so i need new outer tie rod ends, and friend told me to go and buy mopar ones and not the aftermarket. which one is better? mopar which costs like $80 or aftermarket one $40 at discount store. at the auto discount store they also had $96 premium one and the guy even said those were better than mopar but idk. any opinions or tips even online sites

 

I would get Moog, period.

 

had moogs 2 years ago. still fine

 

I'm iffy on moog. I take care of my vehicles and usually go OEM products. I got moog parts when I rebuilt the whole front end of my Durango. It was nice and tight for a month then back to the slop. Took it to the dealer and they said all is fine and within spec. During that month or so I could go over pot holes and bumps (border town - really ****ty roads) and truck was planted. Then it got sloppy and would hop on the road and kinda go wherever it wanted.

And no, despite the roads being so ****ty during my time down there I did not put that many miles on my Durango. This truck is a spare vehicle and has accumulated about 3k miles in the last two years (doesn't include the two road trips which both equaled about 2,500 miles each). Total in the last three years I have put about 8k miles on the truck. 6,500k miles on the new front end parts.

Tie rods - moog
ball joints -moog
shocks -monroe reflex
new Bushings -Energy something
CV axle half shafts - cardone
Rack and Pinion - dealer
Power steering pump - dealer

 

if not Moog then TRW or Spicer. Avoid the private house brands as who knows who made them.
There was a recall on the upper BJ's and you can buy the "recall package" with 2 BJs and all the hardware to install them for about the cost of 1 Moog. Not greseable but still American made I think they may be Spicer by the numbers on the top of the joints... still a good name.
If the recall hasn't been done you may be able to get them free including labor to install... on mine it had been done but my D has 214K miles on it not unusual to have to replace a set of BJ's a 2nd time in that many miles; and even with that the lowers on my D were original.
also tires can play games with handling, a whole lot more than most people realize.

I was an alignment guy myself for nearly 20 years, most of that 2-jobs at a time.
8-5 during the week plus 8-1 Saturday and then drive 3 miles and punch back in at Sears til 9:00.... and back at it again at the day job, 8AM the next day.
it isn't just the Dakotas and Durangos that liked to eat ball joints its all the mid sized ones-- Exploder and S10-Blazer as well and Ford Econoline vans... going away from kingpins and into bj's, was great for guys like me.... their OE balljoints were horrible.

 

^i agree too. Tires make a huge difference.

About 500 miles into my durango I put on cooper discover at/r commercial grade tires (I think they were $220 a pop). I got them for free from a fleet vehicle that was going to auction so I snagged them and swapped em before the loading truck got to the office. Only a few hundred miles on em, mostly to the dealer to figure out why the brakes on the truck kept failing.

Anyway those tires made a huge difference compared to the BFGs on there before. More sidewall strength.

 

I agree, had nothing but great experiences with their parts.