ok
im new on here 'bout two weeks and ive learned a real lot , thank you very much!
after having my truck , an 04.5 2500 laramie, for 4 years now i have put 28 thousand miles on it.
i recently noticed some grinding feeling when turning the wheel both backing up to in a spot and pulling away slowly with the front wheels turned in any position except straight.
well i brought it in to a 4x4 specialist last week, and no that would not be a dodge dealer.
longer story shorter, i have a front ujoint (universal) that needs replacement(rusted cap where the needle bearings would be) and also the upper and lower ball joints. 1600 beans this is costing me! including a service to the diff carriers. (gear oil changes). this seems outrageous to me with so little mileage. and a heavy duty truck. the specialist also told me that there is no moog replacement (my suspension part choice) as an upgrade to prevent this from happening and said in another 30k miles i will be back for the same job again. what do you guys think (and gals) in 30 thousand miles i willl never pay this price because i will do this job myself but for the first time they can have at it.

 

I just looked up the upper and lower ball joints on a online parts dealer, and they carry MOOG ball joints for our trucks.

Marshall

 

U'joint is a 7/70 power-train part with a $100 deduct.if it falls in that category on you and your truck.Thats what was making noise.Ball joints were a 3/36. With the mileage on yours if you had gone into a Chrysler dealer you could have called Chrysler and asked for Goodwill assistance of some sort if ball joints were truly worn out.BUT if works been done elsewhere don't bother.Chrysler will say no if work done elsewhere.

 

I have 130k on mine with no issues yet. So it is not inevitable that you will be back in another 30k. And you can get moog and a couple others too...

Maybe you need a different mechanic to look at it.

 

wow the education you get here is unreal truly tops
hats off to all three of you
check this out...
i just called the 4x4 specialist and told him what you guys just told me
he agreed and told me that i said i didnt want to bring it in to dodge, which i did say, not knowing this was covered part on the ujoint. c (i thought just engine transcases transmission and differentials) so he proceeds to tell me that i would save 240 plus 120 for parts and labor but that the axle has to come out to do the ball joints anyway and that moog has only the lower ball joints
and thier upper is inferior. whew
when i told him 360 is alot to save and could go for two tank fulls of gas minus the 100 deductable he sounded upset i asked what he would do i got a dial tone unreal...

 

Moog uppers are in no way inferior to OEM upper ball joints. You can get greaseable, offset, adjustable upper ball joints (which aren't really a ball joint, more of a captured kingpin even though they are called ball joints) through Moog which allow you to adjust the camber on your front end as well as keep them greased which will make them last MUCH longer.

Sounds to me like your 4x4 "specialist" is more a specialist at getting repeat business through misinformation than a specialist at repairing 4 wheel drive front ends and isn't too happy at his clientel doing that whole thinking thing on their own.

 

hes tryin 2 rip u a new one..the labor aint that much or hard

 

I bought the MOOG upper and lowers for $400 at O'rielly's. They are guaranteed for life, greasable and adjustable. Blows the stock ones away.
Dealer installed for $400. Easy to replace the U-joint while apart for BJs.
Dealer did losy alignment. Said that it was as good as it be aligned. Took it to NTB and it 30 minutes later it was perfect and still is.

Pete

 

big gulp here
well im in it this and only this time
im pretty mechanical and if it happens again i will do it myself
ok heres my hose job for all to see
parts
2 frt inner axle seals $68
4 a axle ball joints $432
2 frt a axle u joints $224
labor
r&r f brake hubsand frt axle shaft assbly $285
r$rfrt axle seals $130
R4r frt axle knuckles and press ball joints $285
press axle u joints $140
i called him back and called him on the dial tone (hang up)
totally apologetic
says the moogs are actually cheaper than dodge (im assuming)
its for these reasons i do almost everything myself
i didnt know anything really mechanically about servicing a 4 wheel drive vehicle
as i never even owned a p/u truck b4
i just done a dash removal myself to find a faulty ignition switch not letting my hvac blower fan run
so at least i saved there
and im working 60 hours a week out of state
i will do this this one and only time
im also in the process of building a 600 hp 66 malibu as we speak
and am doing maitenance on the 3 motor cycles i own
2 954 rr's
and 1 hayabusa drag bike i built
i only wish i joined this forum a while back cause you guysand gals are exceptionally good at sharing your knowledge and educating myself who is a novice 4wheel drive truck owner
on a different note i just bout a mbrp muffler, smarty jr, and i think i got the afe cold air induction kit from larry
those i will install myself (did i flub this one also ?)
thanks you all

 

can't go wrong with MBRP, AFE, and Smarty for your 5.9L. Good call on that one...lol