I have never had my vehicle fail me leaving me stranded. And I've done plenty of work on my vehicles on my own until about 4 years ago. This includes a bronco with 334k miles. I'm more of a replace the parts before they fail kinda guy.

Small stuff, yeah ill replace them. Usually the easy things like plugs and sensors. But bigger jobs I just source it out.

However I always own at least two vehicles (SUV or pickup for camping and mountians) so it one does take a crap I don't worry as much as a person who only has one. But again, I maintain and replace parts prior to failing which is all based on knowledge gathered from the forum and listening to my vehicles for odd sounds.

 

that's one of the best lines I have seen on any website in a VERY long time.

I just did all 4 ball joints all 4 shocks, both outer tie rod ends and a set of tires on my Durango in my home garage yesterday. buy NAME BRAND quality parts and you won't have to redo the job in a year.

the only thing not done directly right here was the unmounting/mounting and balancing of the tires. That was done after hours at the workplace of a buddy, I just bolted them on.

 

$1500? and you say that was "saving money" NOT!
I got my lower ones (MOOG) for $52/ea outer tie rods $41/ea. upper ball joints (the dealer had a recall, which had been done on my D over 100K miles ago. not unreasonable to need them again this many miles later. I got (2) OEM made in USA uppers for less than the cost of 1 new ball joint from parts store, You can buy the recall ball joints as a "package" cheaply from the dealer, surprisingly.
Add 4 Monroe Sensatrac's (pay for 3 w/ their current "buy 3 get 1 free? promotion though you do have to mail in the receipt for the refund of the 4th one. Total outlay (allowing for that refund that's coming for the 4th shock) right around $300... Uppers aren't greaseable like I wish they were but lowers and outers are.

I just did 4 BJ's on a 03 Dakota 4WD as a side job 2 weeks ago/ installed the ones the truck owner furnished he bought :his choice" of parts from NAPA , I did them for $200 cash. same ones as the Durango takes. I just wish he had not opted for the Chinese made line of parts... I told him to buy the best/ he got "middle of the road" I almost refused to install them
on account of the fact that he too had been quoted $1500 even buying the best he'd have come out ahead.... the best aren't much more expensive than what he wound up with. but way better quality.
I did the same on a 98 Durango about a year ago (that was on the ground with a jack and stands before I had my own lift in my home garage.....) charged him $200 as well.

 

What about the tierods? How hard and what skill level would you say needed for this? thanks

 

inners or outers? newer than 99? 98-99 had a conventional steering box, Y2K+ has a rack n pinion. No difference in these systems for outer tie rods as far as the "how to" but there is a difference in the inners. conventional steering is easier to do inners on than a rack n pinion, on a rack not bad if you have the tool you need (cheaper to buy the tool than to pay the labor, then you have it forever you pay the labor that money's gone with nothing to show for it. got a buddy that knows how to do this? maybe a 12 pk of beer for payment and youll get to help/watch so you know either for "next time" or so that you'd know what you ate really payin for if you did ever have to take it in and "have" it done.
Youd have to cut my arms and legs off to make me pay going rates to "have" ANYTHING done to my vehicles. nobody touches my vehicles but me.