A worn out Acura ball joint or Acura tie rod can ruin your driving experience in a couple of different ways. For one, a sloppy Acura ball joint can cause unwanted wheel motion during cornering and over bumps. A bad Acura tie rod can result in the same unwanted motion in your steering system. Either of these situations, regardless of whether they're caused by a bad Acura tie rod, a bad Acura ball joint, or both, will significantly reduce the handling capabilities of your car. And isn't the razor-sharp handling one of the main reasons you bought an Acura in the first place? To get a better idea of why the Acura tie rod and Acura ball joint have such a significant impact on handling, just take a look at what these parts do. The Acura tie rod connects the steering rack to the steering knuckle. If the Acura tie rod has too much slop in it, there will be a lag between the time you turn the steering wheel and the time your input reaches the front wheels-you end up with loose steering. The Acura ball joint connects the front wheel to the suspension arm. If a worn Acura ball joint is in the system, your front wheel is allowed to move around in its mountings, changing the steering and suspension geometry. A bad Acura tie rod and/or a bad Acura ball joint can reduce your tire life, damage your steering rack, and wear out suspension bushings, all of which cost significantly more to replace than an Acura tie rod or Acura ball joint. See where we're going with this? If you maintain your Acura ball joint and Acura tie rod while throughout the life of the component by greasing the chassis regularly, and replace the Acura ball joint or Acura tie rod quickly when it's worn, you'll keep the other parts on your car from premature failure. After all, that's what maintenance is all about.