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Cost to replace Ball Joints

39K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  cowtipper 
#1 ·
Have any of you guys out there had your upper and lower ball joints replaced?

Im trying to decide weather to do my ball joints or pay someone to do it. It doesnt seem too hard as long as you have the right tools. Kinda curious what people have paid to have it done.

Thanks for the info everyone.
 
#2 ·
In East Tennessee it costs around $45.00 each plus parts.
 
#3 ·
pretty cheap for parts, mine were $40 each. Had them done though, which I regret cause I wish i did em. If I remember correctly i think it was like $200 or something
 
#4 ·
They are not that hard if you are patient. You can rent puller tools from advanced auto and they work great. My bud and I did his 96 half ton and they were not bad at all. Then I did mine bout 2 weeks ago and o man, what a job. The stupid puller didnt fit on my big o axle so I had to make some tools. But my truck handels so much better now, and the tires dont bow out at the bottom any more.
MOOG is the most expensive parts but they are the best. Thay have a lifetime warenty and grease fittings. Try to get someone that has done it before to help. 2 heads and 4 handa re better that 1 and 2.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thanks for the input

Thanks for the input. Mine dont have that much play. What happened was I went and got new tires on Friday. Got a good deal on the tires but the place said I needed all new ball joints and a new track bar. I already knew about the track bar. Still need to decide on either a lukes link or Thruen track bar. Well I started making phone calls and went to a place up the road to have it checked. That place said that there is a little movement but not enough to really warrant changing all if any of my ball joints. So what I did yesterday is call my local 4X4 shop and they recomended a good place for me to go. I will see what they say.
 
#8 ·
WOW, I think those shops are feeding you a big load of BS. With that kind of mileage there should be nothing wrong. I wouldnt worrie about untill around 130k to 150k, then you can start asking around.
 
#9 ·
Ball Joints

I totally agree. I went with my gut on the ball joint thing at the tire shop. Thats why I left. It didnt make sense to me. And then after they quoted me $1100 to change them and put in a new track bar it got me thinking that they were full of s***.
 
#11 ·
How long have you been running the 35's? What back spacing is on your wheels? The ball joints on our trucks are not grease-able from the factory and as such they can be bad by 75,000 miles or even less, particularly with oversize tires on a Dana 44.

I replaced mine on my old 1500 at 109,000 but I have heard of many folks having to replace them sooner.

It is an easy job for the most part. You can buy a press from Harbor Freight for about $60 that makes it easy. I was nervous about doing mine, but it went well and I will not hesitate in the future to do them.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Ball Joints

I was running 35's for about 50,000 miles. Im sure its possile I need new ball joints, Im just not sure I trust the place I was at. Im willing to do it myself, Im just trying to figure out if doing it myself is worth it or not. If Im only gonna save a couple hundred bucks its not worth it to me. But if its the difference between five or six hundred I will do it myself.

As far as the backspacing I dont remember. They are American Racing 16x10 Atlas rims.

Almost forgot. My upper ball joints are greasable.
 
#13 ·
Upper joints have a grease fitting?? Are you sure they are original? Mine did not have a grease fitting, maybe they added that in '01. Either way, the lowers seem to go before the uppers anyway, but it is obviously best to do all of them at the same time.
 
#15 ·
My 2001 CTD has grease able top ball joints also, but I had assumed they were either replacements or that the Dana 60 axles got different joints. It must be a 2001 thing....
 
#16 ·
Ball Joints

I just find it odd that my top ones are greasable but the bottoms arent. And that there are so many differences from year to year on these Dodge's.
 
#17 ·
I understand, but even the Spicer Pro Quality replacement lowers I got for my 2001 1500 did not have zerk fittings. I think it is due to the design of the joint. No where to really but a zerk on it.
 
#18 ·
Ball Joints

I just got done doing this on a '94 1500 w/305,000 mi on it. when the trac bar goes the cupping is all accross the tire, when the ball joints go it is mostly severe inside tire wear. I had a press already and got greaseable joints from napa. The tools make this job very easy if you are somewhat of a mechanic. You definately need the press and the torx socket for the hub. if you got those its a breeze. took me around 3 hours w/lunch and a tire rotation.
 
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