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GraphiteDak
GenIII
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1/17/2006
20:20:22

Subject: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Well holy sheep sheet!

I've checked my Ball Joints a few times as time went on and all the talk of RECALLS. I even asked the dealer to inspect once (when I had pre paid maintenance) and no problem.

Lately I have had some vibration and noise frlt in the floor of the cab as I drive.

Well tonight I pulled my wheels to rotate and install new center caps (I just bought off of eBay) and low and behold. BOTH of my upper ball joints are SHOT!!!!

I have at LEAST 1/8 play in them.

I called dealer. No RECALL for my 2003 4X4 and no more WARRANTY since I didn't extend it on THAT vehicle (did on the Caravan). I am 600 miles OUT of warranty...

Well sheet guys. I am about to order some ball joints.

Here's the question...

Should I stick with MOOG which I heard was THE BEST.

Checker can order and goes for $69 and has 1 yr warranty

Or can get McQuay (I think spelled) for $49 and lifetime warranty.

Checker dude THINKS they are same company.

I told him I'd get back with him AFTER I check online (meaning here).

I know I'd like to put foot in Chrysler's arse for not recalling mine. On the toher hand, it looks like a 15 minute job to replace each of them things, so no big deal except that I have to pay for parts.


Any opinions on brand before I buy these things? I'd like to know tonight so I can get them ordered for pick up tomorrow. I'm actually nervous to drive the thing now :p


Oh, I've got a short video I took of the slop in the ball joints. I'll edit and upload later. Just want brand opinions for now.



8banger
GenIII
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1/17/2006
21:01:33

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Graph that sux, I'm gonna check mine soon because my warranty expires in Febuary. I only have 24K on my truck though. Yours probably wore out faster from all of that hardcore off-roading : P

Moog seems to be what everyone is using.

03 Dakota 4X4 QC SportPlus 4.7L 3.55 LSD AWD
Superchipped, 2Chamber Flowmaster Dumped, K&N Drop-in, 2" Torsion/Blocks Lift,
BFG AT/KO's 265/75/16

My 4X4's Baptism

cj
Dodge Dakota
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1/17/2006
21:09:35

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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I had to replace all 4 balljoints in my 99 4x4 at 60k or so miles, I
put in the moogs.

now has 91k... so far so good.



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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1/17/2006
23:08:14

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Aurgh. Another DEALER ONLY PART. Unless I find some online.
Looks like I'll be checking with the StealerShip tomorrow to see if any of them have them in stock. Wait. Damn that's going to be the same crap stock ones isn't it? Or do they use better ones for replacing since they have problems?



Video of SLOP in ball joint: <a href="http://www.paysonarizona.net/Home%20Videos/DakotaVids/BadBallJoints_011706.rm">BallJointVideo</a>





jpkomm
Dodge Dakota
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1/17/2006
23:31:06

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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I've heard a lot of people putting MOOGs on their Dak, so I don't think it'd be a dealer only part. May want to check with SummitRacing.com because I think they sell them (or maybe some other non-Duralast brand) with the control arms so you don't have to press them.



Dan M
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
06:27:57

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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hey Graphite check out Make it Mopar.

http://makeitmopar.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=60521&cid=11850&tc=06011803224397079&dynamic_proxy=0&primary_serv=makeitmopar

It says it's factory parts at aftermarket prices. I just came across this while searching for accessories for my new 02. I do not have any experience with their parts or service.

- Dan M



Dark Jedi
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
07:58:04

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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I would call dodge customer service and talk to them. 36,000 miles is too soon and may have to look in to extending the recall for all the 03 and the 04 as a guy over in the dakota durango board has his BJ going bad in his 04. makes you wonder if they really redesigned those ball joints.



GB2000
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1/18/2006
08:09:36

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Go with the Moogs...that name is flying around everywhere when discussing balljoint replacements. You can get them for $47.79/ea at rockauto.com for your Dak. And the lowers are $49.79/ea if you decide to do em all at once.







Josh Blackshire - Founder, OhioDakotas.NET
Red 98 Dakota Sport - Check it out!

JOEVIT
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
10:47:53

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Yes go with the Moogs. They have grease fittings on them. rockauto.com has them for $42 for the uppers and $45 for the lowers.



modain
GenIII
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1/18/2006
11:50:54

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Then again, if you wanted to keep it all Mopar you could check out auction 8030075177 on eBay. It's a pair of Mopar replacement upper BJs going for $15. Nobody has bid, and it has just a little under 1.5 days left to go. ;-)

What's your left foot doing?
=========================================
2002 Graphite QC SLT Plus, 4.7L, NV3500, Superchips 3715, 3.92 LSD, loads o'fun...
2001 Patriot Blue Durango SLT, 4.7L, 45RFE, Superchips 3715, 3.55 Open (for now)
1999 Forest Green Dakota RC Sport, 2.5L, NV1500, 3.55 Open


slow2dak
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
12:54:03

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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hey graphite, im a DC Tech and the ball joint warranty has been extended on your dak. i am looking at it right now as we speak. the only way i can tell for sure is if you give me the last 8 digits of your vin. hit me back asap and dont spend any of your cash yet.

mike




03 QC Sport +
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
13:31:06

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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My ball joints went bad at over 36,000 and they were replaced under the extended ball joint warranty. No questions asked.



Catfish Craig
Dodge Dakota
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1/18/2006
21:38:12

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Better check again.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/results.cfm

Make : DODGE Model : DAKOTA Year : 2003
Manufacturer : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 04V596000 Mfg's Report Date : DEC 15, 2004
Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 592707

Good Luck




GraphiteDak
GenIII
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1/18/2006
23:00:13

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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I'd have to go look at the VIN...


But anyway. I didn't want to wait, nor let someone else (even the Dealer's lackies) work on my truck for something so simple. So I picked up some new ones from Ed Moses Dodge who had them in stock. Took an hour to do both sides. I'd post pix but html is off here :(

Go here ---> http://www.paysonarizona.net/MyProjects/ProjectDak/BallJoints.htm

Sopy and paste.


Maybe later I'll order the MOOGS if I find our Dodge's NEWER ones are bad as well. Now that i cut the rivets out and bolted these in, it would be a 10 minutes per side job to swap again!


Thanks for all of the feedback. Trouble was I was working on the other side of town really close to Ed Modes Dodge, so I looked them up (on mobile computer) and drove right over and bought the things. I may be going out of town this weekend and at least I know it is fixed :)



intensedak39
*GenIII*
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1/19/2006
14:56:17

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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http://www.off-road.com/dodge/news/2005_01/recall.html


2000-2003.5 4x4 recalls
2000-2003.5 2x4 10/100K warranty

depends on when your truck was made... only thing is a good dealer will fix it under "good-faith" with that many miles.



here's all the recalls specific to the 2003 year

http://www.automotive.com/2003/12/dodge/dakota/recalls/index.html



Big Ed
GenIII
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1/19/2006
15:50:44

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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Yo Graphite, my dealer replaced both 00 and 02 sport and said "since it was a recall, their covered for the life of the truck".

The VA way. "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is."

GraphiteDak
GenIII
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1/19/2006
18:18:25

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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That first link intense was from 2005 LOL!

Anyway. I asked last year about them, and they looked and said no recall. And was told again.

But I still say they must be crap on my truck as well.

I still have the old ones. And you can move them side to side by hand, they are so sloppy.

One thing I found out was that if you jack up the front end more towards the middle and where the suspension extends downward, you can not get them to move side by side. But if you jack it up towards the outside, this maintaining normal position of the suspension as it sits on the ground, it has some slop. If you get someone to push down on the bumper a little there is a BUNCH of slop.

That is why I missed the slop as it was getting worse. Oh well. They are installed. I lost out on FREE work but again, I'm not so keen on them Dealer's monkey's working on my truck. i trust my self a little more you know?





intensedak39
*GenIII*
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1/19/2006
19:33:18

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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so the link was a year old, is that a problem?



GraphiteDak
GenIII
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1/19/2006
22:55:48

RE: Ball Joints bad @ 36,600 mi NO WARRANTY?
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No. I didn't mean anything by that.

Just as I was reading it, I thought it was ANOTHER recall, until i read the date. That's all.


Anyway I've got it fixed. But defenitely wanted to share my ball joint failure with others just so people are aware.



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