Ok so I took my truck to Firestone today to get it re-aligned. I noticed that it started pulling to the right after I rotated my tires. The guy showed me the print out and my truck as dang near right on. So he swapped the front tires left to right (discount rotated front to back only). After he tighten the wheels back on he pulled on the tires to check the tierods and ball joins, everything was fine until he put a leverage bar under the tire and lifted up. Both sides top and bottom ball joints moved quite a bit up and down. A fresh set of ball joint should not do this correct?

I am going to look through my extended warranty and mak sure they are covered and take my truck in to have them replaced if so.

While the truck is there are there any other recalls or parts for the front end that I should know about to have them check/change?

 

LOL! I just had my front end aligned and the guy showed me the same thing by lifting the tire up. Talked to the Dodge dealership and they say its normal and probably within design tolerances *rolleyes*. I only have about 32k kms (20k miles) on it too.

I think its more the side to side play you have to worry about, not the up and down movement. I had new 285-75 tires put on as well and the truck drives great down the highway. No problems I can tell with this 'play' in the ball joints.

 

Yea I only have 43k miles on mine. I was kind of shocked to hear that all 4 ball joints went together? Possible I suppose, but doesn't seem likely. Although if they are infact worn I am going to pay my 100 dollar deductable and make them replace them. And I need to make sure I do it before I add my lift and bigger tires so I dont have to fight them about that bs.

 

Check the "new" steering kit from Dodge and also the new pitnam arm and steering stablizer that go with the new steering kit. They are much more heavy duty than what they replaced. Make sure you get the kit that has the part # ending in "AE". I think the kit is about $300. but well worth the investment. If you have your ball joints replaced under warranty they will use the same POS that came with the truck. You might want to look at Carli upper and lower ball joints but be prepared to get a second mortgage on your house to pay for them. I think both upper and lowers will set you back about $1100, but they last a lifetime.
Jay

 

I am not going to fork out a grand in ball joints if I can make them do them under warranty. I paid for it for that very reason. Now once the extended is up then the after markets may become an option down the road.

 

Half that for a set of 4 Dynatrac ball joints.

 

I only mentioned that as an option. I realize that that is a bunch of money. More than I can afford.
Jay

 

I just installed Dynatrac uppers and lowers and am very pleased.

 

I don't plan on buying my own ball joint right now but like said once this extened warranty is up it will be an option. Where are you guys getting the Dynatrac's?

 

Also back to the original question. Should new ball joints move up and down like that?

 

Just before my truck's 3 yr was up I had it checked out, the dealer changed the axle u-joints.

After that I put my leveling kit on and 35's, took it to an alignment shop, they showed me all 4 had movement, said they were shot.
I went back to Dodge who told me they were all within spec.

I was not having any problem with tire wear, wandering, pulling to one side, clunks in the front end or anything else that would lead me to believe they were shot. After leveling it still tracks straight, doesn't pull or anything else.

So who do you believe? I wonder if a lotta front end shops use a little bit of play as an excuse to charge us for stuff that doesn't need doing?

 

That's the thing... I'm not sure who to believe. I have had bad luck with the dealer trying to screw me out of 100 bucks to tighten that heater core hose before I knew that's what it was. And I don't personally know if it means they are shot or not. So which is right? It seems to track stright now after the alignment and swaping the front tires. I suppose I will leave them alone, and if I get any issues take it to the dealer.

 

That's what I'm doing, of course my 3 year warranty is over now so when it comes time I'll go for XRF's or DynaTracs.

 

If you wind up replacing them under warranty with the factory originals (junk, by the way), right away get a needle grease fitting for your grease gun, and pump some grease into the rubber boot or cover on the factory ball joints. Someone on this forum awhile back did this, and was able to make the non-greaseable ball joints last a whole lot longer. You should already have the needle fitting for your grease gun, that is if you lube that hard to find lube point on your u-joint on your driveshaft. That's what I would have done if I had went with the Mopar ball joints. I went with the Carli's, as I have money to burn, and never want to deal with ball joints again.

 

No it shouldn't move.