B.A.Ram

Aight so in the process of getting new tires put on they proceed to tell me at 67,000 miles all four ball joints are out along with the trac bar. A guy wants $900 to replace the ball joints...BS. Which trac bar should I order? How hard are ball joints to replace? Should I wait and do the trac bar, leveling kit, ball joints, and realignment all at the same time? I didn't expect all of this stuff to be worn out at 70,000 miles....

BigBlue

My roommate's getting all 4 ball joints and passenger front hub done for $1000 total. I had all 4 of my ball joints done under warranty at 67,000 also. Also had the track bar done. Ball joints are a royal PIA from what I've read and I'd rather have a shop do it.

dodgediesel4x4

I was quoted around $300 for labor, if I brought in the the parts, to do what BB mentioned above. I said to helk w/ the effort, and let them do it. Plus, that way if I have any problems, I can take it back to them. Unless you're feeling ballsy, let the pros do it if you've never done it yourself.

SuperDave4x4

Where's a good place for some balljoints? Mine are shot also.

B.A.Ram

Whoa, is that covered under warranty? I thought only the motor was covered past 36,000 miles?

B.A.Ram

Ok so I took it to another shop to have a it inspected and here is what I was told:
My trac bar and the tie-rod end that bolts to the pitman arm are bad causing some play. Nothing in the wheel bearings. A little slack in the ball joints but apparently not enough to "worry" or cause tire wear. So I'm going to level it and replace those two parts and then get it realigned. Which trac bar. Solidsteelbiz, Thuren, or ?

Dodge Demon

www.solidsteel.biz the only way to go.

Cowhand

120 posts and 100 of 'em are posting the link to solidsteel

Ask user P Kennedy what he thinks of his 03TBK......rubber has no place in steering components (other than dust boots or rag joints).

For a stock height '01, I'd look at a lifetime warranty stock replacement (Auto Zone?). Do a search or PM infidel, I think he knows where to get them.

IIRC, Don Thuren's stock replacement bar has a clearance issue on the '01's, for some reason the track bar mount is a little closer to the axle. If you had a levelling kit or a lift, Thuren's bar will beat anything on the market for price and durability.

As far as ball joints, I think I paid around $80-90 each for the lowers, the uppers were a little less. You can borrow a ball joint press from any Auto Zone (most chain parts stores have loaner tools) and it comes in handy for doing the cross joints too. Having a big vise to put the press in makes it easy.

If you can change the brake rotors, you can do the ball joints. Probably a one day job for a novice to do both sides.....

PM me if you have any specific questions.

B.A.Ram

aight I just called Solid Steel and for their trac bar they said you have to have a conversion kit that's $299 and then the trac bar itself for $175. Wouldn't the Thuren for $269 be cheaper?

Dodge Demon

cowhand, you have a PM

chevyryan6

i just replaced my wheelbearing on the driverside a month ago. if you can't get the bearing out easily you might as well cut the upper and lower with a sawsall. the upper came out easily with a bottle-jack the lower i had to torch out (due to being a stupid northern truck before i bought it (ignorant yankee's and there salt) ). the upper from Advance Auto was $67 and the lower was $58, give or take a couple of dollars. unless you have the ball-joint C-clamp kit it's a total pain in the rear. Advance in there commercial part of the store has the kit for about $100, after that it's a piece of cake. ofcourse just keep the kit clean, so you can take it back when your done (of course i didn't tell you that).

the only other hard thing to do is press the wheel bearing out to put the steering knuckle on. just remember when going back together with the bearing and knuckle use some anti-sieze, so if you have to replace the bearing ($288 dealer cost) it'll be easier.

you might want to also check your outter tierod end mine was bad when i replaced the balljoint.

p.s. when pressing the balljoint back in don't heat up the axle, i ruined one lower (had to convice my manager at Advance that it was defective) since all the grease melted and ran out of it.

p.p.s. if you have any other questions about taking it off pm me

Dodge Demon

Thanks for the PM Pind,I am running ALL of solidsteels products,excellent products,it doe's what it's advertised to do and everthing is built far beyond OEM specs.

B.A.Ram

Well I'm leveling the truck, but $475 Solid Steel vs. $260 Thuren??????? With a leveling kit will the stock part still work?

Dodge Demon

Theres an old saying-If you pay peanuts , you get monkeys.
One could say-If you spend peanuts, you get.....................!

B.A.Ram

Very true. However, if I don't off-road why should I pay for the best if I am not going to take advantage of it?