Do you guys have any ball joint problems on your 4x4s?

[Silver Bullet Ram]

I'm a second generation owner, curious if the 1st gen trucks eat them and are they greasable?



Gary

 

[Philip]

Yes they are greasble. We do not have near the problems as the later year trucks do. Ours you can rebuild. There is a plastice cone that rides on a tapered pin for the upper ball joint. The plastic sleaves are around $5 or less each. There is a heavy spring that holds the sleave down on the tapered pin. The spring the last time I bought them run around $10 or so each.



The lowers are a bearing setup. Very little problems with it going bad. You can get the bearing at NAPA or any good parts store. If you have camber problems. Moog does make a camber correction kit for the lower ball joint. It is expensive. But it is a one time purchase. From that time on you can adjust the chamber on eather front hub assy.



I rebuilt my ball joints around 5 or 6 years ago. I also installed the camber kit. So far no problems and I have put around 70k miles on it.

 

[Silver Bullet Ram]

It sounds like the first gen truck are built to last longer.



Gary

 

[CKeck]

1st gen 4x4's don't have ball joints they have kingpins.

 

[bmoeller]

Yes they are greaseable. We do not have near the problems as the later year trucks do.

Guess I've been lucky with my '97. 218k, and had to replace the ball joints on the pass. side for first time. Only had to do that because the upper boot was torn, and let dirt in. Did the bottom so I wouldn't have to pull it again for a long time. All Moog parts, and the upper and lower are greaseable.

 

[MMeier]

1st gen 4x4's don't have ball joints they have kingpins.

Thank you!

 

[Silver Bullet Ram]

Guess I've been lucky with my '97. 218k, and had to replace the ball joints on the pass. side for first time. Only had to do that because the upper boot was torn, and let dirt in. Did the bottom so I wouldn't have to pull it again for a long time. All Moog parts, and the upper and lower are greaseable.

My 01, lower greasable ball joints do not exist. A nice little change to the axle in 1999 stopped that.



Gary

 

[SAndreasen]

my 01 has 185 thousand ball joints still going strongOo. i am so happy that i bought my 91 sometimes i have inapropriate fantasies about how the front axle is set up i do not know why dodge gave up the leaf springs in the front end my 01 is such a pos in the front end no ball joint troubles though

 

[Silver Bullet Ram]

Sounds like you got lucky.



Gary