Ball Joint Replacement

[Boston Rob]

Anyone replaced upper and lower balljoints on a 2000 Dodge Dakota 4x4 lately?
How about a CV shaft assembly?
Or a water pump?
Anyone have any words of wisdom?

Thanks

 

[DAKSY]

Try the Dakota Mailing List: http://www.dakota-truck.net
The members there have been there done that.
I changed the WP in my 2K Dak, since I had bought the 2000 FSM.
It's very thorough & the steps are easy enough to follow, but
it pretty much sucked because of the amount of stuff ya gotta get out of the way...
It's doable with "normal" tools...
I actually have a pickle fork & was gonna change my lower balljoints, but
I didn't feel like jerkin around with em. If I had a lift to get er up on, it'd be different...
I spent the $250 +/- for a local Indy to do the job...

 

[Boston Rob]

Up date Water pump went well. Replaced waterpump & fan clutch.
Saved $400.00 on labor.
Worth a few cut nuckles.

Thinking $400.00 for one balljoint is a little much, been out of work for a few months.

 

[gpcollen1]

Ball joint on my 4runner was $50. Did not need a pickle fork to bang it out because all you need to do is loosen the castle nut a bit and give it a whack to fee the BJ from the A-Arm. As for getting the Ball joint out now - well, you just need to rent a ball joint puller/press from Autozone or the local equivalent and knock it out and install the new one. You have to place a deposit on the rental from autozone but you get it all back - essentially free.

 

[WES999]

I replaced all 4 ball joints on my Ford ranger. Job was not that difficult. Ideally you should have an other vehicle available in case you need to make a run to the parts store. While you are in there might as well replace the breaks and repack wheel bearings.

 

[struggle]

There was a factory recall on the lower ball joints of some of those so I would vin check with a dealership first.

Some of those models the lower ball joints you had to replace the whole arm on.

 

[DAKSY]

The factory recall on the Dodge trucks was for the upper ball joints-
not the lowers...
99-01 (I think)...had mine done in 03-04...