Where are our ball joints failing, where they are rivoted to the control arm or the ball joint socket? what is the symptom for a bad ball joint?

 

Groaning, squeaking or squealing when turning or hitting bumps is a sign. They fail because the ball and socket loses lubrication or starts to wear out, resulting in excessive play.

 

Sometimes its not due to lubrication though. It depends how the whole suspension operates.

Our trucks have such a bouncy front end, that it very well could shorten ball joint life. When hitting a bump in the road for example, if the front end was to float up or down TOO much, it could pull and bind the ball joint to the max. Can't worn struts contribute to ball joint wear?

Somthing might be causing the ball joints to fail, not the ball joint quality itself. I need to take a good look at the front end some time.

This is getting nuts.

 

I have heard of the rivots busting. Popping is another symptom, but not all popping is ball joint related.

 

Dodge will only pay to replace one at a time, same as struts, shotty non standard workmanship. I will never buy another Chrysler product!