Expectations for Ball Joints

[MarkBlanks]

I'm a new TDR member, again. After a few years since I sold my first gen truck, I'm back in a 2012 Ram 2500 CTD. I haven't posted on these forums in a number of years, but I've been watching the posts for a few months now. Now I'm in need of some assistance with my new(er) truck:

I live in Virginia, which requires annual vehicle safety inspections and I've been going around and around with my mechanic about my truck's need for all joints. He rejected my truck for this year's inspection because of "bad ball joints." I spent countless hours informing him the proper way to inspect the ball joints, per the factory service manual, after he initially rejected it for having "any play". Long story short, using the factory inspection method, he's telling me I have .095" play on one lower ball joint and .104" play on the other (both over the .090" spec). A few questions: is it normal for ball joints to wear out in just 60k miles (which is what is on the truck as of today)? What is a reasonable amount to pay for their replacement (he wants $460 for just the two lower joints)? How easy is this to do yourself?

I never replaced joints on my old truck, even after 200k miles, but there was no state inspection required where I lived before. So, I'm not familiar with the process. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[josephc1]

I'm not sure how they inspect ball joints but if you are getting no shimmy and shake I think I would try another inspection station or even have the dreaded dealer give the truck an inspection. Here in Texas I have never known them to look at the ball joints much less measure how much play they have.

 

[Tinman]

Yes, stock BJs can wear out in that amount of time. Wheel bearing also. However, many will get considerably more miles out of them - including me. IF your mechanic is correct, yours are at or near the end of life, but could be driven safely for quite a while longer. I'd get another option. But if you keep the truck long enough, these will have to be replaced. My advise: Get some Carli's and be done with it. Also, do wheel bearings at the same time. They have to come out anyway, and it's way cheaper to replace the bearings a little too soon than to replace BJs this year and do it all over again next year when the wheel bears wear out. (This applies to all vehicles.) In and effort to improve my crappy steering, I did Carli BJs and Dynatrac hubs at about 60-70K. I don't ever plan on doing it again. I have re-greased/re-packed Dynatracs twice. New bearings and seals for Dynatrac cost about $100 if needed.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I swapped out the upper/lower ball joints in my 3rd gen (same front axle as yours) so many times, it became an simple afternoon project for me. I wasn't about to give a shop $1200 to swap out $200 in parts, I ponied up for a ball joint press kit for about $400, and never looked back.

Just by chance that you decide to change them yourself, pay close attention to what style of ball joints you have. There are two types - knurled body and smooth body. I learned the hard way by forcing knurled joints in when I needed smooth body joints.

Good luck

 

[Jim W]

I have a third gen truck but similar front axle arrangement as the 4th gen trucks. I replaced all of my ball joints at 81,000 miles when my drag link failed. I install Moog style ball joints and they are grease able. I grease them every 5,000 miles.

 

[MarkBlanks]

So, it sounds like it is feasible for me to need to replace these joints at this point. However, after reading up on the difficulty of doing the replacement, I have to be honest that I'm not thrilled about having a non-dealer technician do the replacement. I like the idea of putting in Carli joints, but man they are expensive. To get the lifetime warranty, I would need to do all of the joints, which with a press to do the job would appear to cost me $1,200.

At this point, I'm not sure that I can afford all of that. So, I'm debating just letting my mechanic do it for the $450, using the higher end NAPA joints. Perhaps I could save for the Carli and Dynatrac stuff down the road...

Does anyone know if the typical loaner/rental ball joint presses are good enough to get these ball joints out effectively.

Thanks for all of the help!

 

[EDankievitch]

​The hardest part of the job is removing the unit wheel hub bearing asy. If you live in the rust belt where they use road salt then you are in for a work out with the "Smoke Wrench" . The last set I did I used the ball joint press kit from Harbor Freight not the best but it did the job. I'm about due to do the joints on my 2013. I noticed it's starting to pull a bit to the left and I feel a bit of movement in the uppers. I'm going to give th XRF ball joints a try the design is much like Carli. Now before I get yelled out for using someone's copy of someone design I have used Carli on a few other trucks but the price.. If these last longer than stock I'll be happy for the price.

 

[Wayne M.]

Sadly you can't compare the first gen Dana front axle with the newer 3/4 gen AAM axle. I call it a victim of modern engineering. My originals are gone and Moogs didn't make 35,000 mi.
Im doing my homework now and I think the Carli are too much and the XRFs are not enough so I'm going to get Dyna tracs.
I also want to weigh in on the state inspection issue. I don't know how Virginia does it, but in NY you can't be failed for ball joints specifically, and they're not checked in a conventional manner as a factory manual would have you do. Look into your regulations, it should be public knowledge. You're right to properly maintain your truck, but for a sticker, I feel you're being shook down.

 

[buntster]

I also want to weigh in on the state inspection issue. I don't know how Virginia does it, but in NY you can't be failed for ball joints specifically, and they're not checked in a conventional manner as a factory manual would have you do. Look into your regulations, it should be public knowledge. You're right to properly maintain your truck, but for a sticker, I feel you're being shook down.

By Texas standards (Which has absolutely NOTHING to do with the price of eggs in Virginia), front-end components are checked on total performance/slack/slop. As in NY, the ball joints could have .250 slack as long as the total slop in the front-end is within spec.

And, IME, most of us wouldn't be wiling to drive a vehicle that JUST makes spec any further than down the block to put it on a lift to repair it. Most state inspection programs fail vehicles that a reasonable person would already know isn't road-worthy.

All that to say, I too think you're being shaken down. I'd also say that his price for doing the ball-joint work is reasonable if you don't already have the tools. A rental BJ tool wasn't enough for my '03 4x2, but with a Harbor Freight BJ set, an expansion set of accessories, an acetylene torch, and a little ingenuity at Home Depot, I was able to do the job.

 

[Newsa]

Do the 2013 2500 ball joint/steering components match the 2012? or was there a redesign in 2013? I realize they beefed up the 2013 3500, but didn't change the 2500 frame until 2014. And wondering if the suspension/steering/frame changes for the 2500 occured in 2014? There was no change to tge suspension/frame/steering in 2013 for the 2500? Wasn't 2014 when they also added the CAD?

 

[Wayne M.]

Purely for reference, this number-
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/alsofoundin.asp?partid=MOOG-K7467
fits 2003- 2013, and that looks as new as moog goes...