How often replace ball joints?

[DRobnsn]

Interesting, I have 150k on my 03 2500 and now have to replace them. Only have on side bad but I will do them all at the same time my self, only cost me parts and some time on a weekend.

A friend of mine has an 05 2500 just had ball joints replaced at 130k all the ball joints were dry and trashed inside as well as the axle u joints. I didn't have time to do them for him so we had super bee do them. He has a really nice ball joint press I want to say its a 30 ton unit, he does everything including Semi's. Anyway he ended up torching out a couple of the joints cause the press wouldn't move them. BTW you may know this but the 98 and newer Dodges the ball joint is pressed into the differential housing and not the steering knuckle this can be a real PIA when doing them at home. If your good with a torch then its no biggie but one slip up and its a whole new problem with the joint being pressed into the housing. 

[Forks]

Interesting, I have 150k on my 03 2500 and now have to replace them. Only have on side bad but I will do them all at the same time my self, only cost me parts and some time on a weekend.

A friend of mine has an 05 2500 just had ball joints replaced at 130k all the ball joints were dry and trashed inside as well as the axle u joints. I didn't have time to do them for him so we had super bee do them. He has a really nice ball joint press I want to say its a 30 ton unit, he does everything including Semi's. Anyway he ended up torching out a couple of the joints cause the press wouldn't move them. BTW you may know this but the 98 and newer Dodges the ball joint is pressed into the differential housing and not the steering knuckle this can be a real PIA when doing them at home. If your good with a torch then its no biggie but one slip up and its a whole new problem with the joint being pressed into the housing. 

Greg at Super Bee did my 08 2500 Dodge front end at 50,000. He uses Moog parts and said they have a  lifetime warranty. I'm hoping when this front end eats them up, I will only be paying labor to replace them.

[6x6in6]

Interesting, I have 150k on my 03 2500 and now have to replace them. Only have on side bad but I will do them all at the same time my self, only cost me parts and some time on a weekend.

A friend of mine has an 05 2500 just had ball joints replaced at 130k all the ball joints were dry and trashed inside as well as the axle u joints. I didn't have time to do them for him so we had super bee do them. He has a really nice ball joint press I want to say its a 30 ton unit, he does everything including Semi's. Anyway he ended up torching out a couple of the joints cause the press wouldn't move them. BTW you may know this but the 98 and newer Dodges the ball joint is pressed into the differential housing and not the steering knuckle this can be a real PIA when doing them at home. If your good with a torch then its no biggie but one slip up and its a whole new problem with the joint being pressed into the housing. 

Greg at Super Bee did my 08 2500 Dodge front end at 50,000. He uses Moog parts and said they have a  lifetime warranty. I'm hoping when this front end eats them up, I will only be paying labor to replace them.

Moog, AAM (the OE joint and their replacement versions), XRF, Carli for example all carry a lifetime warranty for the part.   The part is the cheap side.  It's the labor that's the killer and no joint manufacturer covers the labor under the part warranty.  FYI......

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

Working where we replace these daily I suggest the factory Dodge ball joints or the Moog ball joints. With the lift and 35's the lifetime warranty joints should last about 2 to 3 years or about 35k miles. And yes, the lifetime warranty only covers parts. Just the price you pay to have big toys.

Most Ram 2500 4x4's need $1,000 to $1,600 in repair when it's time. Track bar, tie rods, u/l ball joints, pitman arm, axle joints, shocks.....

Just my 

[netcoyote]

Just curious. Do you guys grease your ball joints regularly? Do the replacements have grease fittings? I have had two Dodge 2500s and have not had ball joint problems yet. Both have about 130k miles. If the joints don't have fittings, I use a grease needle and inject grease directly into the joint. Did that on a Dakota that was rumored to have bad ball joints and never had a problem there either after 90k miles. All these rigs had oversize tires (but no lift). Maybe it's the lift that is the major cause of the problem.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

One part that has not been mentioned that does loose its "spring" over time is the coil springs. As the spring gets weak it puts stresses on all the other parts of the frontend. There are some real good knowledgeable spring shops that will get whatyou need for how heavy duty your rig is. The stock coils on all Dodges are crap.Such as other parts they put under there.

[DRobnsn]

Just curious. Do you guys grease your ball joints regularly? Do the replacements have grease fittings? I have had two Dodge 2500s and have not had ball joint problems yet. Both have about 130k miles. If the joints don't have fittings, I use a grease needle and inject grease directly into the joint. Did that on a Dakota that was rumored to have bad ball joints and never had a problem there either after 90k miles. All these rigs had oversize tires (but no lift). Maybe it's the lift that is the major cause of the problem.

The interval I've been told is every oil change, grease everything under the truck that has a zerk fitting. Unless you change your oil every 3k then you may want to do it every other oil change. The good moog's have a grease fitting and the factory's do not hence part of the reason they do not last.

Life time warranty or not I would never put in a replacement that lasted less than 100k back in a truck. Anything less is totally unacceptable for the type of driving even us hunters do. If your running the Dakar or something well I guess they have a good reason to fail but for what we do anything less than a 100k on ball joints is just plain crazy. My 2nd gen Cummins went 185k before the stock ball joints started showing up and down wear only, it only needed a track bar and one unit bearing in that time and nothing else. I was not easy on that truck from off roading to race track 30psi boost 4wd launches with 400+whp and it was lifted with 35's the entire time.

[jackelope]

Factory ball joints and the replacements from Dodge do not have zerks.  I've had customers bring in their own, used aftermarkets, and used factory.

[jackelope]

P.S. At $870 in labor you're getting worked.

Ball Joint
   Replace
      Front Suspension
         One Side
            One 1.9
                    Does Not Include: Alignment. 
 
            Both  2.2

So that translates to 2.2 hours a side to do both BJ's plus alignment.  In ritzy, higher priced downtown Bellevue, that'd be $705.95.

[Buckmark]

I was thinking that 870 for labor alone was a bit high, but i bet you call 3 different dodge dealers and get 3 different prices for labor, along with different time quotes...

[Forks]

Craig, Super Bee charged me 400.00 in labor for upper and lower ball joints, both inner tie rods one outer tie rod and a steering stabilizer install. Alignment was 69.00.

[jackelope]

I was thinking that 870 for labor alone was a bit high, but i bet you call 3 different dodge dealers and get 3 different prices for labor, along with different time quotes...

I'm a "by the book" kinda guy. That book being AllData.
 

[6x6in6]

I was thinking that 870 for labor alone was a bit high, but i bet you call 3 different dodge dealers and get 3 different prices for labor, along with different time quotes...

I'm a "by the book" kinda guy. That book being AllData.
 

[Craig]

Thanks. I might have to look at Super bee.

[baker5150]

I used Carli's in my 06 2500.  I swapped all of them at the same time.  Going on 50,000 miles now and still as tight as new.  I did them myself, just had to rent the tool from Napa. 

I did a TON of research on which joints to buy and Carli was always the number 1 recommended part.  I think I paid $850 for all 4 of them.  Lifetime warranty, rebuildable, and serviceable. 

I also found that most shops use Moog, which I found in my research to be terrible joints.  Carli also has a write up on their website about what they found when they cut a Moog joint open, but take that for what it is since they also sell replacement joints.

Again, I can't recommend Carli enough.  But be prepared to be put on a waiting list to get them, took me 6 weeks to get mine.