Ball joint problems

[Tourqamata]

Well to start with I own a 04 2500 quad cab 4x4, and April of 05 I had to replace all four ball joints on my truck with only approx. 45,000 miles on it.

I wasn't to happy about that but figured I just got some bad ones from the factory. Well it's only been 10 months and today @ Gladstone Dodge I was told that all 4 ball joints were bad again :{ This is no cheap fix. I'd like to find out if I am possably bringing this on myself with the 2" spacer lift on the front end and the 315's tires I am running. The guys @ Gladstone Dodge said that it should not cause this problem. Is this a fluke again? Is there stronger balljoints out there? My only consolation is that Dodge is covering the balljoints under the 12 parts warrenty, but I still have to pay labor. Thanks in advance for any input, this is a great web site.

 

[RDyson]

My ball joints were bad at 25K. Had them replaced under warranty. I rotated my tires today and checked them, and they are bad again. I've read here that there are aftermarket ball joints. Do a search and you can find the info you need. Oh, and I'm still running stock tires so----size doesn't matter!

 

[Tourqamata]

Thanks for the reply. I am going to try a search today. If anyone reads this and knows off the top of their head what are the best ball joints would you please respond with a reply. Again thanks for the input.

 

[steved]

I priced them last night from Napa (Dana joints, Napa Name) for $180 a side... $360 for both sides!!!!!!!! But, these are greaseable from what I gathered.



I have ran primarily 265s and 245s, but did have a set of 315s on for almost 10k.



Mine seem good at 71k, but... .



steved

 

[fkovalski]

... .

... . I'd like to find out if I am possably bringing this on myself with the 2" spacer lift on the front end and the 315's tires I am running... .

... .

This is NOT intended as a flame, but, just as a matter of pure physics... how could running bigger tires NOT affect other components to wear. Granted, an inferior (stock) item that wears out under normal conditions will be accelerated when translated to other than stock add ons, but to me there is added stress of a larger/ wider rolling diameter on the components to which it is conected.



Granted it is frustrating. The BJ's on my '01 were replaced at 35K under warranty running stock tires. My '05 will stay stock as well hoping for the best.

 

[Nate]

Are the 3rd gen balljoints different than the 2nd gen?



I took the oringinals out at 145000 miles, and only 1 was bad. I just decided to replace them all. New Spicer ball joints where $60 a side.

 

[CumminsBu]

You can replace the Ball Joints your self with these redesign one from Quad 4X4. Here I don't know if thet are any better.

 

[steved]

This is NOT intended as a flame, but, just as a matter of pure physics... how could running bigger tires NOT affect other components to wear. Granted, an inferior (stock) item that wears out under normal conditions will be accelerated when translated to other than stock add ons, but to me there is added stress of a larger/ wider rolling diameter on the components to which it is conected.

As long as you are using a factory or factory backspaced wheel, the added load is insignificant... it is no different than running around with a small load in the bed of the truck... like a toolbox? The difference in the weight of my 315s to my 265s was only about 35 pounds if that. That is only an extra 140 pounds, and that weight isn't really on the balljoint, it is on the road.



The problem lies with decreasing backspacing... essentially pushing the tire and wheel further away from the truck. This creates a HUGE leverage effect that applies more of the trucks weight to the balljoints (in a different plain) which wears them out quicker. They had this issue on the older GM trucks... guys wanted 33s and 35s... . the norm was a 2 inch backspaced 10 inch wheel... the factory wheel was around 4. 5 inches.



I ran 285s on my 99 for better than 200k... never replaced a balljoint, only replaced one bearing (at 167k)... I used factory wheels.



I sooner place blame in faulty quality control at the balljoint manufacturer. Remember, the cheapest bidders were used to build your truck. This problem isn't new... they have had this strange "one truck kills balljoints in 20k, another runs 200k with no issues" since the 2nd gens were introd in 94. For example, my dad and I had similar 99s... mine was built in Canada IIRC, his was built in Mexico... my BJs lasted over 200k (loaded to max GVW or more at least 20% of the time), his died (all 4) before 90k (completely stock truck with stock tires on stock rims, and it was nothing more than a glorified car)... he is on his original unit bearings at 232k, I killed one at 167k, etc, etc, etc.



steved

 

[steved]

Are the 3rd gen balljoints different than the 2nd gen?



I took the oringinals out at 145000 miles, and only 1 was bad. I just decided to replace them all. New Spicer ball joints where $60 a side.

Yes, AAM axle versus a Dana. The part number I was given lastnight at Napa for the AAM 9. 25 was different than that of a Dana 60... the ujoints are different in the front axles too.



steved

 

[steved]

You can replace the Ball Joints your self with these redesign one from Quad 4X4. Here I don't know if thet are any better.

Thanks, that link will be very useful for me in a few months... especially the $140 savings!!!



steved

 

[CATCRACKER]

thanks for the link i will be doing ball joints and uv joints soon

 

[Tony T.]

Mine will need replaced soon according to my mechanic friend, of course dealership said there still well in specs, friend said B. S. to their specs only 33K on truck at the time. The driver side tire I can move it back and forth with slight popping or rattle sound. #@$%!



Tony

 

[steved]

Mine will need replaced soon according to my mechanic friend, of course dealership said there still well in specs, friend said B. S. to their specs only 33K on truck at the time. The driver side tire I can move it back and forth with slight popping or rattle sound. #@$%!



Tony

Heck, my unit bearings do that now... and have since the day I bought the truck... but my balljoints are still tight.



steved

 

[Tony T.]

Heck, my unit bearings do that now... and have since the day I bought the truck... but my balljoints are still tight.



steved

No front end expert here that's why I carried it to the mechanic friends shop. He's been giving me a hard time about checking the ball joints every 5K miles when I go by there to change my oil. This last visit I said ok lets check those ball joints since alot guys on the TDR are reporting bad joints early on,mine have always been tight each 5K interval, he laughed and said ok. This time he was'nt laughing when he checked them, He said, I can't believe those ball joints are that loose with only 33K miles on the truck. You should go at "the" least 100K miles before you even start having any problems.



This is a mechanic I trust as if he was my own brother I've known him all my life, just ask TDR Writer Bill Stockard about "Johnny aka Twine" he knows him well. :-laf



Tony

 

[Task125]

My ball joints were replaced at 28000 and just had them replaced again at 49000,I don't care what rims or tires you put on upper and lower joints should not go bad after 20000 highway miles on a so called Heavy duty truck.

I can remember the old days with my 1/2 ton chevy p/u with a 6'' and 3 '' body lift and 40s never changed a ball joint or universal. go figure

 

[ECappleman]

You can replace the Ball Joints your self with these redesign one from Quad 4X4. Here I don't know if thet are any better.

They are not greasable though.

There have been several threads about the new ones from Moog. They are greasable.

 

[Tourqamata]

Well I guess I'm going to be out a large chunk of money, I have to get this fixed but I cannot affored to replace my tires. This sucks I'm lucky that we have a family freind that owns a mech. shop and he's going to replace the balljoints and one u-joint for $456. 00 Looks like I'm going to have to start planning on buying new tires.

 

[jungledave]

[BThe balljoints on these trucks have a pretty fair up and down play When they are brand new. They are designed that way so only replace them if you can get the wheel to move in and out top to bottom but not up and down. I checked my 05 with only 1500 miles on it and have up and down play but no other play. I was actually surprised on how much. I check ball joints by jacking up the axle until the tire is about and inch or two off the ground and placing a long prybar between the tire and the floor and moving the bar up while watching the joints for play;actaully my wife does the bar work and I lay underneath and look. I am pretty sure there are quite a few good balljoints being replaced for this play. I also might mention that I worked on brakes and suspensions for a few years. Normally on a straight axle style front you should have no play or very little but you can always get the tire to move in and out similar to a loose wheel or hub bearing with a bad balljoint. I did talk to a local dealership service manager{Andy at Carlin Dodge} and he was well aware of the design.

 

[RLighthall]

[BThe balljoints on these trucks have a pretty fair up and down play When they are brand new. They are designed that way so only replace them if you can get the wheel to move in and out top to bottom but not up and down.

Yep. By 20K mine were sloppy so I took the truck to the dealer but they couldn't replace them under warrenty because they had a "new way" of checking them. Only the horizontal (in & out) slop is measured, and at the time the spec was . 060 and mine only had . 010 play (I've since been told that the spec has been relaxed to . 090 (can anyone confirm?)). At 47K DC agreed to replace them under warrenty but within 5K miles they too developed horizontal slop. They now have 15K on them and for the last 5K have had enough slop to cause the front end to wander more than I like. The front u-joints also have a little play, but I'm hoping I can stick it out it 'till August when my Lemon Law hearing takes place for the 64MPH vibe.

 

[dslcummins]

I watched the mechanics check mine. One barred it and the other just watched. So it looks to me like it depends on each mechanic, what he thinks . 010 is. That could vary from one person to another, if you are in spec's or not.