Every one with balljoint problems

[WPeschel]

Could every one with ball joint problems just drop me a line and let me know... I plan on showing this thread to my Dealer... I feel like this is a problem that Dodge needs to take care of... Ball joints should last at least 100,000 miles this is BS thanks guys... :-{}

 

[CIverson]

Mine went bad at 5k miles, on stock tires.



Now at 21k the upper drivers is starting to feel loose, had 35's on since the first ball joint change.

 

[Buzzer]

On 4X4s alot don't make it past 50 or 60K. Just my experiance with my own trucks and those my friends own.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I don't hear any clunking and my steering feels tight after 30k. What's the first sign their going bad?

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I'd again comment on using a hypo needle greasegun attachment commonly available at auto parts stores, and then injecting grease into the joints - but then I usually get guys giving me the finger over "violating" the sealed boots...



SOOoooo, I'l keep quiet, and simply just doing my own that way...

 

[SLinse]

2 ball joint and 2 tie rods at 8,000

 

[DGFoster]

Shoot my 2000 went 120000 with only the drag link going bad,ball joints wwhere still tight,not sure how the new one is going hold up,only 2500 miles on it.

 

[GFritsch]

My old (94) went 200k with no new ball joints. Starting to rethink the extended warranty. Sounds like the universal joints are a problem too.

 

[dezeldog]

I had 292k on the original tie rod ends and ball joinst on my 98. 5. If this one lasts half s long I'll be happy.



Jim

 

[rscurtis]

Checked a friends '03 today with 25K miles- ball joints have . 025vertical movement. Also checked my '03 with 11K miles, did not use a dial indicator, but seems to have about the same amount of play as the one we measured. Upon consulting the service manual, there is no spec or test procedure for determining

what constitutes allowable play. We also checked an

04. 5 with 7K miles- absolutely no play at all. All three of these trucks are personal transportation- no plowing, towing or hauling.

It would appear to me that there is an issue here.

 

[navyramman]

Ball joints went out at 30000 miles on my 03 4x4. steering was funkey, it did not want to trun.

 

[viper700]

My son has an '03 3500 DRW HO AT with 8,000 miles and the Ball joints and drag link went out on one side. The dealer gave him grief and tried to tell him because he studded his tires thats what caused them to wear. He finally got the work done. We live in Alaska and so, studded tires. I just purchased an 04. 5 3500 DRW AT 325/600 same color as his, Silver. I will be hauling a 36' foot 5th wheeler with mine. Hope no grief for me as this is 1st Dodge and Diesel.

 

[kstehnacs]

Lubricated for the life of the component or sealed= bad idea.

 

[Ken F]

Originally posted by kstehnacs

Lubricated for the life of the component or sealed= bad idea.

Amen!!



When you think about the cost of quality, and the value of happy customers, I would think it would be a sound financial decision to include grease fittings. I'll bet everyone here would give DXC an "atta boy" if they included 8 to 10 grease fittings.



It's a little thing that means a lot.



I can see it in the signatures.



"REAL trucks have REAL steel rods. . . . . . and grease fittings. "

 

[Jengle]

My 89 Nissan didn't come with them either. But it had bolts in the normal places that you could replace with fittings. 260k miles and never had a problem with the linkage or ball joints. You just can't have metal rubbing on metal without fresh grease. Especially with this kind of weight on it. DC- WAKE TF UP!!!!

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

Are there lubeable replacements available or are we stuck with they hypodermic needle approach to keep these things lubed.

 

[BrianWalker]

Grease fittings would be great.



My '88 Toyota 4x4 had fittings in the u-joints! I liked doing normal maintenance on that one, because you could.

Never a u-joint/ball joint went bad when I sold it with 216,000 miles in 11 years.



19,500 on the '03 CTD, no problems. Have not checked "play".

 

[lschultz]

Son has 99 with around 160000 on it and no problems with balljoints or anything yet he did replace the shocks back when he first got it and he has the 295 tires on it.

 

[jchapin]

Moog makes ball joints with grease fittings (zerks) and I've heard good things about Moog's products.



However, I believe there's a significant lag between year of truck production and corresponding ball-joint production. They weren't available last year for my 2001 when BJ's needed replacing (ended up going OEM). But I just took a look and see that they have them for trucks up to year 2002. It's prolly a business decision since they wouldn't get much ROI until the average 2003 Dodge Ram reaches about 75-80K and that takes a couple years.



I never called Moog to find out real skinny. The website is:

www.federal-mogul.com

 

[CJ8Rockcrawler]

Moog was the one to go with for the ZR2 I had. Those things just EAT balljoints! I thought I was going to be able to get a way from that problem going with the dodge SFA. I'm a little worried with some of these posts though.