| From | Message |
Dave
Dodge Dakota
11/05/2001
16:47:21
|
 Subject: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
While crawling under my 97 CC SLT the other day,noticed I needed ball joints,Took it in to the dealer and $1,635 later I was all set.Evidently,the dealers don't chisel off the rivets and just replace the joints,they replace both upper and lower control arms and give you new control arm bushings also.All I can say is "Thank God for extended warranties!" I did have to pay for the alignment tho, $49.99.First one in 60k miles.
The moral of the story is: if you're coming up on the end of your warranty,get a small screwdriver and rip up the rubber boots on the ball joints,they replace practically the entire front suspension.
Dave
|
Boomer
Dodge Dakota
11/05/2001
23:34:31
|  RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
That's why I replaced them myself. THey wanted 400+ just for the lower pass control arm/joint. I paid 50 to some auto parts store and 1.5hrs later I was done. Of course that dealership is 20% higher than another dealership 20miles away. Same TPS, same truck went from 75, to 65 (close dealership) to 55 for the place I shop. And I was told by some f'n dealer that "Mopar sets the price 'across the board'", my arce.
Boomer
|
Dave
Dodge Dakota
11/06/2001
07:20:23
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
Boomer, I have also seen a huge differance in parts prices from dealership to dealership. Fortunately, my local dealer seems to be the cheaper of the several we have around here.I shudder to think what the repair bill would have been at the Naples Florida dodge dealer 30 miles south of me. Once again,thank God for extended warranties!!!
Dave
|
intense99dak
Dodge Dakota
11/06/2001
19:02:46
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
On the subject of ball joints for our Dakota's ...
I recently went to buy some replacement ball joints for my '99 2wd at the local Napa. They had the lower ball joints (Moog), but didn't have the upper. Which by the way are the same for 2wd and 4wd. They told me that there is a national back order and that Moog stopped production on them for whatever reason.
I half believed it and paid for the lowers. Well, for the next couple days, I went around to all the local auto parts chains and believe it or not, received the same story. Apparantly there's some validity involved, but I finally I found Moog upper ball joints at a PepBoys.
If you're thinking about replacing your upper ball joints, you might want to go look for them now. Just wanted to share my experience.
Thanks,
Chuck Robbins
www.intense99dak.com
|
Lesley
GenIII
11/06/2001
19:32:31
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
I got Moogs on both uppers & lowers. The dealership wanted something like $1200 cdn.for parts alone, (whole assembly) and for the same parts which had only lasted 2 years! With no grease fittings.
I went to a shop with a great reputation, they put the moogs on for only $700. That's Canadian, so it would be what, around $370 or so U.S. Big difference.
97 3.9 V6 Sport Club Cab. Black.
Quick D Intake,
Autolite 3923s with Borg Warner Wires
Awaiting Installation: JBA headers, V8 R/T TB,
|
R/T
Dodge Dakota
11/06/2001
21:32:47
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
Sounds like the dealerships keep coming up with ways to rip off customers.
I'm sure while you were getting the estimate they were trying to sell you a new car instead.
Selling parts for old/or not so old cars has become a form of income to companies. Mainly because items are built better and need fewer replacements. Then again some products are never built correctly.
|
Frenchy
Dodge Dakota
11/23/2001
12:24:23
|  RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
You didn't have to pay for the alignment, they have to bring back to factory spect after replacing them and the only way to do it is?
|
MechcanicOne
Dodge Dakota
11/23/2001
23:13:16
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
You actually don't need an alignment after you install ball joints. Why would you it doesn't affect toe, camber or caster. They just try to sell it and if you buy it good for them you know.
|
no mercy
Dodge Dakota
11/24/2001
08:07:31
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
MechcanicOne, lets see the alignment that was done at the factory, dealership, tiredealer was done on faulty parts. you repace those parts with good ones. OK so far, but you forgot that the faulty parts gave you a faulty alignment relative to the good parts. So now you have a faulty alignment that you do not want to correct. When ever you change anything on your frontend except brakes you need to check the alignment. Some of you will rag on me for not including tires BUT I will not run new tires on an alignment that had been bounced on chuckholes and parking-lot bumper stops for 50,000 miles.
|
Brendan
Dodge Dakota
11/24/2001
22:49:48
| RE: Ball Joints-$$$$$$$
IP: Logged
Message:
Chrysler warranty, be it the original factoy or
extended varieties will only cover aligning
under very specific circumstances. (i.e. outer
tied rod end replacement includes setting toe
only.) Not all labor operations will include
"adjustments" after a repair.
As for dealership's ripping people off, keep in
mind that each dealership is an
independantly owned and operated franchise
and as such each one will be run according to
the morals and ethics of whomever is in
charge.
|
| | P 1 |
|
Post a reply to this message:
Username Registration: Optional
All visitors are allowed to post messages
|
