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Brooks
Dodge Dakota
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6/07/2004
12:38:45

Subject: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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My 02 cc Dakota has been making a mysterious clunking sound, from time to time. At times when I turn and when I go over a bump there is a strange clunking sound that is coming from the front driver's side wheel well. It is almost a combination of a clunk and a rattle. My question is could this be the ball joint going bad, my truck does have 58,000 miles on it, but I thought the ball joint problem didn't extend to the 02, I thought Dodge had fixed it before then. If anyone has any idea what it could possibly be I would love some input. I don't know a lot about trucks, and don't pretend to, I would like to hear some advice from some intelligent people before I take it to the dealer and have them perform unnecessary costly work. My truck was bought last June with 40,000 miles, and I did go for the extended warranty so if this is a problem it should be covered, or at least I hope.



MY H3RO
Dodge Dakota
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6/07/2004
13:46:32

RE: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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Brooks
You have a problem. I have an 03 Dak and out of curiosity I checked the rubber boots surrounding my ball joints and there was nothing but air in them. No grease. DC never fixed the ball joint problem since there are no grease fittings on the new ones.

Ken



Redline
Dodge Dakota
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6/07/2004
16:55:42

RE: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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I just got off the phone with the Dodge dealer. I bought an '02 QC with 25K a couple of months ago. I described to them exactly what you described and they replaced both upper ball joints today.
I knew they were bad two days after I bought it and drove it on a rough road. It was pulling to the right also. You better get it checked-out; don't take it to a dealer though if you have no warranty. You'll do better at a local garage & get better parts too.



Nick
Dodge Dakota
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6/07/2004
21:45:36

RE: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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Supposedly the ball joint problem was taken care of for the 03's, not the 02's, as Dodge completely redesigned the suspension for the 03's. I don't know if it helped, though, as it's probably too soon to tell because the 03's and 04's don't have enough miles on them yet for alot of ball joints to start to go.
The clunking sounds like it's the ball joints, but a front end clunk could also be a loose control arm or even a loose bolt somewhere. If you do a search, you'll see that alot of Dak owners complain of a front end clunk, but the cause seems to be something different for each one.
I myself have an occasional front end clunk, and the dealer has checked everything including the ball joints and everything checks out okay.




Brooks
Dodge Dakota
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6/08/2004
12:23:38

RE: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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I did buy the extended warranty full coverage gold package, I may have been gullible to have them charge me an extra $25 a month for the three year 35,000 mile warranty, but something like this should be covered by it right? Any thoughts?



kelly
Dodge Dakota
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6/10/2004
03:18:12

RE: Ball Joints and Clunking Sound
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Hello brooks, but even if they cover the ball joints under that warranty, they will still install the same ball joints that are on there now, you are better off getting the moog ball joints with the grease fittings, and getting it done right once, and not having the same thing happen to you again in 30-40k, one thing to check also, i have a 2000QC and i was getting the clunking as well, when i had it checked out it turns out i had loose bolts in my steering column, wich would nock when i turned left or right and when goining over bumps.



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