Is your truck a 4X4? Your signature is rather sparse. Seems like everyone posting about ball joint problems has a 4X4. I do have a bud who had to put ball joints on a '04 Ram 1500 (naturally not diesel) that is a 2wd. They failed at around 50,000 miles. His symptom was a loud squeeking noise.

 

yeah my truck is 4x4

 

In order to get the truck to stop pulling you need at least one adjustable ball joint. With the stock ball joints you can't adjust enough to prevent the pulling.

 

If I remember correctly, they are allowed up to .030" axial (up and down) movement. I would tend to trust the dealer who has actual specs before someone that may not. If someone tries to sell you ball joints, ask what the spec is and how much movement they have MEASURED in your joints. Many ball joints have a wear tolerance that is allowable. Some are allowed upwards of .080"

 

My opinion is that due to no grease fittings on the front end of my truck, except for the tie rod ends, I will probably have worn out ball joints some time before 100k miles for sure. The weight of a heavy diesel engine is hard on ball joints. The greaseless joints just invites early wear and I am disappointed in Dodge for that reason regarding a heavy duty pickup truck with no grease nipples. That transfer case front drive shaft U-joint having the needle grease fitting is more than a pain in the back side.

Our 1500 2WD 1998 GMC has a greaseable front end. I lift the front end weight off the tires and have greased the front end ever 3k to 5k km since the truck was new. The first set of tires were replace at 120k km and never ever had a wheel alignment or any tire re-balanced. The Firestone Tiger Paw old tires could have lasted for another 20k km, but a back Passanger (P) rated tire with 40 psi max blew out from carrying too much weight (800 #) in the box at 70 mph. I replaced all the wheels with new Firestone Tiger Paw tires as we were taking a trip to Louisiana. The wheel alignment for the new tires showed the GMC front end still within tolerance. I am a firm believer in lifting the weight off the ball joints and greasing them top and bottom regularly.

My two F-250 Ford 2WD gas jobs had greaseable front ends with king pins that were greased faithfully every 3k miles and the front ends wore out at about 120k miles. My D-50 2WD gas powered four banger did not have grease nipples on the ball joints, but there were plugs existing in each joint. I purchased four metric nipples and installed them after removing the plugs. With near 300k km on the unit it is still tight on the front end. I lift the front end weight off the tires and grease the top and bottom ball joints every six months. I figure grease is cheap and the inconvenience of doing the grease job myself to prevent the front end from wearing out prematurely is worth the effort.

 

Well, guys my 2500 4x4 has 75K miles and I just bought 4 new GREASABLE ball joints for it plus greasable U joints! The drivers side has some good play (up and down). I belive if you replace them with greasable ones they'll last a hell of alot longer!

 

folks ball joints without grease fittings are a ripoff design.

especially for 4x's ruff duty requirements. that is if you actually go off road.

once any joint/bearing surface goes dry... game over!

make sure your joint never goes dry by injecting moly based grease into joint. use a needle zert attached to standard grease gun.

poke needle through tiny rubber boot and fill full of grease. you need to do this BEFORE damage occurs, not afterwards...

 

where did you get them and how much was it?
thanks...

 

Just replaced mine with the MOOG adjustable, top and bottom at 107km Lifttime warrentty on Moogs parts. Dealership told me to pound salt, 3 years or 60,000 they are covered.
This truck was the last $cent chrysler will ever see out of me, EVER!

 

Assuming the truck is still under warranty, take it to a state inspection station and have them fail the joints... DC will have to replace them....

 

OK guys, where are you getting these greasable ball joints? I’ll be putting some on my truck when I replace them.

 

I just had tires put on my 03' 4X4 Cummins & went to an independent alignment shop & they said the L/S ball joints were shot (and showed me the up & down movement when jacked up), but he did not have the equipment to replace the 2500's only the 1500's and to come back when they were replaced & he would align it. I spoke w/ DODGE customer service rep. & they were not going replace them (out of warranty). Then when speaking to a local dealership service man he informed me this was not uncommon with the weight of the Cummins & transmission.

 

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yah!

 

most after market joints come with grease zerts.

read what I posted earlier... very simple to inject grease into your current ball joints. if you catch in time... you may not have to replace.

 

...talking about Dodge dealer.....i hade no time to work on my front differential , so i tuke my truck to the dealer. change lubricant front and rear diferential...(you would think they did)...fiew months later i was checking the oil level in the front diferential and there is NO LUBRICANT in it. where did it go?...so i fild it up, fiew 1000 miles later i was checking again and no problem. all the lubricant was in it....
never ever take my truck to the dealer