Ball Joint Advice

[DBohl]

I need to replace the ball joints on my 04. I was looking at the spicer joints on the rock auto site and was wondering about the joints that offer different degrees of caster/ camber adjustment. Has anybody used them? Do our trucks need them ? If so , what degree ? They offer . 5, 1, 1. 5 degrees of off set. My truck seems to handle fine and my tires have over 70k on them and are wearing evenly despite a bad upper joint. I need to replace my tires before winter and of course I want replace the joints first. Spicer has always been my first choice, but what are you guys using or what should I stay away from. What brand are the OEM parts? And what about these new extreme duty joints I have heard about on here, are they out on the market yet? Thanks for your input, Doug

 

[WoodChuck]

Carli Suspension has heavy duty upper joints.

 

[JDerbedrossian]

Carli Suspension has heavy duty upper joints.

Yes they would be the last ones you will purchase.



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[Bob4x4]

I need to replace the ball joints on my 04. I was looking at the spicer joints on the rock auto site and was wondering about the joints that offer different degrees of caster/ camber adjustment. Has anybody used them? Do our trucks need them ? If so , what degree ? They offer . 5, 1, 1. 5 degrees of off set. My truck seems to handle fine and my tires have over 70k on them and are wearing evenly despite a bad upper joint. I need to replace my tires before winter and of course I want replace the joints first. Spicer has always been my first choice, but what are you guys using or what should I stay away from. What brand are the OEM parts? And what about these new extreme duty joints I have heard about on here, are they out on the market yet? Thanks for your input, Doug

The offset ball joints are used to correct alignment issues. Their very design limits the size of the load bearing surfaces. If you want to do the job once go with the Carli ball joints.

 

[Matt400]

I need to replace the ball joints on my 04. I was looking at the spicer joints on the rock auto site and was wondering about the joints that offer different degrees of caster/ camber adjustment. Do our trucks need them ?

Hi Doug,



It does if yours pulls to one side and is not the cause of tires. Tires can be ruled out "if you have a pull" to simply put the left tires on the right and the rights over to the left without doing any front to back swapping, just side to side while doing a before & after road test.



Say for example yours pulls right all the time, not much but enough to annoy you. Swapping the tires makes no difference. What you need now are alignment measurements taken from the truck so the degree of offset can be selected. What you want in this case is to increase the caster differential between the left and right so that the right side has more caster than the left because a vehicle will pull to the side with the least caster.



This caster differential between the left and right is a handling feature and not for tire wear. If yours tracks straight then you don't need an offset joint.

If so , what degree ? They offer . 5, 1, 1. 5 degrees of off set.

That can only be answered by knowing if the truck pulls, is not the tires and what the current measurements are.

 

[honda350rmx]

What

Carli ball joints are $550 for just the upper two thats just crazy.

 

[honda350rmx]

What

Carli ball joints are $550 for just the upper two thats just crazy. with out any work being done

 

[WoodChuck]

That is a little insane, but if they last as long as some people think it might not be a bad value.

 

[Bob4x4]

Carli ball joints are $550 for just the upper two thats just crazy. with out any work being done

Don't jump to conclusions till you have seen them or need them



Bob

 

[ward564]

make sure you really need them before you get new ones. I got new uppers and think I wasted my money

 

[dragan54]

Just had my tires rotated and was told both the ujoints and ball joints are bad. How to test? measure?



04ram 2500 4x4, 80K miles.



Thanks

 

[JMusso]

I'd be interested to know as well.

 

[EDankievitch]

I used Moog ball joints with the Camber adjustment. So far I'm happy with them but if I had known about the Carli ball joints I would have used them.