2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission What is a fair price for ball joints?

[Jim Ross]

I need to have the ball joints replaced on my 2001 4WD. I got one quote (so far) ... $800! Is that in the right range?

 

[SRath]

The balljoints will run you $300 through a discount seller like rockauto for quality Moog parts. I have no idea what the flat rate book says labor should take, but if your hubs are seized in the bores, it can be tough. I'm just guessing at least 2 hours per side. While I think it is outrageous, $100 to $125 per hour shop labor rates are not uncommon and it only takes a 1/2 hour per side misestimation on my part regarding the time required to lower that substantially.

Plus, there's NO WAY a shop is going to sell you those balljoints as cheap as Rockauto, so figure another $100 for parts.

So $400 for the balljoints and $400 for labor at 4 to 5 hours puts the labor at $80 to $100 per hour. There's your $800.

Just wait until they tell you the hub assemblies need to be cut off with a torch(!) and then replaced like they did to another guy here not so long ago, just because they were too lazy to use the power steering press trick... maybe your tierod ends didn't come off the knuckles easily either and they now need replaced, too...

And are you really going all the way to the balljoints without putting in new outer u-joints, too? Maybe even new axle seals since they like to leak on the passenger side because of the 2-piece CAD shaft? Oh, and that little plastic CAD shaft bushing: don't forget a new one of those.

When your Dodge front axle goes to pot, it costs lots of $$$$

I know you didn't want to hear this, but go into it with your eyes wide open and your checkbook ready.

 

[Jim Ross]

Scott, thank you!
Last year, I had to have the Dana 70 rear axle rebuilt because of a failed carrier bearing. I was hearing something at about 80,000 miles, but 2 different shops laid it off as 'tire' noise. Finally at 110,000 the original shop I had gone to could hear it. That was not cheap either.
Tell me a couple of things. How does the power steering press trick work? And, what does CAD stand for?
In one of the last issues of the TDR magazine, Joe D wrote about replacing his hubs, but how does a person know when the hubs need to be replaced?
As far as driving feel, my truck still feels tight, does not wander near as much as some other guy's trucks. The tires are wearing even with no shimmy, shake, etc. So, I have to wonder, how bad do the ball joints, hubs etc have to get before I could actually feel it in the driveability?

 

[SRath]

I've yet to have a hub fail, but from what others describe, it is usually either with no warning, leaving them stranded and in need of tow truck, or sometimes there is noise when cornering just before failure.

Again, Mark has a terrific solution to keeping those sealed units lubed on his webpage. I did it to mine.

If you are experiencing no issues with your steering or tire wear, how did the balljoints come to be suspect as bad? Just curious. I suppose they could be.

The "press trick" is covered in detail in many posts, but all it really amounts to is using the socket you use to loosen the hub bolts, along with maybe a short extension, to push the hubs off the knuckles without damaging them.

Loosen all 4 bolts and back them out a ways still leaving several threads engaged. One at a time in a crossing pattern, put the socket/extension on the head of each bolt, have someone fire up the cummins, then have them slowly turn the steering wheel until the socket/extension contacts the axle while you watch and guide the contact so as to not bend or break anything. This puts pressure on the bolt, and that hydraulic steering is very powerful. It will push the hub outwards from the backside without damaging it. Go from one bolt and side back to another in stages until the hub is pressed out.

Mine were very corroded and stuck and this method took only a couple of minutes per side to do the job easily.

CAD stands for "Central Axle Disconnect". It is the unit found on the backside of your passenger side axle tube that uses vacuum when you shift into 4wd to engage the two axle shaft halves on that side using a small sliding collar, thus engaging the front drive.

Not a very strong or reliable design at all. By far the weakest link in your driveline. It is more and more often being replaced with solid axle shafts and lockout hubs by fed-up owners here, which also eliminates the lousy sealed-bearing unit hubs with reliable, serviceable live-bearing spindles and hubs, just like better trucks have.

 

[Jim Ross]

Thanks again, Scott!
The reason I had my ball joints checked was just from reading where many are worn out between 125-150K miles and my truck has 124K on it including probably 5K in 4WD use. I'm taking my local shop's word that I need ball joints. It is a small shop, but the mechanics have good knowledge of 4WD's and have done well for me over the years. I'm thinking that since all seems to feel good that I will not do anything yet.
I am no fan of the fulltime hubs... . a few years ago I checked on a kit to put manual hubs on the truck. If I remember right the kit cost around $1200 at that time and included were new (and different) axles.
I'm just trying to be proactive on maintenance items... ... I want to be prepared and have good info before I get left stranded along the road someplace. Where I live and travel, it can be a long way to get help.

 

[SRath]

If you plan to keep the truck a long time, and are considering the upgrade to lockouts/live bearing hubs, and the trucks drives well with no death wobble or tire destruction right now, my advice would be to gather all the parts for the conversion and do everything once. Just don't let the balljoints get dangerously worn. I have seen the ugliness that can happen when balljoints separate.

Others here may offer different opinions, and you should consider their reasoning, too.

 

[JMcCoy]

I have 185,000 miles on my original ball joints, and they are still tight. I also occationally inject grease into the ball-joints. I use a needle adapter for a grease gun. Ride them out as long as you can. JUST BE SAFE. $800. 00 will seem cheap after a roll over. Do the ball-joints yourself if you can. Make a day out of it and try to enjoy yourself.

 

[Jim Ross]

Thanks for the input. I am going to get a few (or maybe a lot) more miles out of the ball joints. I could probably do the work myself, except that I have no indoor area to do it and I hate doing any mechanical work outside with the wind blowing dirt and sand around. I need a shop, a big one!!... . hey, maybe I can make a good case with the better half.
Actually, I am the kind of guy that if I decide to keep this truck for a long time, I will go the whole 9 yards and do everything on the front including the conversion to manual locking hubs.

 

[diesel DOG]

I did mine and watch my mechanic fight to get the seized hubs out which were then damaged so they had to be replaced. He is a great mechanic and honest after going there since 1975. Moogs now have 90,000 originals went less than 50,000. He spent 6 hours on the job or something like that.