| From | Message |
pyrodak
*GenIII*
 
5/03/2002
19:06:33
|
 Subject: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
What is a good indication that I need to replace my ball joints? My front end feels like it kinda rattles as I am driving and I replaced my front shocks with Rancho 5000's not too long ago. And if it isn't my ball joints, what could improve my ride on the road?
Any help or info would be appreciated...
Later,
Mark S.
98 Club Cab 4X2 SLT 3.9
|
kevster
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
19:12:12
|  RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Most tire places do check the ball joints for wear for Free, if you have high mileage could be, but a strong indication with worn ball joints is the tires wear funny.. and it would be really hard to align the front end.
|
Mike
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
20:06:23
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
If its a dakota and more than 1 day the ball joints are done as well as wheel bearings.
|
DODGEZILLA
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
20:12:49
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
yeah, my dak's front wheels are worn on the inside tread of each wheel. is that from the balljoint?
|
Dave
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
20:14:55
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
All I have to say is replace them. also check the hub bearings on 4x4's
|
DODGEZILLA
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
20:17:04
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
okay, at the risk of sounding stupid, what am i looking for when im checking them, how do i check them?
|
Dave
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/03/2002
20:22:20
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Jack the truck up and grab the top and bottom of the wheel and move back and forth, if it doesn't move at all, you are good to go, if there is some play, think about replaceing them or having someone else double check for you.
|
pyrodak
*GenIII*
5/03/2002
21:59:07
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
If I do need to replace my ball joints, should I go with those Moog (spelling?) ones? And where could I locate some for a good $$? I assume that they are better than factory, but I don't know. Also, would that be an easy do-it-yourself or should I have a mechanic help out?
PS. I am OK with mecanical aptitude.
Thanks,
Mark S.
98 Club Cab 4X2 SLT 3.9
|
98FlameRdDak
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
5/04/2002
00:13:51
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
I have changed my upper ball joints on my 98 dak. It was easy, as long as you have the right tools. If they are original uppers, they will have rivots in the provided holes. I started out using an air chisel but found it was taking too long so I switched to a cutting torch, which took all of 5 minutes. When you remove the tire and look, you will see the rivots to know what I am talking about.
Then you remove the crown nut and using a rubber mallet hammer give the lower control arm a good rap. Wait for the pats to cool down. I cut the other side out while waiting for the other parts to cool down.
Should take you about an hour to an hour and a half to do both.
The lower ball joints are a real pain in the a$$. Luckily I know someone who works in a machine shop and he was able to press the old ones at and press the new ones in.
I also changed every tie rod as well. Make sure you use a good grease when you install your new upper ball joints as the new joints will have grease zerts. I personally prefer any kind of grease with a molly lube additive.
Good Luck.
|
Lesley
GenIII
5/04/2002
00:45:04
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Hey Pyrodak
My ball joints went at 50,000 kilometers, or, just after the warranty had run out. The first indication I had was a creaking noise when turning, that increased and became really noticeable - squeaking over bumps.
The dealerships will not replace the ball joints alone, they will only sell you the whole assembly. Up here in Canada, that worked out to over $1200 in parts alone. And, they put the same chrysler ball joints on, which have no grease fittings, so of course you will be looking at doing it again in a couple more years.
I went to a really good alignment shop that installed Moog uppers and lowers for $700 Canadian parts and labour. The ball joints are worth about $40 each, part #K7241 for lower and #K7242 for the upper. There was a set of moog uppers and lowers on ebay a couple of days ago, you might want to check there. Also - AutoZone lends out Ball Joint presses free if you buy parts there. Good luck
97 3.9 CC Sport. Black. Auto 3.55, Quick D Intake, JBA Stainless headers, Autolite 3923s, stainless Borla Turbo XL, V8 TB, FMS 19 lb fuel injectors, Have, but not installed:Brass cap & rotor, JBA 9mm cables, Borla tip, IAT adjuster,Boyd Coddington Smoot
|
Richie
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/06/2002
19:25:51
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Took my truck to the shop for an alignement and the mechanic said he could not align it because of bad tie rods. I had him replace the tierods and align the truck. Two days alter the truck started making noises in the front end again so took it to anotehr shop to have them look at it and found that the lower left balljoint and the right upper balljoints were loose and needed to eb replaced. This has sure been an expensive month for my Dodge since a few weeks back had the a/c compressor and evaporator replaced. Then this and now is in the shop because the driveshaft broke in half. maybe getting time to get rid of it since afterall has 128,000 miles on it.
|
Zaurusman
GenIII
8/07/2002
11:04:22
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Moog makes great aftermarket ball joints. Now ... does anyone make serviceable aftermarket wheel bearings?
--
Zaurusman
'98 RC Red Sport V6 5spd 3.21 15x8's
http://home.earthlink.net/~tiborkun/Dakota/Index.htm
|
Lesley
GenIII
8/07/2002
11:55:37
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
According to my local mopar guru (Billy)... Nope!
97 3.9 CC Sport. Black. Auto 3.55, Quick D Intake, JBA Stainless headers, Autolite 3923s, stainless Borla Turbo XL & tip, V8 TB, FMS 19 lb fuel injectors, 17x10 Boyd Smoothies, JBA 9mm cables, Lakewood chrome traction bars. Have, but not installed: 3.92s, Infinity Sound System
|
Zaurusman
GenIII
8/07/2002
12:17:17
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Thanks Lesley -- slipped my mind that you'd just swapped one on your Dak.
This is interesting; Timken (carried by AutoZone) has part number 3087 -- a front wheel seal that came up when I searched for bearings on their site, for a '98 2wd. So ... if I can rip off the seal that makes the bearings non-serviceable, and then replace the seal with these $3 parts, all of sudden my stock bearings are serviceable, right? Wonder how hard it is to pack bearings...
What does everyone' think?
--
Zaurusman
'98 RC Red Sport V6 5spd 3.21 15x8's
http://home.earthlink.net/~tiborkun/Dakota/Index.htm
|
PERKINS
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/07/2002
16:52:47
|  RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
I have a 1999 Dakota 4x4 w/ 65,000 miles. My front end is just starting to feel a bit loose, I am guessing this is a good indication that I need to replace the ball joints?
|
Kellis
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
8/10/2002
23:42:21
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Autopartsgiant.com has the cheapest moog uppers around!
|
gunboat
GenIII
8/11/2002
16:50:56
|  RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
hi everyone just to let you all know moog has not released any part #'s yet for the dakotas years 2000-thru 2002 yet. i have talked to a moog tech rep said didn't know when the application catlog would be out. i have a 2000 dakota quad cab 3.9l 4x2. i have replaced upper and lower ball jionts, tie fod ends and stabilizer bar ends. these are moog parts for the 1999 dakotas. there is a t.s.b out from d.c. its # is 02-006-00. it says the mech. does not have to replace the upper control arm when changing out the control arm bushings.( the upper control arms cost about $230.00.) there is not a t.s.b. on the lowers yet. (they cost about $250.00). the dealer wants to lie to us about the ball joints. told me the ball joints are one peice with the control arms. the 4x4 lower control arms have a pressed in ball joint. sorry for the long post. its a good half a day job if you have all the tools. buy a 41/2 grinder if you dont have acess to a cutting torch.
hope this helps.
don
|
gunboat
GenIII
8/11/2002
17:02:35
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
i got my ball joints, tie rod ends and stabilizer bar ends from www.rockauto.com
|
Bill033175
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/02/2002
21:35:30
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota 4.7L 4 x 4 with the drivers side upper ball joint going bad. I have 45K miles and my waranty ran out. I talked to the dealership and they want to charge me $168 for the whole upper A arm. They gave me the run around story about it being one piece because it is riveted. Moog makes an upper ball joint for up to 1999 Dakota. Can I use the 1999 upper ball joint on a my 2000? If this doesn't work does anybody else make an aftermarket replacement? All these problem why won't D.C. recall?
|
PieFed
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/10/2003
13:13:58
| Upper Ball joint Replacement
IP: Logged
Message:
Last night after work I tackled the replacement of an upper ball joint on my 2000 dak, club cab, 4x4. I checked out some photos linked by a post by Bill in http://www.dodgedakota.net/boards/v8/441.html and I rented a 4.5" grinder. The local LordCo had Moog part K7242 in stock for $108.85(CAD) and I grabbed a "pickle fork" ball joint separator from them as well.
The factory joint was so bad and had so much play in it that I needed to shim the pickle fork with a wrench to get the tapered bolt out of the steering knuckle - scary! - and I had a buddy to keep the job moving when I got too mad at those 3 rivets to go on. We did a lot of banging on the upper control arm getting those rivets out, even after grinding, and drilling a bit - you have to brace it on something.
About two, maybe two and a half hours after we started, the ball joint was installed, and is working great! In the end, it was a pretty satisfying bit of shade-tree mechanickery all around.
Make sure you don't put too much grease in there, you don't want it dripping down onto the rotor!
|
rookieboy
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
10/14/2003
21:47:36
| RE: Ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
so how does the new ball joint attatch to the control arm. If the original was riveted, does the Moog come with some nuts and bolts? and what is the pickle fork tool exactly. obviously I am new to this and getting ready to tackle my 2000 4X4 CC.
|
| | P 1 Next Page>> |
