I'm going to be replacing the upper ball joints on my 95 dakota 5.2L 4x4.
One step the FSM seems to omit is the necessity to remove the CV
shafts to have enough room to work. I assume you have to do that if
you are going to use the miller C-3564-A ball stud remover tool, just
to have room to work. Probably not a big deal since they bolt on, and
so you don't have to empty the diff.
Also the FSM says not to use the tool to force the ball joint out of
the steering knuckle, rather to tighten it and then whack it with a
hammer to break it free.
Has anyone done this job with different tools like a generic ball
joint puller tool or a pickle fork?
Also, the miller C-3561 2 9/64" socket is called out in the FSM, but
I've heard others (in the archive) suggest that you can do it with 2
1/8", which are more widely available. Will a 2 1/8" actually fit?
As for parts, I'm thinking I'll go with Moog K778. I called NAPA and
they said they had moog parts, so I drove down there and discovered
it's actually NAPA brand cross-referenced as Moog. So I'll probably
order on-line. From what I can tell Moog has been around a long time
and has a good reputation.
I'm interested in hearing from others who have completed this
successfully because I know suspension work is a pain, and I don't
want to get things torn apart and then discover I can't finish it.
Also, just for reference I got a verbal quote from the local dodge
dealer: $343.52 per side, parts & labor, including alignment. Parts
alone were $142.98 a side. This was just for the upper ball joints.
Thanks,
Dave
P.S. Please also CC: me on replies if possible, since I'm in digest mode.
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