Ball joints
Tuned
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
From: Alberta, Canada
Some people report noise from the front end; the easiest and most definitive check is to jack up the vehicle (one side at a time is fine) and try to wiggle the wheel by pushing and pulling on the top or the bottom, any movement and/or clunking noise is usually an indication that the ball joints are worn out.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 107
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From: Central Indiana
Easy test if they are REALLY bad (Like mine were) Jack the truck up until the front wheels are about 3 inches off the ground, then set it on jack stands. Grab a piece of 2x4 lumber, stick one end under a wheel, and lift the board up then down several times. (You don't have to put a lot of effort into this, you are not trying to pick up the front of the truck, just wiggle the wheel) Watch the wheel / suspention from the front end of the truck while doing this. If the wheel goes up and down, with a clunking noise, but the suspention is not moving, it is a pretty safe bet you have a ball joint job in your near future.
Tuned
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 397
Likes: 20
From: brigham city Utah
how much would someone be looking at to replace all 4? what are the best one to bye? on my 97 powerstroke I bought them from napa the best they had and they wre only about 50.00$ each (200.00$).
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 154
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From: Stationed in Beaufort SC
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Airdrie Alberta
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New User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2
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From: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Could've saved a couple bucks
I bought my Moog ball joints at 1AAuto.com for a couple bucks more than Rockauto.com. The only real difficult part is working on an icy driveway in winter. I had a local mechanic friend agree to do the labor for under $600 + the $200 that I spent on the parts online. That was a lot better than the dealers quote of $1800. He did recommend looking at the ujoints, brakes, etc. since all the parts are already off. It'll save on labor in the long run.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 11,288
Likes: 269
From: North of Greenville
Just three days ago, I was cornered by circumstances into paying a shop to do my right side ball joints. They are at least a reputable shop, but there was a parts markup and labor I had wanted to avoid, but the job had to be done. Nuff said about that.
Price...
Both ball joints (Moog greasable) and adjustable camber bushing, plus labor & alignment, totaled $405. Of this total, labor was $175 and the alignment was $59.
They did a good job, but I still wish I could have done the job myself.
Price...
Both ball joints (Moog greasable) and adjustable camber bushing, plus labor & alignment, totaled $405. Of this total, labor was $175 and the alignment was $59.
They did a good job, but I still wish I could have done the job myself.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 154
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From: Stationed in Beaufort SC
$405 for parts and labor dont sound too bad. I have a 1 year warranty on my alignments so I can save there. These guys here will probably quote me 400 just for labor. Thanks for the input. I'm looking at the MOOG ball joints right now.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 820
Likes: 11
Every quote I got around here was for $1500+. I did it myself but it took a few days, a couple of friends (mostly drinking my beer and telling me what I should be doing), and a very big press that still wasn't big enough. If you don't have access to a press it will still be a lot cheaper to pull the knuckles yourself and take them and your parts to a machine shop. Good luck. This isn't a hard job but it is a pain in the butt.