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Justin
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/01/2004
17:26:25
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 Subject: ball joints
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Message:
What is the first sign of bad ball joints? I have a 97 short box with a 5.2 and the outsides of my front tires are wearing. The insides have full tread. Is that bad ball joints of messed up camber?
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phoenixed
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/01/2004
18:30:29
| RE: ball joints
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Message:
jack your front tires a few inches off the ground and stick a pry bar under your tire and lift up on the pry bar as if you were trying to lift the side of the truck , if your tire moves up and down the lower is done, now grab the top of the tire with one hand and the bottom with the other hand and try and pivot your tire as if you were trying to get it off and it was just stuck on the hub if it moves the uppers are done,
i know I just changed all four today 97 2wd
pain in the ass.
good luck
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Joking
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/01/2004
21:47:09
| RE: ball joints
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Message:
"now grab the top of the tire with one hand and the bottom with the other hand and try and pivot your tire as if you were trying to get it off" LOL
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WipLash
R/T
4/01/2004
22:38:50
| RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Not necassarily!!! I have the impression that everyone that is performing this crude diagnosis and noticing wheel movement is making the assumption that the ball joints are bad without doing any further investigation....
I just inspected my front end a week ago and noticed my left front wheel moving when I grabbed the wheel top and bottom and wiggled it. I immediately assumed upper ball joint. When I investigated the source of the play it turned out that it was a wheel bearing and not a ball joint. This makes the 3rd wheel bearing I've replaced out of 6 Dakotas.
A better way to inspect the ball joint is to lift the front end off the ground and support the truck with jack stands so that there is no weight on the front. Place jacks under both control arms and lift them to approximately where they would be if the truck was sitting on the ground. This will put the worn parts back to where they normally run (that's where most of the wear will be concentrated). With a crow bar or tire tool prize up and down between the upper control arm and the steering knuckle. Watch and feel the joint for movement or clunking. Sometines you can feel it easier than you can see it. Also pry between the outer edge of the upper control arm and the back side of the steering knuckle for side play. Do the same for the lower ball joint.
Don't forget to inspect the wheel bearing for play. A lot of these ball joint diagnosis maybe wheel bearings.
Phoenixed,
Had I not known any better and I follwed your instructions I would have put my truck in the shop for new ball joints. Most of the time, a loose/clunking front wheel is a bad wheel bearing.
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DSW
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/02/2004
16:06:46
| RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
If there is movement in tire with this test, I would definately suspect the ball joints since these are a high failure item on the Dak's. Wheel bearings do go bad, but not as often on the Daks as the ball joints.
Take a 36mm socket and try to retorque the wheel bearing to 180 ftlb. If it's realy loose there something going on with the bearing. Also take the brake caliper off and spin the tire to see if there are any odd noises coming from the bearing.
I replaced my wheel bearings since one of the spindle nuts was loose, probably caused by the warped brake rotor vibrating the piss out the bearing. When I looked at the old bearing it was in great condition, no pitting, scoring or heat marks. Probably could have just retorqued the bearing and been down the road. Crappy part about these sealed bearings is that you have to ruin the seals to look at the condition of the bearings and races.
If the wheel bearing does turn out to be bad just replace the bearing $30-50, the complete hub assembly is $130 aftermarket and $200+ from the dealer. It's a royal pain to replace the bearings yourself, but certainly better than paying extra for the complete hub assembly. If you get the bearing from a good parts store they can press the bearing in/out for about $10.
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99DAK
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/02/2004
18:20:49
| RE: ball joints
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Message:
Easiest way I've found to check upper ball joints is put the jack under the lower control arm close to the wheel. Raise until the tire clears the ground - this unloads the upper joint. Grab the top of the tire and try to move it in and out. If there's any appreciable slop you'll feel it instantly. This is of course after you've established that the bearings are good.
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WipLash
R/T
4/02/2004
19:27:59
| RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
99DAK,
That is a good way to do it. The only reason I take the wheels off is because I like to get between the knuckle and the control arm and prise side ways. Like you said, you need to unload the joint and putting a jack under the control arm does that.
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kj
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/02/2004
19:31:41
| RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Buying a Dakota is the first sign of bad ball joints. The germans can't engineer sh*t regardless of their reputation.
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Oh Ya
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/02/2004
22:38:14
| RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
They did all right when they bombed Pearl Harbor.
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Kevin
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
4/03/2004
03:49:31
|  RE: ball joints
IP: Logged
Message:
Just save up your $$$ and buy the Moog problem solver ball joints and have them installed by a reputable shop. It should cost you no more than $500 (and that's on the steep side) to purchase and pay someone to change them out.
I just had mine done last weekend (2001 4x4 QC) and it made a world of difference.
So stop worrying if your ball joints are bad right now...cause if they aren't, they will be soon. Just go get them replaced with some real ball joints.
Ta ta,
--Kev
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