Replacing front ball joints

[RDMueller]

Have a 2001.5 2500 2wd that I need to replace the front ball joints on. Mine are the type that are riveted in place. I’ve read many reports on this project where the rivets were drilled out or cut/chiseled out with a die grinder and air chisel or some combination thereof. Reports seem to vary between piece of cake and all day nightmare you’ll really regret. Just curious if anyone here has done it and if so, how your experience was. I’m also considering just replacing the upper and lower control arms which would clearly be much easier, but I’m concerned about aftermarket quality. My local Advance Auto carries Moog and I can get all 4 for about $1000. I’ve always heard Moog makes good aftermarket suspension parts, hopefully this is still true. Added benefit would be new bushings as well. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

[rkressg]

Check Rockauto.com for better prices and other options. I personally used Moog and never had issues, but others hated them.
As for how easy they come out, at this stage, it probably depends more on where your truck has lived its life, in a rust belt state, they are going to be a nightmare to get out (at least any truck I worked on was a nightmare), but down south or out west, things might not be as rusty/corroded, and maybe they are less of a nightmare.

 

[Topzide]

X2 on rockauto.com! all 4 for less than $500.

 

[RDMueller]

I went with the Moog arms from Rock Auto. Same parts for significantly less than the local auto store. Truck has been a southern truck its whole life, so job was easy to get done. Only time will tell how they hold up, but they look and feel like quality parts to me. Also, I’m glad I replaced the arms instead of trying to drill/chisel out the rivets and replace only the ball joints. This way I have all new bushings as well.

 

[Ozymandias]

I went with the Moog arms from Rock Auto. Same parts for significantly less than the local auto store. Truck has been a southern truck its whole life, so job was easy to get done. Only time will tell how they hold up, but they look and feel like quality parts to me. Also, I’m glad I replaced the arms instead of trying to drill/chisel out the rivets and replace only the ball joints. This way I have all new bushings as well.

Replacing the Arms is nowadays the way to go, it's not worth the hassle to try to exchange the ball joints only at the price you get the whole arms.