Well guys i can see why you love your Ds so much...you have to get all close and personal to them lots of little things to work on. Took my D to get new tires on Now mind you since i have had my D I have replaced the ABS sensor, the ABS control unit, the engine (5.9), tires, and now they say it needs a tie rod ends. I have had my D less then 2 months and it has more hood time then my 91 Jimmy and i have had it 9 years lol. I was wondering how easy or hard is it to swap these out? The guy at the tire shop said that Ds eat ball joints like a dog does bones. Thanks once again in advance

T

 

Tie-rod ends are actually pretty easy to replace with some common tools. The biggest thing to worry about is getting the thread count correct when you take off the old one and install the new. With all after market parts, it may not be exactly the same as OEM but, you can get close and then get a wheel alignment done so that you don't eat up those new tires. I would highly recommend you replace both right and left sides at the same time. You don't want to have to do it again later and then take it back for another alignment. Also, I would getting Moog parts if you can, they have greasable joints and will last longer as long as you grease them once in a while.
Hope this helps.

Wayne

 

quick video (not a durango but same concept)
http://www.expertvillage.com/video/4...kes-tierod.htm

Now what I do is take some white out and mark the end of the nut (tie rod end) location on the tie rod bar, this gives you a pretty accurate ideal how far to screw/slide the new one on.

Very simple... Don't forget to put grease in it lol
Oh one more thing Goto the dealer and buy the tie rod ends, I heard Moog makes a good one but Indy (guy on the forum) said they have plastic and if he was going to do it again he would of got them from the dealer (cost the same as Moog anyway)

Now far as ball joints, yup D's are hard on them that why we all recommend Moog ball joints. They will cost ya some money but you will not need to do them again for a very long time, the people who have to do then every other year are the people who buy the cheap ones...

Uppers are easy to replace and most common to go bad.. Lowers are hard because you have to press them out and in. matter of fact I just ordered all new Moog ball joints, though it will be a month or so before I install them.

 

MOOG tie rod ends are greasable, that is what one should look for

 

Moog are really good.

 

Well after reading here on the forum...i decided to to the innner and outer tie rods. Got the ones with a grease fitting/life time warranty. It was not too bad I removed the whole tie rod and just did the one for one. I have counted the hills and valleys/treads on some Hyd packs at work so the tie rod ends were easy. Thank you guys for all the info once again. This was my first time replacing tie rods. You guys saved me some cash once again. The shop wanted to charge me damn near 400 and that was not doing the outer tie rods.....but included the alignment. So monday the D will get an alignment. I will take the pics today of my D. I did notice some water dripping from a little little rust hole in the muffler when i was down there so....a new one will be next Thanks guys once again again

 

muffler tape.

 

The D is too quite lol. I need a new muffler anyway to bring up the ponies. Does anyone just have a drop in K&N filter? Did it help enough to warrent the cost? T

 

I have a drop in K&N and I saw little WOT power but It doesn't get good till you do the custom ram air bro

 

So how long did it take you to do it? Now i have to think on how to do it to mine lol. I made some mods to my F150 stock intake. I have to get more info on the K&N or that type of filter. So did the K&N give you any better mpg?