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Doug4.7
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2004
09:03:06
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 Subject: Why bad ball joints?
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Does anyone know the TECHNICAL reason for the high failure rate of the Dak ball joints? Since the Dak is not the first or only vehicle with non-greaseable ball joints, that can't be the reason. Were they just undersized? Is there a design fault in the seal? I am just curious.
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pascal
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2004
16:13:11
|  RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I think several things are related. I would like to know how many trucks with bad ball joints have warped rotors. I know mine had both. I wonder if the warped rotors and their inherent grabbiness puts so much load on the ball joint that they fail prematurely.
Just remember that all vehicles are built of the cheapest parts available.
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um
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2004
16:33:36
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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can a wheel go so far out of alignment when a ball joint goes bad that it could break something and you lose control and wreck?
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Doug4.7
Dodge Dakota
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5/21/2004
17:26:08
|  RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I know if the ball joint breaks, you wheel falls over. That is a problem.
It just odd that the Dakota/Durango has such troubles with the ball joints. If it were simply the idea of a non-greased baal joint, other manufacturers would have the same trouble. SO again my question is, what did DC do wrong on the Dakota ball joints?
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Uh
Dodge Dakota
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5/22/2004
12:13:35
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I think that the entire front suspension on these vehicles is garbage. Poor design and under-engineered. Simple as that.
The ball joints are inferior, the rotors are too small, nothing is greaseable...the front suspension on these things isn't even good enough for a minivan.
I replaced mine (uppers & lowers) with Moog Problem Solvers about 2 months ago. It took away all the weird sounds from the front end...but how long will it be before some other component fails on me?
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Curt
Dodge Dakota
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6/03/2004
16:10:30
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Yesterday, I thought I was buying a 2002 Dodge Dakota, until my mechanic said it had bad upper ball joints. When I went back to the dealer, I was told that they were fine, that they are a special kind of "floating" ball joint, that is supposed to have more play. Has anyone ever heard of this?
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Doug4.7
Dodge Dakota
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6/03/2004
19:51:28
|  RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Okay, my BS detector went off on that statement from the dealer! Maybe I'm wrong, but that sounds like the one 'my' dealer told me about synthetic oils being BAD for the Dakota...
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default
Dodge Dakota
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6/03/2004
22:40:33
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I believe they allow for .060 of play. Plus I think the way Dodge wants you to test for play is ridiculous. Dodge set it up so it would be hard to fail a ball joint so they don`t have to pay a lot of money. Never get an inspection sticker at a dealership while under warranty BTW,you`ll pass every time.
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Willy
Dodge Dakota
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6/04/2004
20:29:34
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Doug, According to my owners manual synthetic oils are not recommened. According to my dealer lol he stated that the new bearings in the engine are more porus and thus should that oil is a no no. My manal also says if used, used quality type DUH. My ball joints on my 97 dakota 102000 miles are good, Durango only 1300 miles and no trouble. My Dodge dealer has tried to seel me just about everything they can however I correct them on there silly ideas for replacement items. PS oh after 100,00 miles on my Dakota the fuel line leaked (rubbing Chasis) under back seat. Dealer said not under warrenty as they inspected it during recall. Explanned they never had me bring it in for that recall and if they inspected it correctly then it would not have rubbed the chasis. They then replaced it free of charge.
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meathead
Dodge Dakota
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6/11/2004
23:49:21
|  RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I have a buddy that works at a dodge dealer. He has heard of reasons for ball joints going bad, the one that makes the most sense to me is that when the new style dakotas were designed dodge used the same suspension and front end as the older stlye dakotas which were a much lighter truck. The old suspension system cannot hold the weight of the new dakotas thus causing several failures such as ball joints, rotors, cv shafts, and differentials. Could this be true??
I had to replace uppers and lowers when i bought my truck with 60k miles on it. My buddys 02 Durango now needs the same thing done at 30k miles.
My conclusion is :
DON"T BUY A DAKOTA
THEY ARE JUNK.....
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fryzss
Dodge Dakota
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6/23/2004
12:15:18
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I just replaced both sides. The passenger side was real bad, plus the upper control arm bushings were shot. Probably by the time you hear the pop/crackling sounds in the front it's almost to late. Plus the brakes are junk. 1st and last Dodge since '71.
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MY H3RO
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
09:40:08
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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My wife just got a recall notice from DC for defective ball joints on her 2003 Jeep Liberty. Maybe we'll be next!!!!!!!!!!
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meathead
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
14:42:27
|  RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Well considering chrysler is jeep, dodge. I imagine that a lot of jeeps have the same problems. I just spent $1038.00 for a 231 d transfer case for my dakota. That is the same case that jeep uses. Back to Ball joints. Mine were replaced at one year old, It has been three years and i need new ones again. Does anyone know of a replacement brand that is heavy duty or a least greasable????????
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busterb
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
20:53:25
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Mog makes a good greaseable one, The dealer wanted over 1200 bucks to fix b-joints on my 99 before warrenty ran out. I held out & spent days on phone & e-mail. On 6/14/04 they fixed it free under goodwill policy. 30,095 miles. Good luck BB
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Dean
Dodge Dakota
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7/08/2004
21:08:34
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Part of the problem is this fallacy of building parts that "do not require periodic lubrication". They should just say "parts that self destruct as soon as the warranty expires, if not before". Even if they did put zerks on all the suspension parts, would anybody actually grease them? Most people who don't do their own lube jobs go to an oil change chain (usually the cheapest one), and obviously the zombies that work there aren't going to grease them all. My old chevy truck had 27 zerks on it! I doubt they actually greased more than 4 or 5 when I got the oil changed. Its true that some of these vehicles are overloaded, though. With all the toys people expect nowadays, even "small" trucks/suvs have gotten extremely heavy.
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meathead
Dodge Dakota
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7/09/2004
23:42:50
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Well, I don't think i would have have ask for a greasable fitting if I wasn't going to make sure they got greased!!!!!
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omegax
Dodge Dakota
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7/11/2004
02:14:52
|  RE: 2004 bad ball joints!!!
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I jsut spent over $500 on my 2000 dakota ball joints and just had my 2004 quad cab in for new ball joints. I only have 18000 miles on it. Fortunately for me it is still under warranty. Unfortunately for all of us, Chrysler continues to be in denial. They will see me back there at the slightest rattle for more warranty work.
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JoeR
Dodge Dakota
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7/14/2004
18:51:54
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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fryzss, where did you find the upper arm bushings? the dodge dealer out here will only sell the entire unit and not the bushing itself. has anyone else replaced this? Ive seen them for 2wd but not 4wd in the aftermarket (2000qc)
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Jared
Dodge Dakota
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7/15/2004
04:16:48
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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I doubt that they would have used the gen 1 or 2 suspensions, although I am happy to report that my 01 R/T has only had 1 balljoint replaced due to hitting a curb because a dumb___ decided to change lanes without looking at the next lane, any way it was replaced under waranty(didn't tell them about the curb), and now with 47k miles it still rides like when I picked it up with 8k miles on it. Hope this gives some hope, as from my experiance the Dakota is a well built and extremely reliable truck aside from the rotors sucking. I have had problems with the rotors. Should be a recall for those.
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Brandon
Dodge Dakota
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8/04/2004
14:21:16
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Please help in the effort to get the ball joints recalled. You need to call the NHTSA and make a complaint. They are in charge of the on going investigation with the ball joints.
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meathead
Dodge Dakota
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8/04/2004
18:17:44
| RE: Why bad ball joints?
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Brandon, A number or an email address would be nice so we know where to call!
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