2018 Ram 3500 6.7l diesel cummins 4x4 non-dually upper ball joint change

[ReyJ]

2018 Ram 3500 6.7l diesel cummins 4x4 non-dually , about to change front upper ball joints. per wheel alignment tech, "upper ball joints are worn." Truck is at 75,000 miles. I'm about to install ~$500.00 carli upper ball joints from Carli Suspension.
Anyone have any experience with this brand? I hear people are getting 100,000 plus mileage on their carli ball joints. I do a lot of gravel road driving/towing with occasional pot holes here and there. Therefore, I might get only 70,000 mileage before I have to change again. Thanks

 

[petersonj]

I would get a second opinion. It is normal to have some vertical movement in the upper ball joint. No side to side play is acceptable. Normally, the lower ball joint is the first to go because it carries the majority of the front axle weight. The upper ball joint is only subjected to smaller lateral forces.

- John

 

[Ozymandias]

Exactly the lower one carries ALL the weight, the upper one is just a hinge, it only turns but isn't load bearing.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Personally I would ask him to show you as 75k is nothing unless you are hard on your truck.

 

[Topzide]

I think I would get a second opinion also! 75K doesn't sound right unless you've been running the truck at the Baja track. I would also hope that you had it aligned to the Thuren specs. https://www.thurenfabrication.com/pages/2013-2022-ram-3500-alignment
Good luck with your issue.

 

[kthaxton]

If you verify that your ball joints do indeed need to be replaced.....replace both upper and lower. It's a lot of work to get to the ball joints, later, you'll be happy you did them both while you were there.

 

[crispyboy]

I would have to agree that since you have all the labor involved to get the top ball joints replaced I would also replace the lower joints.
Several years ago I put the Carli joints in my truck and while they are expensive I would buy them again.

 

[ReyJ]

Thank you all! Autoshop alignment techs now adays aren't so helpful.

 

[brillmtb1]

So just out of the tire shop today to put on winter tires and check alignment. They said my Left upper and lower ball joints too worn to align. Right side ok? Dealer had looked at these just weeks ago to help solve a clucking problem at the wheel that seems to have been fixed with new steering box. Now I read there is a .09 lower and .06 upper tolerance I guess but the guy at the tire shop said you shouldnt see the lowers move. So whos got this correct dealer or tire shop?

 

[brillmtb1]

So the shop said L upper and lower out. The dealer said no it checked out but we will check again. It takes an hour and $200. So is the simple crowbar under the tire and measured vertical play enough and does this take an hour...I feel it doesnt. I need a neutral third party now

 

[petersonj]

There is no reason you can't check it yourself. There is a bit of technique using a bar but it is not hard. If your wheel will allow it, use a bar (at least 3 feet long). There need to be an opening in the wheel to insert the bar.

Put truck on jack stands with front tires just off the ground. Position a tire with a wheel opening at the bottom. Place the end of the bar into the opening and lift upward and inward until the bar stops (you will want to use something to protect the wheel finish where the bar makes contact). With the other hand, grasp the top inner side of the tire. Use your body weight to lift the bar upward and inward while pulling the upper inner part of the tire toward you. Start a rocking motion and you will begin to feel any play. It may take a couple of minutes of practice to get the feel, but you will get it.

This is my own personal observation regarding a ball joint condition using this test. This test will reveal the combined play caused by a wheel bearing, a lower ball joint, and an upper ball joint. I have yet to do a test that doesn't have some amount of play, albeit very small.

So, how much play becomes a judgement call. First, it must determined if there is excessive play and if there is excessive play, then which component is contributing the most play? A second person will be helpful to make this determination. One rocks the wheel, while the other inspects. Keep in mind that side to side play is of much more concern than vertical play. Some vertical play is normal.

As an example, about a month I did this test on my truck at 382,000 miles. The front wheel bearings were original and the replacement ball joints had logged about 165,000 miles. The left side had a fair amount of play, most of it being in the the wheel bearing. The right side had a very slight play in the lower ball joint. I decided to replace both wheel bearings and to not replace any ball joints since I was not having tire wear issue or poor steering performance. After the job was completed, the left and right side ball joints had equal movement (very slight).

I don't use the "bar under the tire method" for two reasons. One, the rubber absorbs some of the energy making it harder to detect play and the other, you can't put any side to side pressure on the wheel.

- John