Dodge 2500/3500 Ball Joint/Front End Life

[cfpinz]

For those with Dodge 2500/3500's and use them as farm trucks, what life expectancy are you getting from the ball joints? Please state your year model and if you've seen any difference in various mfg's of ball joints. Especially interested in Hydrabed type trucks.

Wondering if the new radius arm suspension on the 2013+ trucks is any more robust than the prior 4 link? Was talking to a fella the other day that just put a set of ball joints in a '14 with 50k on it - just wonderful.

There's (3) 2007+ Dodges in our family, and (10) or so '97 and prior Ford ton trucks. 1 Dodge is a POS, 1 seems OK, and 1 is too early to tell. Never had any significant issues with any of the Fords.

Thanks.

 

[skyhightree1]

For those with Dodge 2500/3500's and use them as farm trucks, what life expectancy are you getting from the ball joints? Please state your year model and if you've seen any difference in various mfg's of ball joints. Especially interested in Hydrabed type trucks.

Wondering if the new radius arm suspension on the 2013+ trucks is any more robust than the prior 4 link? Was talking to a fella the other day that just put a set of ball joints in a '14 with 50k on it - just wonderful.

There's (3) 2007+ Dodges in our family, and (10) or so '97 and prior Ford ton trucks. 1 Dodge is a POS, 1 seems OK, and 1 is too early to tell. Never had any significant issues with any of the Fords.

Thanks.

I don't have any dodges but trucks that are continually used either for the farm and or for business and rough areas. I change them every 2 years. I had a ball joint fail going down the road and never want to have that again. I prefer to use greaseable ball joints instead of sealed ones. I know its not what you asked but just sharing my experience. I use mostly fords and they seem to be doing pretty well without major issues.

 

[Brute 23]

When I had my dodge it was every 40K miles. I replaced 2 set before 85K when I bounced it.

The tow truck companies will tell you Dodge is #1 for balljoints followed by Toyota as #2.

The bad thing is it has been like that since for ever and dodge has had zero interest in doing any thing about it.

 

[jltrent]

Not much help, but all truck brands have their problems. You just have to pick the lesser of two evils. Some around here, I have heard, throw upwards of $3500 to try and fix the wobble.

I like the straight shift and engines in the Dodges, but everything else I like other the best. A neighbor had a Ford with a 6.0 and had lots of problems. He got a 12v Cummins engine out of a school bus and put in his Ford. Last I heard he had good luck with it.

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/07-5- ... obble.html

 

[Brute 23]

We were on location the other day with our crew and an old compressor mechanic. We were laughing and having a good time when our die hard dodge guy gets on his kick about his dodge. We are all all cutting up and the older mechanic finally stands up and says... let me explain this to you son.

The mechanic said... what if I told you I have a small diamond you can have?
The young guy said.. sure I'll take it
The mechanic told him... but here is the catch, the diamond will be in side a piece of poop. Do you still want the diamond?
The young guy said... heck ya, a diamond is a diamond.
The mechanic said... let me warn you, when you walk up and down the street trying to tell every one how great your diamond is every one is still going to see and smell poop.
The young guy says... I don't care
The mechanic says well then no wonder you like dodge so much because the rest of us wouldn't mess with a POS even if it had a diamond in it.

We all busted out laughing... :lol:

 

[skyhightree1]

We were on location the other day with our crew and an old compressor mechanic. We were laughing and having a good time when our die hard dodge guy gets on his kick about his dodge. We are all all cutting up and the older mechanic finally stands up and says... let me explain this to you son.

The mechanic said... what if I told you I have a small diamond you can have?
The young guy said.. sure I'll take it
The mechanic told him... but here is the catch, the diamond will be in side a piece of poop. Do you still want the diamond?
The young guy said... heck ya, a diamond is a diamond.
The mechanic said... let me warn you, when you walk up and down the street trying to tell every one how great your diamond is every one is still going to see and smell poop.
The young guy says... I don't care
The mechanic says well then no wonder you like dodge so much because the rest of us wouldn't mess with a POS even if it had a diamond in it.

We all busted out laughing... :lol:

:clap: :lol:

 

[cfpinz]

Just for comparison's sake, I get about 75k on ball joints in a Ford with a Dana 60 when used primarily off road and 150k or so when not abused. Napa or Moog brand, greaseable joints, greased at oil change intervals, every 5k.

A set of track arm bushings every 75k or so at $20/set, and the steering linkage usually lasts 150k on a feed truck.

I've spent $1500 in parts alone for the front end of one Dodge, and it's only got 90k miles on it - almost all highway driving. It's begging for a new zip code.

 

[bird dog]

08 dually 3500 regular bed. Lasted 125,000 miles. About 1/2 farm, 1/2 everything else. It was my daily driver. Sold it with the second set on it. Maybe I just got lucky?

 

[Brute 23]

For comparison the Chevelot 2500 diesel I bought after the Dodge 2500 diesel went 125K miles before it finally got slack in the idler and pitman armrunning the same roads. Every thing else was tight.

That is common on these trucks with the larger tires. I ran 35x12-20 Nitto MTs. I have 35x11.5-20 Nitto MTs on my current 2500 also.

 

[shaz]

Had to replace a ball joint at 35,000 on my 2008 F350. I bought the truck with 17K/miles on it and there were wear signs already.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Over 300k on two different Ram trucks and only one front passenger side hub and bearing assembly. I don't drive my trucks off road, but I drive dirt roads. Sounds like I've just been lucky. My 3500 Duramax front end needed to be rebuilt after 150k miles and 4 hubs.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

03' 3500 that's been beat on pretty hard. 150k on this front end, and it needs ball joints. 300k on the truck.
04' 3500 that's been beat on, but not as hard. Probably 50k on the ball joints and going strong. Did have to put a front wheel bearing in it at about 200k. Truck has 212K on it now.
16' 5500 with 59,995 miles. Still on the original tires and no wobble or drift. It's been used pretty hard.
I've had good luck with them. No rust issues on the old ones yet, and they do what's asked of them.

 

[kenny thomas]

2001 Dodge Cab and chassis, replaced everything in front in at 76,000 and most again at 145,000. But actually replaced rear end at 110,000 transmission at 150,000 and engine at 160,000. Front stump gears are only thing original. It is rarely ever unhooked from the trailer.

 

[Nesikep]

94 dodge, the death wobble is 95% from the track bar.. to test if it is, take a tiedown strap and cinch the right side of the axle to the left side of the frame, preloading the track bar.. if the wobble goes away, that's your problem (I had to do this once)

I put ford manual hubs on my truck, they share the same ball joints in 1994, so I don't see how one would have been better at the time.

 

[cfpinz]

2001 Dodge Cab and chassis, replaced everything in front in at 76,000 and most again at 145,000. But actually replaced rear end at 110,000 transmission at 150,000 and engine at 160,000. Front stump gears are only thing original. It is rarely ever unhooked from the trailer.

Which engine and transmission do you have?

 

[kenny thomas]

6 speed and Cummins. Idiot mistake on the engine.

 

[dcarp]

2003 Dodge 3500 4x4 DRW. 201,000 mi. Still on the originals. Only repairs I've done are water pump, carrier bearing, front seal on rear axle and 2 sets of brake pads.

 

[Brentp]

2008 Dodge 5500. 390,000 hard miles with employees driving. Just replaced ball joints and wheel bearings for the first time last week.

2008 Dodge 2500 mega cab. 285,000 miles. Never replaced.

1990 Dodge W250. 150,000 miles. Never replaced but needs it soon. Also a 1989 model that had new ball joints about five years ago

Very few repairs in general on these four trucks.

2005 Ford F-350 crew cab dually. 170,000 miles. Replaced all front end parts last year to fix death wobble.

 

[dun]

For those with Dodge 2500/3500's and use them as farm trucks, what life expectancy are you getting from the ball joints? Please state your year model and if you've seen any difference in various mfg's of ball joints. Especially interested in Hydrabed type trucks.

Wondering if the new radius arm suspension on the 2013+ trucks is any more robust than the prior 4 link? Was talking to a fella the other day that just put a set of ball joints in a '14 with 50k on it - just wonderful.

There's (3) 2007+ Dodges in our family, and (10) or so '97 and prior Ford ton trucks. 1 Dodge is a POS, 1 seems OK, and 1 is too early to tell. Never had any significant issues with any of the Fords.

Thanks.

At least your cat knows what to use a dodge for

 

[cfpinz]

At least your cat knows what to use a dodge for

The cat's actually taking a dump on the back of one of my old Fords. You don't think I'd actually park a Dodge in the garage with the good trucks, do you?