WAS: Did I just get screwed? NOW: GRATEFUL

From: Chris Reck (Roadkill47@attbi.com)
Date: Sat Nov 16 2002 - 12:57:46 EST


They did replace just the ball joints, and used new hardware as well for the
arms. I think the price was $75 for the upper and $83 for the lower. They
used Spicer.

I haven't even looked to see if they are greasable or not.

Now that I've thought about it. I really did need the service. The brakes
were sounding nasty for a while, and since I just dropped a lot for the
tires, I don't want anything to damage them. Now that I drove 700 miles to
Michigan and back, I can't believe how the truck handles compared to stock.
I mistook the sloppy ride to bad tires and suspension. Now I firmly believe
it's all on the ball joints.

Yes I was upset at the high price, but if I didn't get it done, (I figured I
had to do the ball joints sometime); I would be worse off. Plus $1000 is a
lot of money when you're unemployed.

Chris Reck
Chicagoland, IL

'99 Dakota Sport + CC 4x4 V6 (Deep Amethyst)
Custom K&N 6x9 air intake, Rancho RSX shocks (4), Pioneer full audio system.
BF Goodrich 32x11.5r15 T/A KO tires

""Josh Battles"" <jbattles@bankfinancial.com> wrote in message
news:aqtn50$vhs$1@bent.twistedbits.net...
>
> For the '99 that Chris has, I believe that the ball joints are servicable.
> It wasn't until 2k that they decided to use the biggest rivets I've ever
> seen to secure the ball joints about an inch past the end of the control
> arm. You can get ball joints for a '99 for about $60 a piece. I used to
> have the moog part numbers somewhere........
>
> I have a 2k and greasable ball joints would have saved me 8 control arms
in
> 36k miles. I'm slightly worried now that I'm out of warranty....
>
> -Josh
> 2000 CC V6
>
> <Tubamirbls@aol.com> wrote in message
news:159.176293b7.2b031ee2@aol.com...
> >
> > Hi Chris
> > It's hard to say one way or the other if you were overcharged. The
> shop
> > rate per hour where I live is pushing $100 so at least this didn't
happen
> to
> > you while visiting the San Francisco Bay area!
> > As you know, any shop including a Chrysler product dealer's can
> either
> > price a job on the basis of the time the mechanic actually spent or
charge
> > you the flat rate manual's time. I've never found a shop that tells me
> this
> > when I come to pay the bill and you don't see the time clock punching IN
> and
> > OUT that the mechanic actually did to track the time he spent on your
> turck.
> > I guess this is at the discretion of the policy by which the shop is
run.
> > If they had to remove the complete suspension on both your front
> wheels
> > to replace the upper and lower ball jts (what about the tierod ends on
> both
> > sides??) which of course would also require a full front end alignment
> when
> > completed maybe a guy could spend 5hrs doing that.......I don't know???
> You
> > have a few bucks tied up in parts here too since Dakotas after they
> > eliminated servicable ball jts (they became factory sealed) involve
> > replacement of the complete support arms upper and lower if the ball jt
is
> > worn.
> > I still feel that leaving a zerk fitting on the 4 ball jts and the
2
> > tierod ends could have given all of us Dakota owners a good many more
> trouble
> > free miles on our front suspension parts
> > Paul Sahlin
>
>
>



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