| From | Message |
Snake
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/16/2004
13:32:22
|
 Subject: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
Everyone on this board knows the dakotas are prone to ball joint issues. Let's not discuss that. I have been poking a needle greaser through the rubber boot and filling the boot up, then sealing the hole with gasket compound. It seems to work well. Each time I add more, I find that most of the grease has worked itself through the seam at the top of the ball joint piece. On closer inspection, I noticed that the top of the ball joint is actuall concaved, as in water can sit up there and drip into the top of the joint. If grease can get out, water can get in right? So I looked at Rangers, Chevs, etc and found that all their ball joints had domes on the top and their were usually one piece. So I fabricated some ball joint covers out of aluminum and using RTV silicone, I glued them to the top of the joints so the water would shed. I then re-greased the joint and I've noticed that the grease is staying contained now.
Take this as you will, but I think a good deal of our problem is the concaved top of the ball joint coupled with the unsealed seam. Do something about that and you'll eliminate the problem.
|
McGyver
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/17/2004
00:11:20
|  RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
Dude, no offense, but it seems like it would be easier just to replace them with new ones.
|
Atlantic BLue
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/17/2004
18:40:02
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
I don't think it would be easier to just replace with new ones. Sounds like preventative maintainance to me.
If that was the case, why change your motor oil every 5000 miles when you can just change the engine when it finally goes.
You may be onto something snake.
|
Snake
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/17/2004
20:24:42
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
Thank you, Atlantic Blue. I agree, preventative maintenance can go a long way. Besides, if the labor to maintain the ball joints was excessive then sure, wait until they go. However, this was a 5 minute fix, so why not give it a whirl?
Besides, if this were to work on the long haul, then you wouldn't have to spend 10k miles listening to the front end clunk or the alignment being all messed up.
I just can't believe that whoever manufactured the ball joint in the first place used poor quality metal. I think they used poor engineering which lead to water seeping into the joint and sitting in there.
I'm confident covering the top of the joints will at least increase the longevity of the ball joints.
|
cj
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/18/2004
01:54:18
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
wow why the hell would dodge create a freakin ball joint with a concave design for water to sit on... jesus whata dumb company... whoever is the engineer for the front end of dodge vehicles should be fired... dodge front ends suck in every car truck they make I swear....
|
cj
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/18/2004
01:54:35
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
wow why the hell would dodge create a freakin ball joint with a concave design for water to sit on... jesus whata dumb company... whoever is the engineer for the front end of dodge vehicles should be fired... dodge front ends suck in every car truck they make I swear....
|
Snake
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/20/2004
12:37:24
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
bump
|
Kowalski
GenIII
10/20/2004
17:06:55
| RE: Ball Joint Solution?!
IP: Logged
Message:
Surrounding the joint with grease isn't as good as actually getting grease into the joint. Greasable joints are better, you shouldn't think of this as a real solution.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
|
| | P 1 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
