2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Ball Joints

[banjoDave]

Any one know how long ( or short, actually) the ball joints last?

Mine a re wore out, HAVE been, but Factory kept saying "in spec" untill the 36K went out.

Dave

 

[elamb]

Dealer changed mine at 38,000 miles. Covered under warranty, I had to pay $100.



Eric

 

[banjoDave]

really.

funny, the dealer told me that 3 years 36K was it. Wants nearly 2K to replace them .

 

[JFaughn]

For that price I'ld come down there do the job and take 2 weeks off, what about warranty , maybe its time to forget the dealer .

 

[TMitch]

Run, don't walk away from that dealer... You should be able to get the job done for considerably less.

What year, 2wd/4wd etc. is your truck?

My ball joints lasted 60k of hard driving on logging roads. It would sure help if the factory installed grease nipples.

 

[tolmsted]

Ditto what TMitch said about running.

My 2001. 5 4x4 had a bad left lower balljoint before 36,000 miles and the dealer replaced both left top & bottom and did an alignment job all covered by DC.



FWIW I seem to recall that DC had a TS posting relating to ball joints failing. You might do a search on TDR and find it or maybe a TDR Member knows more and will post here to help you. Go find another Dealer FAST> Run don't wait!

Best of luck.

Tom

 

[banjoDave]

Custormer serv.

It was Dodge Customer service that hung up on me. Dude was a real prick.



I'm a vol. for a rescue squad, went thru EMT school, etc. If we had EVER acted

done, etc, that was to a pt, we'd not only been kicked ouuta class, but beat severly.

The service center that does major repairs on the squads( we do a lot ourshelves) told me they'd replace all of them with MOOG parts for $700

 

[TMitch]

$700 vs $2000 is a big difference. It is a fairly labour intensive job that requires pulling the axles. I imagine that the dealer was probably going to give you the "full meal deal" and replace the axle seals as well and that would require pulling the front diff out of the housing. I was too busy working everyday when I needed to change my ball joints so I called a few of the local garages and that was the story that one of the mechanics gave me... told me he couldn't do it with out changing the seals as well. I ended up doing the ball joints myself and NOT having to change the axle seals.

The Moog parts are greasable so hopefully they will last much longer.

 

[slundvall]

Had both upper and lower ball joints replaced at 50,000 miles

getting new tires so I took it to get the front end aligned

to find out that one was seized up

cost $770 included my front end alignment



Sherry

 

[banjoDave]

many thanks

Thansk folks.

I remeber about the seals, but the 750 included the seals.

the chry. parts were over twice what the MOOG parts cost.

Plus labor is 60 per hour.

& then they pyt the same old crappy parts back in.

 

[DCMille290]

Hi everyone,

What about the process for replacing the ball joints on a 2WD truck. I've got 200,000+ on mine and when I had the front end setup to Brent's specs the shop had trouble trying to get the caster right. I was wondering if a bad ball joint would make it more difficult to obtain the caster Brent said he sets Dodge trucks with? Slight pull to the right when driving, calipers are not hanging up, and had just about everything else on the steering rack replaced. Plus, a new PCS gear box.



Thanks,

DC Miller

 

[diesel DOG]

I did mine at 50,000 with just street driving. Trouble is you ruin the hubs which are 700 in parts alone to replace the junk ball joints! Do a search there are tons of threads on it. Some new trucks have failed in less than 18,000 miles. Ask him what the spec is? They told me I needed and idler arm and track bar which was all BS :-{} I went to my mechanic and it tok 6 hours to get the hub bearings out and I was there.

 

[banjoDave]

"joy"

@ this rate, for 700+ for the bearings/ hubs alone,

It almost makes one want to go ahead & do the Danacraft conv for 1700 & get REAL bearings , Lockoud bubs, Spindles, races, seals, etc.

 

[TMitch]

If the mechanic isn't careful they can pull the front bearing assemblies apart but if they have done the job before and leave the axle nut on and pull everything out together it will avoid pulling the bearing unit apart. Do a search on ball joints and there's some good tips on how to get the axle out using the power steering and some socket extensions to push it out.

 

[OTRPU]

I've had mine replaced three times this year. Course my year is more than most. Seems I either get a good Mooge or a bad one. This trip my DOC says their still good, the alignment shop says not. I don't know who's right, but it bounces all over the road at times. And if I get 60k out of a set of steers I feel lucky. Have had to replace them one time two months in a row. That's 4 steers.



Cheers,

Steve J

 

[banjoDave]

Dealer changed mine at 38,000 miles. Covered under warranty, I had to pay $100.



Eric

how did you get the dealer to warrent them??

 

[vssman]

75K and everything is worn out except pass side ball joints and 1 tie rod end that connects to the drag link.

 

[DLMcpherson]

I had 36k ish on my 02 4wd and 2 months out of my 3/36. my dealer, Forbes in New Martinsville,WV, Oo. replaced upper and lower plus tore up the front wheel bearings and replaced them all for FREE... . Like the guy said, "Find A Good Dealer" Oo.

 

[dresslered]

I went through 30 tires in 63,823-miles before I realized that my whole front end was shot. Funny thing is that alignment always checked out fine and there was no steering wander--I attributed it to the winding mountain roads that I commute on. Later, upon closer inspection, the ball joints had tremendous play when the truck was lifted off the front axle. Replaced the following and all is well:



1 EA INSPECT FRONT END $0. 00

1 PR BALL JOINTS (UPPER) $260. 00

1 PR BALL JOINTS (UPPER) $260. 00

1 EA ROD $276. 04

1 EA RIGHT CONNECTING ROD $133. 00

1 EA RIGHT TIE ROD END AT PITTMAN $58. 75

1 EA LEFT TIE ROD $87. 00

1 EA LABOR ON FRONT END WORK $722. 50

1 EA ALIGNMENT ON 1-TON TRUCK $92. 95

TAX: 88. 67

GRAND TOTAL: $1,978. 91



All new components were Moog.



Also added DSS steering stabilizer and Rancho RS5404 steering stabilizer. I am still a happy camper at 80,000-miles.

 

[banjoDave]

yup

Same here, aliment always said "it was fine" till it was out of warr. then, it all fell apart.