Ball Joints Toast on an 03 4x4

[MFalkinham]

Thanks for clearing that up. It seemed a little extreme to be replacing ball-joints on an annual-maintenance schedule, but the picture explains everything.



It's a real shame they don't make these new suspension parts greaseable just because some truck owners would be too lazy to do proper maintenance. "Sealed for life"... ... NOT! (a short life, maybe)



- Mike

 

[jrobinson2]

I'm sure the others with problems are not doing things like that with their trucks but if the balljoints were better Kent might only need to change them every 30,000 miles :-laf

Jared

 

[run2trouble]

Ball joints toast at 21,000. and Clutch slave

:-{} :-{} :-{} :-{} :-{} :-{} :-{} :-{}



DC is replacing all ball joints and my clutch slave clyinder this week. The truck is stock except for the 5" exhaust. I tow a 12k bobcat a few times a month.



I recomend everybody check their joints. Oo.

 

[jsimpson]

I'll replace with Moog greasable joints as soon as they are available. I put them on my 94 and have used Moog suspension components for around forty years with good results.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I got you beat. At 19,000K I've had ALL 4 ball joints replaced on mine. I think they have been bad since almost new due to I've had 4 alighnments and tracking problems forever. Now It's great.

Four alignments and no one checked your front end before alignment?

 

[Matt400]

Four alignments and no one checked your front end before alignment?

I could see a tech skipping the ball joint inspection and going straight into the alignment when working on a brand new truck. Not a good excuse to skip the inspection I suppose when quality is down though.

 

[SLinse]

I had mine to the dealer at 5,000 for an alignment. They didn't catch anything. at 7,500 miles I put the 315's on and wanted it aligned. You got it, 4 ball joints AND 2 tie rod ends!! All thoughs were highway miles, but maybe 20!! I would defanitly keep an eye on those joints!

 

[Matt400]

Looks like the faulty ball joints started here and now has progrerssed to our Rams

 

[realsquash]

I bet these balljoints follow a standard just like the ujoints do but simply aren't listed in the catalogs yet... Does anyone have a pair out that they can take pictures of and measure?



Andy

 

[04 Diesel Power]

You said it!

 

[Okey0]

what exactly is the procedure for "checking" ball joints?

 

[AKsmoker]

Add me to the list

22k replacing ball joints and tie rod. Found a fair amount of play drivers side and minor play passenger side. It is under warranty however the tech told me DC has not produced an upgrade for the replacement parts. So the OEM parts that failed early are no better than whats being replaced. I would hope you all file complaints with DC. I'll be on the phone tomorrow. See back here again around 40k

 

[Matt400]

what exactly is the procedure for "checking" ball joints?

Lift the front axle to where the tires are about 3-4 inches off the ground then using a big pry bar or pipe slip it under the tire and pull up- If you can get any movement in the joints then they are bad.



This I bet is also related to the death wobble that many complain about.

 

[Goddard]

wonder where the bad joints started? go back and search in the second gen. mine have been changed twice in 80,000 and has always wore the right front tire bad. 7 sets of steering tires so far and dealers say"well i don't know but it is aligned correctly, how often do you rotate".



and i am thinking about an 05 model!! i think i mighthave to buy from someone else this time! "buy a dodge cummins and get a really strong drive train wrapped in a piece of ..... crap!"

 

[Archive]

The dealer first replaced the ball joints in my '94 at around 30,000. I had a non-dealer replace them again at around 60,000 with Moog components. Seems like nothing has improved in over ten years! Oo.



If I get my next truck from Dodge, it will be fun to see how much of a discount I can bargain out of the dealer by complaining how much money I'm going to have to spend for this problem in the future. Let's rub their faces in this real well until the stench reaches to the highest levels.

 

[JSchutz]

Had mine checked yesterday. 83,000 miles on '03 and original ball joints still fine. Mostly highway miles but some pretty beat up dirt roads as well. Why such a discrepancy in the longevity of these things? Is it mainly lifted trucks and/or those running oversized tires that are having the problem? Jeff

 

[Archive]

I would expect more trouble on 4WDs because the solid axel is many times heavier than the control arms on 2WD vehicles. Also 4WDs have a generous lift right from the factory and tend to get retrofitted with bigger tires. But then I notice your vehicle is 4WD. Maybe there's more than one supplier of ball joints to Dodge.

 

[Matt400]

Is it mainly lifted trucks and/or those running oversized tires that are having the problem?

Not to be mean but it's possible they didn't check yours properly. Lifting the truck and grabbing the tire won't do it.

I baby my truck, easy driving no rough stuff and 285 tires with stock wheels and they are bad.

 

[SRadke]

Good news fellas..... This thread prompted me to check mine out and sure enough, loose. Went in and talked directly to the service manager who agreed to replace them under warrantee (32K miles) despite my truck being lifted and having the camber angle changed. We both agreed that shouldn't cause this failure this soon so they ordered the parts. I'm beginning to get a renewed faith in the dealers of the world



-Scott

 

[run2trouble]

I had to wait about 6 weeks before my ball joints arrived!!!

Also having the slave cylinder replaced for the clutch. 23k miles.