Attention: TDR Forum Junkies For those of you who have 2003, 4x4’s with right drift or pull there’s hope! I just got mine fixed after 10 months of frustration and trying to get my selling dealer to do something about it. Let it be known I won’t be going back to the Dodge dealer in Elk Grove CA! (for other reasons too!)
If you do a search on this topic, you will see other TDR members have had this same drift-pull problem with little success. TDR member SilverFox was very helpful as he got his fixed by an independent shop and his dealer covered it under his warranty. There seems to be aftermarket manufacturers of offset or adjustable ball joints, but it is unclear if the Stemph or Ingals brands will really fit 03’s.
My solution was to make a service appointment at Swift Dodge at 2301 Arden Way in Sacramento CA, Ph: 916-920-0110. I met with the Assistant Service Manager, Sonny Mason first, and was pleasantly surprised. Sonny (Service Mgr. = Ron Moore) said that if I had a pull, and not just a light drift, that they could solve it with a MOPAR offset ball joint if needed, and that Dodge would cover it under warranty! Two hours later I was really impressed with these folks! Sonny informed me that I definitely had a “pull” and then took me to the Technician while my truck was on the machine to show me that my solid axle didn’t have the needed target ¾ degree Caster side-to-side differential that is needed to counteract a road crown. Now we all know Dodge hasn’t made any offset ball joints for 03 American Axles yet. Sonny said that after they replaced entire axles on other 03’s to stop right pull with no improvement, they discovered that the 2002 MOPAR Ram Ball Joints fit in 03’s with a small modification, and Dodge has approved of Swift’s modification. The MOPAR upper ball joints come in ½ and 1 degree offset values. My truck needed a one degree unit and the MOPAR part number used was 23720. The ball joint fits fine except for the tapered shaft between the bottom of the rubber grease boot and the arm that pivots with the brake/wheel/tire. When the tapered shaft is torqued down with the ball joint nut, there is a 3/32 inch gap that Swift Dodge fills with a rubber o-ring so the grease boot is supported normally. This is the solution that Dodge approved, until they make offset ball joints for 2003’s and later. My truck now tracks right down it’s lane, Dodge covered all of the costs, and..... I can really recommend the Swift Dodge Service Department!
Sorry this is long, but I hope it can help others with the same problem!
John
If you do a search on this topic, you will see other TDR members have had this same drift-pull problem with little success. TDR member SilverFox was very helpful as he got his fixed by an independent shop and his dealer covered it under his warranty. There seems to be aftermarket manufacturers of offset or adjustable ball joints, but it is unclear if the Stemph or Ingals brands will really fit 03’s.
My solution was to make a service appointment at Swift Dodge at 2301 Arden Way in Sacramento CA, Ph: 916-920-0110. I met with the Assistant Service Manager, Sonny Mason first, and was pleasantly surprised. Sonny (Service Mgr. = Ron Moore) said that if I had a pull, and not just a light drift, that they could solve it with a MOPAR offset ball joint if needed, and that Dodge would cover it under warranty! Two hours later I was really impressed with these folks! Sonny informed me that I definitely had a “pull” and then took me to the Technician while my truck was on the machine to show me that my solid axle didn’t have the needed target ¾ degree Caster side-to-side differential that is needed to counteract a road crown. Now we all know Dodge hasn’t made any offset ball joints for 03 American Axles yet. Sonny said that after they replaced entire axles on other 03’s to stop right pull with no improvement, they discovered that the 2002 MOPAR Ram Ball Joints fit in 03’s with a small modification, and Dodge has approved of Swift’s modification. The MOPAR upper ball joints come in ½ and 1 degree offset values. My truck needed a one degree unit and the MOPAR part number used was 23720. The ball joint fits fine except for the tapered shaft between the bottom of the rubber grease boot and the arm that pivots with the brake/wheel/tire. When the tapered shaft is torqued down with the ball joint nut, there is a 3/32 inch gap that Swift Dodge fills with a rubber o-ring so the grease boot is supported normally. This is the solution that Dodge approved, until they make offset ball joints for 2003’s and later. My truck now tracks right down it’s lane, Dodge covered all of the costs, and..... I can really recommend the Swift Dodge Service Department!
Sorry this is long, but I hope it can help others with the same problem!
John
