A Saturn's suspension system relies heavily on the condition of its ball joints.  That's because each Saturn ball joint carries a lot of responsibility as part of your suspension.  The ball joints are the pivoting points between your ties and suspension.  The weight of your vehicle is also supported by the ball joints.  Some vehicles rely on their ball joints to assist in creating their alignment settings.  Like all automotive parts, your balls will eventually wear down and need to be replaced.  Corroded, worn, or damaged ball joints should be replaced as soon as the problem is diagnosed.  Thankfully, there are a few hard-to-miss signs that you need to check on your ball joints.  First, you'll notice that your vehicle is shaking violently as you drive.  Also, a damaged ball joint will typically bring attention to itself when you are unable to drive in a smooth, straight line.  Many people have said that they hear a loud, clanging noise when they try to drive over bumps and on uneven pavement when their ball joints began failing.