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- Dodge Ram 2002-Present: How to Replace Ball Joints
Step by step intructions for the do-it-yourself repairs.
Browse all: Steering & Suspension Guides
DIY Ball Joint Replacement
#112
Can somebody tell me what size pickle fork to look for? I have seen a bunch of articles that say to use the pickle fork to separate the upper ball joint from the knuckle but I am not sure what size to use. I have a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 Diesel that I will be doing this to - so very similar to the one in this article. Any ideas?
#113
Can somebody tell me what size pickle fork to look for? I have seen a bunch of articles that say to use the pickle fork to separate the upper ball joint from the knuckle but I am not sure what size to use. I have a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500 Diesel that I will be doing this to - so very similar to the one in this article. Any ideas?
#114
#115
Thanks Steve for the hint on the freezer. I did this one time before on a '72 El Camino. Used heat on the A arms and then froze the ball joints. they went in very smooth that way.
It was harder to find Moog ball joints then I thought. My local NAPA found them but had to order them in. Both of the stock ones they handle are foreign. And my diesel guru said to only put foreign stuff in if I was selling the truck tomorrow. he put ball joints in his '02 that were foreign and they were out of specs after install.
He owns a diesel performance shop so I'm guessing he knows.
It was harder to find Moog ball joints then I thought. My local NAPA found them but had to order them in. Both of the stock ones they handle are foreign. And my diesel guru said to only put foreign stuff in if I was selling the truck tomorrow. he put ball joints in his '02 that were foreign and they were out of specs after install.
He owns a diesel performance shop so I'm guessing he knows.
#116
Ball Joints Finished
Well I finally got it all together to tackle this job.
Everything went pretty smooth. It was very similar to the writeup Steve did. The big difference was the ball joints were pressed it the steering knuckle instead of the axle. Everything came apart very easy as I treated it with PB Blaster for a week before hand. I did need to use the Saw z all to shorten the lower joint for the press to get them all the way out. The receiving tube was not tall enough. Other then that it went as smooth as a job of this magnitude could be.
It drives now like it did when I first got the truck.
Everything went pretty smooth. It was very similar to the writeup Steve did. The big difference was the ball joints were pressed it the steering knuckle instead of the axle. Everything came apart very easy as I treated it with PB Blaster for a week before hand. I did need to use the Saw z all to shorten the lower joint for the press to get them all the way out. The receiving tube was not tall enough. Other then that it went as smooth as a job of this magnitude could be.
It drives now like it did when I first got the truck.
#117