e the lug nuts are not tightened well or they're rather overtightened). This can cause the wheel bolts to break. Second is if the ball joints fail.

If the wheel nuts happen to be intensely overtightened, this stresses and in turn weakens the wheel bolts. One bolt snapping means the pressure is transferred to the others - four doing the work of five. Before you know it, one more bolt snaps and the rest’s failure will be so rapid.

Ball joints are a very crucial suspension component found in nearly all modern automobiles. The front ball joints let the front wheels and suspension move backwards and forwards and also up and down whenever you turn your steering wheel.

Should a ball joint fracture or snap, the wheel immediately becomes totally free to go any direction it feels. This, consequently, can damage the car’s tire, fender and other related suspension components. You, as a driver, however ought to have been noticing a few symptoms because they will surely have been displayed if you were alert enough.

Here are four things to look out for:

1. Abnormal Vibration Coming From the Front of the Vehicle  

Worn out ball joints become insecure in their sockets and shake vigorously as the vehicle is in motion. This vibration normally comes from the worn out ball joint, either from the left side or right of the vehicle. Sometimes, you will also feel this shaking through your steering wheel.

2. Noises From the Front Suspension

Another common sign is the noise you’ll hear coming from the vehicle’s front suspension. These are the loose ball joints rattling and striking each other in the sockets as the suspension goes up and down over the road. These noises become louder with deeper damage of the ball joint or until they finally fail and give out.

3 Steering Wheel Meandering to the Right or Left

Another very obvious sign of damaged ball joints is when the steering starts to meander or wander. The steering wheel normally should move straight if the wheels are in proper alignment and the ball joints are in good condition. Worn out ball joints therefore will make the vehicle steering to be wandering on its own.

4. Uneven Wear on Front Tires

You will discover here that the edges of your front tires are wearing down faster than the other sides of the tire tread. This sign is a bit difficult to see but worn out ball joints are most likely a cause. Whenever you notice any of the above signs, take time also to take a careful look at your tires and the inner treads. The wearing will show on either the inner or outer tread depicting it’s as a result of worn-out front ball joints.

The cars mostly vulnerable to this are cars on which the tires have been rotated frequently, over a long period of time. And where the mechanic might have overtightened the lug nuts times without number.

So for your Honda, it is advisable you have a mechanic you trust check your wheel bolts, and make sure they're not stripped or distorted. If you notice any abnormal wear or weakness, replace immediately all of the bolts and wheel nuts on all four wheels. It is likely all the others too were overtightened and therefore stripped.

You can always get a replacement here at Motormata. Our online catalog features the full range of aftermarket parts and accessories for many years and car models, so you're sure to find just the right ball joints and other car parts you need for your Honda or any other vehicle brand.

It is also reasonable for you to have your front end examined carefully on a regular schedule so you can see any wear and tear before they cause unfortunate incidents which could easily have been avoided.

How to Get Comprehensive Car Insurance in Nigeria

Comprehensive car insurance – also known as fully comp cover – is one high level of protection you can get for your vehicle.

Comprehensive insurance is an optional insurance protection you add to your basic car policy that helps cover damage to your car that's not the result of a collision.

What is Covered by Comprehensive Insurance?

Comprehensive helps cover damage to your car that's not the result of a collision, such as:
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Fire
- Natural disasters (like earthquake or flood)
- Falling objects
- Damage done by animals
- A civil disturbance (like a riot)

At MotorMata, we help you obtain the Comprehensive car insurance policies cover from trusted insurance companies for damage to your car, as a result of an accident that you were or weren't responsible for.

Why Should I Consider Having Comprehensive Cover?

Auto insurance cover is one of the compulsory insurance you must have if you use a motor vehicle and ply public highways. However, with comprehensive car insurance, you can claim from your insurer for accidents that are deemed to be your fault.

It also applies when the person at fault can’t be verified, e.g if you parked to enter a bank and returned only to find your car already hit.

Accidents happen unplanned and can heavily weigh down on your finances.

Without comprehensive insurance cover, you risk having to carry the burden of the repairs yourself. And in a worse scenario, if your car is beyond saving and written off, you’ll have to pay for a brand-new one.

Our comprehensive car insurance covers automobiles for private use in Nigeria.

Does an Old Car Need Comprehensive Car Insurance?

Sometimes people think that an older car does not need coverage for comprehensive because they don't think it will be stolen.

However, there are other potential risks that are covered by comprehensive insurance, including:

- windshield damage
- fire
- damage from weather events like hail.

These are very common causes of damage to cars that cost just as much to repair whether the car is new or old.

Difference Between Third-Party and Comprehensive Cover

1. Range of protection: This is the major difference. A comprehensive insurance provides multiple protection covers for you and your vehicle while third-party only protects against the claims of a third party but does not provide you any coverage against damages to your own vehicle.

2. Value of the car: It is better to take third-party car insurance if the value of your car is low,  since repairs to damages caused can be managed cost-efficiently. However, if the car is a new one and expensive, comprehensive cover is the better option.

3. Expense: A comprehensive cover is more expensive than a third-party since it provides protection for a wide variety of loss/damage.

How to Streamline Your Business Successfully

Inefficiencies are costly, both in terms of managing such a clunky operation and in regards to customer satisfaction. By streamlining your business you can improve, lower your overhead costs, and have money left over to reinvest into the critical infrastructure of your business for the future.

Some industries have no problem doing this, others, however, run on a very narrow profit margin, making reinvestment possibilities almost a pipe dream. Take the healthcare industry, for example. Around the world this industry is facing a huge overhaul in order to keep up with the times, and yet progress is still slow moving. The ironic problem here, however, is that healthcare faces fewer inefficiencies and admin times when it is paid for and operated by the government, rather than a private facility.

One of the reasons for this inefficiency in private hospitals and practices is simple patient management and billing. These two factors are imperative for a private facility’s success, and yet it can take a multitude of hours to get through simply due to how complicated the system can be.

On the other hand, public facilities find it difficult to lower costs and still provide quality care.

The answer to both the woes of these facilities is to undergo the same steps that would benefit any business. They must analyze, strategize, implement, and audit so that they can be efficient and automated.

Importance of Streamlining Your Business

Streamlining your business is key to get it up and running smoothly and without any hiccups. If you operate with a very delicate supply chain, whether that supply chain is within the healthcare industry or in retail, you will know exactly how important it is that everything gets to where it needs to be on time. Keeping inventory is an obvious step forward, but imagine how much time and money can be saved if a computer, keeping track of this inventory, could send out automated requests to refill your stock before you run out? Your medical practice would never be without sterilized needles. Your retail business would never run out of your best seller.

Benefits of Streamlining a Business

Some key benefits to streamline your business include:

Improved Use of Resources

When you streamline your business, you should be able to make better use of resources. Along the supply chain there is plenty of waste, but waste is inherently a design flaw. It is material you have paid for and yet are throwing away because it is inconvenient. By instead changing your supply chain to either recycle this waste or reuse it you can reduce cost and production of raw materials.

Reduced Costs

Reduced costs is one of the main drives of a more efficient system. Admin processes take up a lot of time that can be better spent, and with today’s technology it is possible to automate so much that before would take days if not weeks to accomplish. You can get HR management software, for example, and have employees update their own profiles so that the payroll process can be done in a snap.

Increased Convenience

In healthcare it is believed that patients should have better access to their own records. With the right system patients will be able to access these files safely and securely, and therefore be able to provide better access to their health than before.

Increased Speed

Automated tasks speed everything up because a computer can send them out instantaneously, speeding up the process along the entire supply chain from production to customer service. This automation can also be key to reduce wasted time. For example, automatic reminders have been proven to reduce the amount of no-shows.

Increased Customer Service

The customer experience is imperative, even for the healthcare industry. So, if customer (or in that example, patient care) is so important in an industry that is vital, imagine how critical it is for any other type of business. With automation and the right systems, you can provide improved service, personalization, and automated reporting so that your customers or clients know exactly what is going on and can stay on track with your progress.

How to Streamline Your Company

Now that you are fully aware of the benefits, you know what you need to work towards. Though every company is different – streamlining a medical facility will be different to streamlining a marketing agency – there are a few steps that remain the same:

·         Install the Right Programs

One of the best ways to streamline your company is to simply install the right software. Even in industry-specific software there are variations. For the healthcare industry, for example, there are different programs ideal for small generic practices and hospitals, and choosing the right one from MedicalDirector is key to your success.

·         Create a Metadata Format

When it comes to inputting information into said program, you will need to either follow the recommended metadata formats or create one of your own. This way you can organize your data in a way that can be easily accessed by everyone now and into the future.

·         Set up Automated Tasks

Automated tasks are easy to set up with the right management program. With the aforementioned healthcare software, for example, you would be able to set up automated appointment reminders.

·         Audit Your Company on a Regular Basis

Go through and audit your business, starting first by asking your employees what is taking them too long and how they believe it can be improved. They’re on the front lines and will often know best.

When it comes to streamlining your business, it is important to remember that Rome was not built in a day. It will take time to root out your business’s issues successfully and to implement the right structures and programs you need to improve automation, personalization, and communication.

Technology can help every industry improve their time and customer management skills, but going through and restructuring is no easy task. Hunker down, commit to a realistic schedule, and watch the cost savings rise.