Every one with balljoint problems

[WPeschel]

Thanks for all the great feedback... My dealer talked to the district manager and they will be replaceing them for a 100 dollar deductable... ...

 

[Casey Balvert]

WPeschel, how many miles on your truck. Our EMS truck has only 42,000 and needs all four replaced which I find totally unacceptable. Will be meeting with the dealer this afternoon.



Casey

 

[DGFoster]

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. "

I agree,kinda like buying a oilless air compressor they wont last long.

 

[bkroupa]

My 98 had bad upper & lower drivers side joints at 87k. I replaced all 4 with Moog. I am the second owner, but balljoint failure at 87k is unacceptable. I'm starting to believe what I've read about putting the Cummins engine in the FORD trucks to get the ultimate PU.

 

[RAMINSPEED]

All 4 of mine were toast at 19000 miles.

 

[Casey Balvert]

Guess I will be using the needle grease injector on mine.

 

[Dieselram]

My 01 With 37000 on it the driverside is just starting to show signs of wear. . passengerside is still tight

 

[navyramman]

I just went over 36000 miles and my 2nd one went out now. Help.

 

[Mundgyver]

Mine were replaced under warranty between 35,000 and 40,000 miles. They put in new wheel bearing and ball joints all at the same time. The truck would growl making left and right turns and just kept getting worse at the time.

 

[navyramman]

I will be going over to Dodge this week, Thanks

Greg

 

[Task125]

mine went at 24000 dealer replaced all 4

 

[rbattelle]

Guess I will be using the needle grease injector on mine.

I did, per Gary's advice.



As an aside, according to Machinery's Handbook "sealed for life" components are often preferred over grease fittings because the sealed components offer improved life. Part of that improvement comes from eliminating the problem of inexperienced or untrained personnel improperly greasing them when they have fittings. Of course, it assumes the bearings were properly lubricated before being sealed up.



I thought that was very interesting, as I do generally consider "lubed for life" to be an oxymoron.



-Ryan

 

[Kurt Henzler]

mine at 35000. all four. it may have been sooner , i just happen to check them for the first time at this mileage.

 

[ERohloff]

OEM grease level

My dad was a mechanic for a Chevy dealer, before he passed on, but I always remember him saying that all the new Chevy's (and Old's) he ever had apart had minimual grease in all the components (wheel bearing's, universals, ball joints, etc). Save's a few cents per vehicle on grease. Likely true for most OEM mfg's, esp these days with the cost issues!!!!

So re this Dodge BJ issue - no Suprise !!!!!!

bob r...

 

[ERohloff]

Grease Zerks

... ..... And long as I'm in this "jump on Dodge" mode I just have to add that it just doesn't take a "rocket scientist" to figure out that if Dodge would spec in "zerked" ball joints (and even just pass on the 5$ added cost) that they would spend much less on BJ warrenty work due to less trouble AND they could even get out of lots of BJ claims due to " You didn't grease the BJ's as you should have - Claim denied" !!!!!!

Ranting over... ...

bob r...

 

[JimPatterson]

Mine are loose too.

I purchased my 03 3500 on June 16th 03, by Nov 03 at 25,000 miles I noticed it wasn't as tight as it use to be. I took it to the dealer and was told it was ok. The truck tends to wander and is pushed in the wind. last May at 60,000 I replaced the front brake pads and check it for myself, I can move the wheel up and down approx . 060. Seems too much for me, I know have 95,000 miles and they are worse. I just check the front end this week and I need new shocks, Ball Joints, and Tie rod end.



I do have a lot of miles on the truck, but it is all highway and the problem started to show up at 25,000 miles.



Waiting for aftermarket to offer greaseable ball joints, Moog does make the tie rod parts with zerk fittings but no one has the ball joints but Dodge. I hope the wheels don't fall off before someone makes them.



I do own several early Dodges 70-71 W300, W200 one with over 300,000 miles and the ball joints are tighter than my new truck.

 

[Tim]

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...

Actually it's not the violation of the boots that is the problem. Injecting grease into the boots is a worthless waste of time. The grease will never get into the sockets that way... it'll just sit in the boot. You're not gaining anything by stabbing your boots with the needle and greasing them unfortunately.

 

[MVVorce]

My upper ball joint are loose and I am trying to make it until I can get a greaseable aftermarket ball joints. My truck has 50k on it. If some one comes up with a aftermarket ball joint please keep us informed.

 

[bfull]

I'm glad i joined TDR,never would have thought to check balljoints with only 22,000 miles . Checked them the other day all loose took it to dealer they agreed made appointment to change all 4

 

[War Nerve]

Both uppers are loose at 80K. I'll accept that on a non greasable parts, but 20k is ridiculous.



ChuCk