Thanks again 98DAK. I will see if I can order or find replacement bolts and locking nuts. I guess maybe the bolt problem could be a reason why Dodge used rivets on the original ball joints. I appreciate the info and your help on this.

Jimmy

 

You are welcome 01SilverCC

Read this some cool info on thread pitch which is the stronger bolt? (Given equal size and application) bolt strength, fine verses coarse

The link http://www.opelgt.com/forums/polls/6...es-coarse.html

Nice info to strengthen the mind


These should be the exact bolts you need for the top ball joints I also grabbed a few grade 8 in a fine thread just to check them out but the metric are the correct ones for the top ball joints. Two different locking nuts were ordered also as a test

 

 

01SilverCC

I have more info for you on the top Ball joint Bolts and Nuts

First a (USA grade 8 - 5/16 -24 X 1'') is almost the same exact bolt in every way as the (Metric grade 10.9 - 8mm - 1.25) except the (USA grade 8 - 5/16 -24 X 1'') is half of a hair not as thick in the shaft.

The same in every way just a very small amout thinner but as to say they are the same.





Looking at the Pic it does look like the metric bolts have a bigger hex head to them.

 

I just found out an interesting thing I was comparing a Bolt and nut from my Ball joint package to the ones I just purchased and both the USA grade 8 and the metric grade 10.9 from Bolt Depot have larger diameter heads the metric being the larger of the two.

I wonder if they are giving you the cheapest bolts and nuts they can find in these Ball joint kits?


China?

 

There's no telling where the nuts and bolts come from. My TRW ball joints were made in Mexico. I don't remember where the Duralast upper ball joints were made. Incidentally, the Moog stabilizer bar link I put on was also made in Mexico. It was pretty obvious it was very good quality part because it was heavier and the arm itself was a larger diameter than the TRW part. Moog is good stuff, I just wish there were more parts made here in the USA.

Rock Auto sells Moog lower ball joints for my truck for about $50.00 each. Advance sells the exact same part for $83.00. If I factor in the cost of shipping from Rock, I could use one of the online discount codes and buy new Moog lower ball joints at Advance for about the same price as I could order them from Rock. I was thinking about that because of the fact that the TRW stabilizer bar link failed early, so maybe the TRW ball joints might not hold up as long as they should, either. Right now they are doing fine, but you never know what could happen, and I have considered changing them out for Moogs just so I won't have to worry about it. I don't think I even really knew about Rock Auto back when I bought the TRW ball joints at Advance.

I drove my truck a bit yesterday and around town tonight, so far the clunk noise is still gone. I am pretty sure the link was the problem all along, and now I just want to fix up the ball joint bolts with the right nuts and bolts. I am going to look around town tomorrow and see what I might find.

Thanks for the info again.

Jimmy

 

01SilverCC A suggestion on the bottom Bolts

This is something I’m thinking on get some 7/16 grade 8 bolts easy to get in America and just drill out the control arm holes to that size. These Bolts are very heavy duty and with a max torque of 70 Lb. that’s better than the 10mm grade 12.9 that are used now with a max torque of 57 Lb.

This may work better for you as you will not need the washers anymore.

I will check on this and get back to you next week

A 7/16 grade 8 Bolt that would be some strong setup after that

 

Well you were right 98 DakAZ..I could not find those type of nuts and bolts around here. So what I did was remove the nuts and bolts I do have and where I could do it, where the holes were not too big I removed the washers. Then I used Loctite on each bolt and nut, tightened them all down as hard as I possibly could. That ought to hold it, and I will still check the bolts periodically to be sure they are still tight..

Jimmy

 

Thats good


I found out I could have purchased every bolt and nut locally except the grade 12.9 lower metric bolts and nuts. ACE hardware they have a big one in town that had a very large selection of bolts and nuts in the grade 8 American stuff and the metric grade 10.9 lock nuts and washers in both also.

The metric grade 12.9 are not available in the USA the only way to get them would be to buy a new ball joint that should have them in the kit.