The ball joints in your vehicle directly affect the precision of your steering and allow you to steer and control your vehicle over uneven ground. Ball joints are comprised, of a ball and socket. The ball sits in the socket and creates a connection, while at the same time having freedom of directional movement. Think of the ball and socket joints in the human body, such as the hip and shoulder. Without these types of joints here, your freedom of movement would be severely limited. The same is true of the suspension on your vehicle. In this instance, the ball joints connect the steering knuckles to the control arms on your vehicle and create a pivot point. This enables the vertical movement of your suspension while allowing you to steer left or right as required. The placement of your vehicles ball joints depends on the type of suspension in your vehicle. Generally, they are part of the front suspension. However, some rear-drive cars will have ball joints in the rear suspension.  The inclusion of ball joints in the suspension enables vehicles to travel safely over a wide range of different and uneven surfaces, including dealing with rocks, bumps, and potholes. The vertical movement enables the wheels to stay in contact with the road surface as it changes. Ball joints also allow vehicles to carry heavier loads.