[Holliday29]

So i just put on a leveling kit and put 35's on my 2002 Dodge ram 1500. i went and got my tires aligned today and they told me my ball joints are bad and that i need to come down to the store and take a look. So i did, when i got there the guys doing the alignment pryied up on my tire and moved my tire around to show me that my ball joints were bad.

The movement in them was little and besides alittle slight pull to the right my truck has always drove fine.

Anyways they wanted to charge me 845 dollars to fix them. I asked them to show me IFS truck with good ball joints so i could see a difference in stiffness but he said "it would have to be the same year and same truck for me to notice"..thats when i started to think they were screwing me. Then he told me he couldnt align my tires till it was fixed and i flat out told him i didnt have the money. but in the end they ended up aligning it anyways for free...dunno what the deal was.

So what are signs that my ball joints are shot? i hear no clunking (that i have noticed) when driving? My last pair of tires wore very evenly. i cant see my ball joints going bad from the leveling kit i just put on last weekend. whats the deal.

Now im scared my new tires are going to be eaten alive because these guys put the fear in me.

ehhh

 

[ggravant]

Maybe take it to a shop that specializes in suspension work and see what they think? I have no clue how to tell if they are bad, but someone else here in DT might.

 

[Mac004]

The ball joints themselves are not that expensive. I had my lowers replaced not too long ago. You can buy them and try to get a buddy whos got some experience with these and do it in less than a day. All you gotta do is get another alignment.

 

[angusdevil]

Getting new uppers or lowers or just replacing your lowers is very easy and relatively cheap.

Moog has some UCA's for around $65 that a lot of guys swear by. I believe they also make the lower BJ's as well but those will need to be pressed in. You can always buy new LCA's if you want as well.

 

[Holliday29]

Also when i got the truck aligned they didnt change my camber and caster. the tires i can tell still lean out at the top. I dont want this to eat my tires. I dont think its ball joints...i have no symptoms, no clunking at all when turning.

HALP!

 

[Holliday29]

update

the ball joints are fine, i had another place take a look at it and they fixed my camber. So im worry free again.

 

[ggravant]

update

the ball joints are fine, i had another place take a look at it and they fixed my camber. So im worry free again.

:tup:

 

[quietpeen]

good to hear that you are fine, but that sucks that the original shop tried to scam you out of that kind of money.

 

[johnnysart]

I bought Moog lower ball joints with my leveling kit and shocks through moesperformance
and while my friend at Meineky did the work they let me know one of them was bad. good thing I was advised to replace them while getting it leveled.

johnny.

 

[BigDhemi]

ya my lower ball joints are bad on my truck my tires are wearin more on the outside right now i got aligned once already and a shop i went to said im gonna need to replace m lowers asap... so far i havent had it taken care of but a shop said they will do everything including alignment for 653$$ thats everything not to bad...

 

[johnnysart]

ya my lower ball joints are bad on my truck my tires are wearin more on the outside right now i got aligned once already and a shop i went to said im gonna need to replace m lowers asap... so far i havent had it taken care of but a shop said they will do everything including alignment for 653$$ thats everything not to bad...

653.00 is this for lower and upper?

johnny.

 

[BigDhemi]

no just my lowerss my uppers are fine

 

[BigDhemi]

i ssorta wanna drop my truck though now