Finally got me a REAL Truck

[HHR]

Have you owned one? There is no comparing the six speed auto that comes with the 6.7 to the old. I would never go back to the 5.9 after owning my 6.7 that now has 140k on the dial in only 3 years and has only needed two u-joints, brake pads and an evaporator core. By far the best value truck I have ever owned and is still strong and tight in the front end. The 5.9s I have been around spit out transmissions like I go through brake pads.

I have driven both the 5.9 and 6.7 but have not owned either one. I agree the 6.7 with the 6 speed is a great combo, but the added emissions equipment and EGR would keep me from buying one. I would not be willing to take the risk or hassle of removing the factory emissions equipment.

 

[PapaPerk]

Geno's Garage describes what I cannot: "The drivers side front wheel is permanently connected to an axle shaft which runs to the differential. The passengers side has a two piece axle, one half permanently connected to the wheel, one half (intermediate axle shaft) connected to the differential. The two halves meet in the middle of the passenger side axle tube (that bulge on the axle tube is where the axle disconnect lives). The two halves are connected together for 4X4 operation by the Center Axle Disconnect mechanism."
This is what I was incorrectly referring to that causes the left side to wear faster than the right. I'll agree it's poor engineering and/or cheap manufacturing, but the results still end up as ball joint replacement at fairly regular intervals.

Joe

Hmmm I don't know about this. My truck only disconnects at the transfer case. It has no other disconnect in on the axle. I'm gonna look at my truck again. Maybe this is only on push button 4wd?

 

[PapaPerk]

I have driven both the 5.9 and 6.7 but have not owned either one. I agree the 6.7 with the 6 speed is a great combo, but the added emissions equipment and EGR would keep me from buying one. I would not be willing to take the risk or hassle of removing the factory emissions equipment.

I second that. Emission controls are lame when they make the vehicle burn more fuel than a non equipped vehicle! Whats the point? Isn't total emission output still roughly the same?! I bet the oil companies love the new fuel hungry emission control systems!

 

[mlauk]

Hmmm I don't know about this. My truck only disconnects at the transfer case. It has no other disconnect in on the axle. I'm gonna look at my truck again. Maybe this is only on push button 4wd?

Those are for the older Dodge with a Dana axle. The 2003 and up with the American Axle disconnect in the transfer case.

 

[Marveltone]

Those are for the older Dodge with a Dana axle. The 2003 and up with the American Axle disconnect in the transfer case.

OK, so now I'm really confused. Why then, on the 2003 and up, does the driver's side ball joint still tend to wear faster than the passenger's side? :confused2::confused3:

Joe

 

[mlauk]

OK, so now I'm really confused. Why then, on the 2003 and up, does the driver's side ball joint still tend to wear faster than the passenger's side? :confused2::confused3:

Joe

I don't know, the only 2 repairs I've had on my 2003 2500 with 147K are one rear u-joint and the reverse light switch.

 

[tractorboy5500]

Now...this is a REAL truck...

You guys just have toys...

Let me guess, this truck get 19 mpg unloaded and about 13 mpg loaded:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[LD1]

Let me guess, this truck get 19 gpmunloaded and about 13 gpmloaded:laughing::laughing::laughing:

fixed it for ya:laughing:

 

[Soundguy]

99% of the posts on this and most other forums are useless and pointless.

I'd hotly contest that number with you.

there are plenty of forums that while not strictly topical, have pretty good content. many of the antique tractor boards I'm on are directly responsible for keeping a good many hundred or thousand antique tractors running day to day.

soundguy

 

[timswi]

I'd hotly contest that number with you.

there are plenty of forums that while not strictly topical, have pretty good content. many of the antique tractor boards I'm on are directly responsible for keeping a good many hundred or thousand antique tractors running day to day.

soundguy

I fully agree with you Soundguy...These threads do wander sometimes, but they generally don't get too far off..That's the nature of the beast...This would happen on a real front porch over a couple of beers..Not that I know this from experience or anything.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I'd hotly contest that number with you.

there are plenty of forums that while not strictly topical, have pretty good content. many of the antique tractor boards I'm on are directly responsible for keeping a good many hundred or thousand antique tractors running day to day.

soundguy

See? That's whats great about the Internet. Take 100 different people and you get 110 different opinions. I'm basing my statement on the forums I frequent which include this one, three machinist forums, one welding forum, one ATV forum, one R/C models forum, one community forum (Straight Dope), AudioKarma and one beekeeping forum. Most of it is chatter. Sure, there's always good stuff in there but most people come to play and wait for a question to pop up they know the answer to.

Oh, and why are you called Soundguy? I ask because the first half of my career was dedicated to high end audio.

 

[IronHog]

No more half-ton for me.


Anyway, here's a pic:thumbsup: Any other things to look out for on these??

If you pull a 648 John Deere Skidder you might bend the frame a little.........

Seen it happen...but the truck pulled it.

 

[mjncad]

Now...this is a REAL truck...

You guys just have toys...

Now that's my idea of a REAL truck. Thanks for posting the pic, and I'll add a few of my own.

 

[Dmace]

If you pull a 648 John Deere Skidder you might bend the frame a little.........

Seen it happen...but the truck pulled it.

It was ONLY pulling a 32k lb skidder and bent the frame? What a POS! :laughing:

 

[Soundguy]

See? That's whats great about the Internet. Take 100 different people and you get 110 different opinions. I'm basing my statement on the forums I frequent which include this one, three machinist forums, one welding forum, one ATV forum, one R/C models forum, one community forum (Straight Dope), AudioKarma and one beekeeping forum. Most of it is chatter. Sure, there's always good stuff in there but most people come to play and wait for a question to pop up they know the answer to.

Oh, and why are you called Soundguy? I ask because the first half of my career was dedicated to high end audio.

i moonlight as a sound engineer, since the civil engineering jobs in florida are all in the toilet.

soundguy

 

[PapaPerk]

It was ONLY pulling a 32k lb skidder and bent the frame? What a POS! :laughing:

ROFL!!! Nice! :laughing:

 

[LD1]

Well I dropped the truck off at the dealer this morning.

u-joint-no problem. They will cover.

Oil drip, they are putting dye in it and going to use a black-light to determine where it is comming from. Depending on where, will determine wether it is covered or not. It is a lengthy process and they gave me a loaner car:thumbsup:

Ball-joints- NOT covered. But I am now not sure if they are bad. So I will ask the collective wisdom of the forum on this.

As I mentioned, there is hardly NO lateral play. Like when you try to push in on the top of the tire while pulling out on the bottom and vice versa. The play is ALL vertical.

Well, I ran to O'Rileys to grab some oil/filter and asked them to just take a look at a ball-joint. Sure enough, the vertical play is there in them too. Kinda like the ball-joint is round BUT down insude a cylinder instead of a ball-socket

I'll admit that I havent changed many ball-joints, but have never noticed this vertical play:confused2: Everyone says these dodge front ends have ball-joint problems, but now it makes me wonder if they are actually bad when people are changing them, or if they are changing them due to this vertical play:confused2:

 

[PapaPerk]

Well I dropped the truck off at the dealer this morning.

u-joint-no problem. They will cover.

Oil drip, they are putting dye in it and going to use a black-light to determine where it is comming from. Depending on where, will determine wether it is covered or not. It is a lengthy process and they gave me a loaner car:thumbsup:

Ball-joints- NOT covered. But I am now not sure if they are bad. So I will ask the collective wisdom of the forum on this.

As I mentioned, there is hardly NO lateral play. Like when you try to push in on the top of the tire while pulling out on the bottom and vice versa. The play is ALL vertical.

Well, I ran to O'Rileys to grab some oil/filter and asked them to just take a look at a ball-joint. Sure enough, the vertical play is there in them too. Kinda like the ball-joint is round BUT down insude a cylinder instead of a ball-socket

I'll admit that I havent changed many ball-joints, but have never noticed this vertical play:confused2: Everyone says these dodge front ends have ball-joint problems, but now it makes me wonder if they are actually bad when people are changing them, or if they are changing them due to this vertical play:confused2:

Go to Diesel Truck Resource message forum. They have tons of info in the 3rd gen forums regarding the ball joints.

 

[arrow]

The only way to test a ball joint properly is with a gauge. A visual check isn't accurate nor will it suffice for the dealership. If you have .09 or less, the joint is considered good. Ball joints differ in quality. Moog is sloppy to me. Dynatrac and Spicer make a better ball joint so it depends what brand you had in your hand and the type. Some joints that are greaseable have play in them to make space for the grease and then they firm up. Wait until the dealership gives you their verdict. You are correct with your statement that many a ball joint was changed out unnecessarily. Simply jacking the vehicle up and moving the tire up and down with a crow bar does not necessarily suffice in checking proper or allowable tolerances.

 

[LD1]

Well...Another little update:

Only the upper joint is supposed to have that vertical play, NOT the lower. The upper is more of a king-pin style. NO ball at all.

So I had pleanty of time to do some research yesterday.

Apparently this is a re-occuring 50k-70k mile problem on these trucks. (LOTS of info online:thumbsup

Dealer words were "there is a little play, but it isnt something I should be afraid to drive. It dont need change immediatly, but keep an eye on it and he guesses another 10k miles at most before it becomes a REAL problem for me"

Anyway, I was all set to go to the parts stores and pick up some cheap one. They are all lifetime warrenty. Total for 4 at any given OTC parts store was ~$250 or so.

But I have been doing more reading online and people have MAJOR steering issues with certain brands. EXPECIALLY the MOOG's.:confused2:

And the ones that eeryone says is the absolute BEST are the carli brand. BUT they are $450 a set. And there's NO way I'm going to spend almost a grand to do the 4. But a close second to them (and EVEN cheaper than the parts stores) are the XRF's. I havent been able to find anything bad about them at all. And the best part is $225 to MY door:thumbsup:

Since I dont drive a truck but maybe ~6000miles per year, I'll probabally wait till next summer.

Any of you have experience with the XRFs?

XRF Chassis | Automotive and Heavy Duty Chassis Parts | Ball Joints

Dodge Ram 2500 3500 Ball Joint and Hub Assembly Kits, XRF | SKF | McQuay-Norris