i havent posted much here, seems like you fellas really have it covered already on these 3rd gen dakotas, im impressed. didnt find this in a search,so here goes..

i keep reading about the ball joint / front end problems with these trucks.

what i dont know & am wondering about is if my upper control arms & lower ball joints may have been replaced already or not.

i bought my 05 4x4 used ,& it only has 42500 miles on it now . i have a company work truck,so i dont put a lot of miles on mine.

the upper CA has TRW markings cast into it,on the underside, but no grease fitting.
the lower ball joints have no grease fitting either, or markings ive seen.
they seem to be tight,but ive got a slight clunk sound when going over bumps ( but the ends on the sway bar do look a little weak)

so, do you fellas know if the factory OEM upper control arms were from TRW, or is that TRW marking a possible sign the uppers may have been replaced already?
any info is appreciated

 

TRW was on my factory uppers if IIRC. To test if mine where bad, I had to grab a hold of the upper arms while the tires were on the ground and thats the only time I would get movement.

 

damn... mine say TRW too. I thought they were new, I have 63k miles.. they are both shinier than the other parts around it with no rust. I too have a clunk sometimes, now I might have to look at them after all. I imagine they could have been factory replacements... but no point in ruling them out.

 

When are you guys getting the clunk sound? Are you sure you aren't sliding on and off the steering stops? Or that it isn't the sway bar end links?

 

Here is a good way to test the upper control arm ball joints.

Find a parking lot and face the truck down hill.
Crank the wheel to the locks (which ever side first)
Let off the brake, so you are coasting at a couple miles an hour, while continueing to turn.
Smash the brake pedal so the suspension compresses.
Once the truck rebounds in the front and comes back up to ride height, let off the brake and smash it again.
What you are trying to do is press the pedal about every 2 seconds. This "should" make the upper ball joint "pop" on the opposite side of the truck, of the direction you are turning.

Repeat steps above, just turn the other way.

This is how I diagnosed my failed upper ball joint that I could not find, plus 4 shops.



To test your sway bar end links, get under the truck (unless you have it lowered and can't fit your man-***** under there with out ramps) and grab the sway bar closest to the end link. Try to move the bar up and down. If you feel popping or a clunking of any kind, you need new links.

 

Thanks! I now have coffee on my screen and keyboard.. shot right out my d@mn nose....LMAO!

 

i should be ok, since ive managed to avoid sprouting man ***** (yet anyways) & my truck isnt lowered.
in fact,my next step was going to be a leveling kit ( 2 in or less),& maybe rear blocks to allow for any boobage i may get in the future( & maybe a lil better tire clearance too)

i get the clunk driving straight forward on a bumpy surface,like my gravel drive.
yes, the sway bar links do look weak & may be the culprit.

but knowing about all the OEM potential front end troubles with these trucks, i was considering the Moog treatment too, & do it all at once while ive got it torn down for the level kit, unless the TRWs were in fact replacements & not oem.

 

Heres a video of my old uppers after I replaced them with Moogs:


If you watch closely, there is only play in the bad ball joint in the one position. If it is angled, the joint is tight. This made them very hard to diagnose, but I was able to pop it out of the socket with the truck flat on the ground. Get underneath and just try to push the control arm up.

 

thanks for the video rengnath, i appreciate it & the way you & other folks here are willing to help.

that shows how it could be bad,yet be hard to find.im going to try pushing up on the control arm & check it out.

i know moog is the preferred choice,but has any one tried the mevotech uppers or ball joints from rock auto?

 

I have read on here someone saying they were crap and to stay away from them, but others have said they were fine. I take it like our trucks, there may be a few "Monday" upper a-arms in the bunch.