First appointment accepted at 8:00 a.m.
2 Years / 24,000 Miles Parts & Labor Warranty
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Your Neighborhood Full Service Repair Facility
Convenient Financing Options Available
All Major & Minor Repairs
November 23, 2025
Think about this the next time you’re driving. Your front wheels can steer your vehicle and, at the same time, the wheels can move, even with all the irregularities in the road moving them up, down and in different directions. Pretty amazing engineering, wouldn’t you say?
What allows that are parts called ball joints. Most vehicles have them only in the front, but there are some vehicles that have them in the rear as well. When you consider all the bumps and turns your wheels are subjected to, it’s not hard to imagine the wear and tear these ball joints endure. After any vehicle has put on many months of road time, these ball joints will start to wear out.
You may find your vehicle’s front wheels clunk when you are on the road, it may not hold the road as well when you go over a bump, or you may feel vibration in your steering wheel and your tires may start to wear unevenly.
When you start to notice any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to bring it in to have one of our technicians look at what’s going on. If you keep driving with worn out ball joints, you can cause your tires to wear out more quickly. And if you go even longer, you might find your suspension can collapse, meaning you won’t be able to keep your vehicle under control.
Many vehicles have upper and lower ball joints, depending on what kind you are driving. The upper ball joints usually don’t bear any weight while the lower ones do.
When our technician replaces your ball joints, they’ll take your wheels off, then remove the control arm(s). After replacing the ball joints, they’ll inspect the rest of your suspension to make sure there aren’t any other components that need attention. In some cases, you’ll also need to have your wheels aligned after this service.
So, when you hear those clunks or feel those vibrations, they may be signs your steering and control over your vehicle aren’t as good as they need to be for dependable, safe driving. Heed the warning signs and keep your steering and suspension performing the way they’re designed to.
Tuffy TIre & Auto Service Center Orland Park
7900 W. 159th St.
Orland Park, Illinois 60462
708-444-2966
January 18, 2026
What do mud, bird droppings and frost all have in common? When theyre covering your windshield, they can temporarily obscure your view of the road, leaving you driving blind. And when you cant see the road clearly ahead of you, it can be really scary. Thats one of the reasons its important to m... More
January 11, 2026
In a year marked by unusually heavy flooding in North America, drivers are very aware of the possibility they may find themselves driving where water has come over the road. It can be a daunting and frightening situation. Flooding waters can move quickly and unpredictably, so you have to keep y... More
January 4, 2026
You may have heard about an important part of your vehicle's engine called a timing belt, and many know that if that belt breaks, it can cause some very serious engine problems. Not all vehicles have them, and the ones that do generally have smaller engines. The timing belt keeps the engine sy... More
