What do the ball joints do when they go bad? for about the last week i noticed a noise from the front end when i make left truns..it only lefts turn, not right turns

 

if it sounds like a popping noise then that could be the prob. Hard to really diagnose with out being there. Just take it to a dealer and have them look to see if the recall applys to your vehicle. If it does then let them fix it, it wont cost you a thing.

 

If his is a 97 then not a chance. IIRC it's 01 and up 4x4's get full replacement, and the same years 4x2 get an extended warranty. Already had them done on my Quad Cab when the tires were put on. The truck was on the rack and you could move the tire in and out pretty easily. The dealer is going to soak you, I would check at a local shop and have them install a set of Moogs on there. And don't let them tell you that the whole control arm needs to be replaced because of them being riveted on there, the rivets can be drilled out and nuts and bolts can be replaced on there. The stuff from the dealer is going to be the non-greaseable type and the same problem is going to happen all over again.

 

Yeah, mine went out right around 150,000 miles, and only the newer dakotas are fixed for free. Mine were BAD when they were replaced, my mechanic (a friend of the family) told me there's no way he would let me drive 15 minutes to my girlfriends house on them. He said that if they failed completely, the wheel would basically fall half-way off and make me lose control. Theres a tool that they use to pretty much see how much movement are in them (the movement is what causes the rattling/knocking noise). Hope some of this helps, and if I'm wrong on any points, correct me.

 

Tie rods could also be the culprate.

 

sorry guys neglected to see that it was a 97!! I here balljoints and i think about those right off. would agree with the moogs though, just put some of those on my 96 dak. Diff joint but moogs are the way to go. My apologies.