Greguw

Hi guys

I have this truck in a few pieces ..I'm waiting for my new batteries ... optima red top befor I tackle my wiring , so I took off the front wheels .

The sliders on the calipers were frozen on one side ...looks like new rotors , but the inside bearings on both side are going to need a little replacing ... they were showing signs of heating up ... there a little discolored .

My question is on the ball joints ... there still pretty tight with 150,000 miles on the truck , I am allready way over budget on this project ... what is the expected life span of these stock ball joints...?

Thanks

Greg

RCW

Do not let the miles dictate the condition of the ball joints. Replace them when they develop any slop. I have seen them go for half a million miles, and also seen them fail in less than fifty thousand. Their life is a function of how the truck is used and the environment. Dust and dirt from gravel roads will take them out faster than one used on the highway only.

As far as your wheel bearings are concerned, do not rush to replace them unless they are pitted. Do not worry about discoloration, if they are smooth and without any roughness, and the cages are not sharp at the edges of the rollers, just clean them and use a very high quality grease and hand pack them to get all the air out of the races. They will last you for just about forever once they are properly greased and the adjustment maintained.

Do not adjust them like Dodge recommends, but do them by hand while rolling the wheel assembly. Get them just tight so there is no play from side to side at all, then tighten them a full castellation more, roll the wheel, and then back them off until there is a very slight side play. You want a very slight side to side play (under .0001 inch) when they are properly adjusted. Not enough to really see, but you will just barely feel it with your hands.

Greguw

Thank you for the pointers Sir .

I do have some consern about the one bearing ...it is very discolored , but the big thing with that made me choose to replace it was the race was not the shinny finish ... it was a dull flat silver with a gold color ... that one is going to be replaced .

Thanks for your pointers on tightening the wheel bearings .

Greg

gunracer1

i replaced the stock upper ball joints on my wifes 98 ar 232k miles, the lowers were still tight.

Greguw

Hi Guys

I just finished the wheel bearings and new brakes ... everything turned out great ... I'm not tuching the ball joints ... there good for now .

My one question is when I finished up , I cleaned the end cap and put a thin bead of RTV around the cap ... I did not want to get any water in there ..
We are know these days to get small flooding around here ...

Will RTV hurt anything ...?

Thanks guys

Greg