The time has come once again to throw good money after bad. My front U Joints are gone. Evidently the ball joints are still fine, BUT the truck perpetually pulls to the right and I have found no solution. So should I go ahead and have the shop put in Moog adjustable ball joints while they have it apart? Will this allow them to finally align the truck to cure the pull?

The cost for just the U Joints will be ~$300
The cost for U Joints, Ball Joints, and alignment will be ~$1150

What do you think?

 

Install the Dynatrac Free-Spin kit and I bet it cures your front-end woes once and for all.

 

That looks nice but no way I'm pouring that kind of money into this project. It's a losing deal.

 

We need some more info on your truck. I' m assuming it's not lifted w/ large tires? Anything else done to the front end? Like a steering stabilizer kit or a track bar?

How are the condition of the tires, are they wearing on the inside real bad, whats the PSI in them?

If your in there you might as well go ahead and replace the ball joints also, makes no sense to go back in there later and do them then. Ever thought about tackling that project on your own? You'd save a ton in money and you'd have the knowledge to do it again when those wear out.

 

In the last few weeks I've read some pretty negative stuff about the Moog ball joints on different fourms. You might do some reading before you make any decision.
Jay

 

I wouldn't install the adjustable ball joints unless I had checked the alignment angles first and knew that there was an improper angle causing the pull. There are several other things that can cause a pull, such as a thrust angle on the rear axle, or a faulty tire. True, you can often compensate for a pull by adding a little positive camber or removing a little positive caster on the left front for example, but I'd prefer to know exactly where everything was first. The front axles on our trucks are fairly strong and I haven't found faulty caster/camber to be the most common problem.

 

04.5 4x4 completely stock with 285/70r17 Cooper Discoverer S/T's. The shocks are bad and due for replacement and probably the steering damper as well.

Tires are about 70% with the usual cupping. No other abnormal wear that I can tell. I have had 3 new sets of tires on this truck since I bought it with no resolution to the pulling problem. I am running the front at about 65psi and the rear about 55psi.

I have had the truck aligned by 3 different shops since I bought it as well with no resolution to the pulling problem.

I would love to have the free spin kit but I can not see putting that much into a truck that I don't really like. And it would still pull.

 

I do my own aligments in the driveway. Tires wear flat, stearing wheel is center and no pull right. The only thing I don't do is caster. There is no camber adjustment. String from rear to front, jack stand front axle, spray and mark a line on the ft tires, measure. It's really not that hard. Just need a level place and a plan.

 

i just put moog ball joints on my truck and no problems. also do the work yourself its not all that hard and save yourself the huge money i rebuilt my whole front end ball joints tie rods, pitman arm, steering box brace, steering stabilizer, defiant steering box brace, and new hub bearings for less than 1400 bucks and thos hubs arent cheap if i wer you i would grease the hubs that are in your truck as well to save yourself another 1000 bucks if you would have to take it to the dealer. oh and i put new u joints in for 60 buck a piece.

 

I would do the work myself but I don't feel comfortable enough to align it in my garage. It is about 10 miles to the nearest alignment shop so I would have to drive it that far before I get it aligned.

 

Carli's site has a disturbing article and dissection of the Moogs.

 

Whats the big issue with Moogs? We have them in all 3 of our Dodges. I can't find an issue with them?

 

You won't hurt the tires driving 10 miles to an alignment shop.

Do it yourself and save some serious coin (front u-joints cost me $50/ea when I did mine, and that cost included pressing the old ones out and the new ones in).

 

Changing ball joints should not change allignment, but I would get it checked.
Toe in is on the tie rods and caster is on the LCA's. No camber adj unless you install the adj ball joints but you should not need them. You can use the adj ball joints to add caster for a lifted truck but then you might get front driveshaft vibes from too much angle on the U joints.