I own a 2004 6 speed Dually with 64833 highway miles on it. The truck runs great, but I can't seem to keep Ball Joints and U Joints in the thing. I've gone through 3 u joints and 1 set of ball joints and currently needing another set of ball joints. Now the u joints I can handle, but these ball joints are statring to P*&@!! me off at $1100 a pop at the dealer. I've gone all over looking for a cheaper place to put them in, but can't seem to find one. The reason is because they have to order the parts from Dodge. I have found that Moog makes uppers but not lowers. I also found a place where I can order the Ball Joints and all the tools to do it yourself for around $600+ on the internet and I live only 65 miles from the company, but dang I don't know if I want dig into something like that. And I would still be using the stock u joints. SO my question is what should I do. Order the kit and do it myself or have the dealer or someone else do it. Either way it looks like I'm stuck with the same crappy ball joints.

 

Check out this thread https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=105213 DJGASTON lists an alternate source for ball joints. Good luck.

L8r,...........Dave

 

Dogger thanks for the reply. I checked that thread out. 4x4 Quad is the place that I can get the Ball Joints with the tools to do it myself for way cheaper than having the dealer do it. But am I up to the challange of undertaking a job like that. I'm pretty sure I can get everything apart, but it's getting it back together that worries me. I guess what I should ask is how many of you have put your own ball joints in and what kind of job was it? In addition, I have been thinking of putting new shocks under the girl and have been looking at the Bilstein-BES-6681 Shocks. Is there a noticable difference over the stockers? One of the shops that I took my truck to to get another opinion on my ball joints suggested that a better quality shock may help these ball joint problems that I'm having or is the guy just full of BS. Sorry for all the questions, but you guys seem to know what your talking about.

 

In my limited experiences, it's been WAY WAY more work getting things apart then back together. I just replaced my rear drive shaft u-joints, it took an entire day and I broke my 6" bench vise in half!

I have the Quad ball joints and huge C-clamp removal install tool to do the ball joints also. I used the C-clamp tool to help on the u-joint removal. I managed to flare the end of the spiral part that you put the cups on so I have to grind that down to get them to fit now. I was using it to try and force the old u-joint out of the drive shaft.

I'm thinking a press is in order.