Dodge Dakota Ball Joint,Sway Bar Link Replacement
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- Dodge Dakota Ball Joint,Sway Bar Link Replacement
Disclaimer:
This video is not meant to be a definitive how to.Always consult a professional repair manual before starting your repair.I am not responsible for any problems that you might incur by watching or following this video.Follow at your own risk. 
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Remember when American car companies used castings and solid steel to make a car or truck. Grease fittings all around? You were able to maintain your car. Now it's rivets, plastic and stamped pieces to make a suspension. No wonder these parts wear out so fast. But again thats the idea... Another trip to the dealer for service.. at 120 an hour. Keep up the good work Rich..
To everyone watching this. This is the best and easiest way to do it. His methods really work. It helped me a lot. The biggest thing is to make sure you drill the rivet just right. I ended up with a 1/4 inch at the end of drilling out the rivet. Be careful what type of bolt you use to hammer out the rivet. I used a punch instead, which worked a lot better. If you don't have an air compressor I'm sure an chisel and a hammer will work as well.
Only video that shows how to deal with the factory rivets. ThAnX
I have a 2004 dodge Dakota and it needs a new stabilizer. I enjoyed this video cause it showed the step by step process
This video is great. He saved me hours of work. I was able to knock out both upper and lower ball joints in one hour. Pay attention. This is great advice.
richpin ur camera,lighting and angles are superb.not to mention ur step by step repair and commentary. absolutely tops!
Thank you for the kind words my friend.
Thank you for the video, was stuck trying to remove a link ball joint. Showed the way, two minutes later that little bear was out of my life.
This was a excellent video. I did this alone, but needed some pointers on what all had to be taken off, and in the proper order. Thanx a million
Richpin....You are the MAN!!!! I watched your video a couple of times before I attempted to change the ball joints in my Dakota. Your method worked perfectly, and I can't Thank You enough. The interesting thing I noticed is that Dodge didn't put grease fittings on the ball joints, and mine were bone dry. My only variation on your repair was to use a grinder to remove the top of the rivet. Again many thanks for making a great video.
Some people do not like to drill them and that is fine.
"Subscribed" number 51,240 here! Great job on the video. I really like the way you get right to the point on every step of the replacement. No Nonsense. I did the upper a few months ago and doing the lower just got easier. Thanks!
I had several issues with my 1999 Dekota. This was very helpful.
Great Video! Saved me a lot. Showing where to hit on the knuckle was really helpful.
Thank You! I have an 03 Ram. Luckily I don't have rivets to deal with. (I HATE RIVETS!)
I must say you make rivet removal easier than anyone I've ever seen! Most people torch them off. This is much neater. Plus I don't have a torch. Your videos are very helpful!
very organized and good illustrator ( one of the best I have seen). Learn a lot from your video.
Thank you for posting this, Rich. I just did uppers and lowers on my 98 Dakota today. This video was a great help!
Richpin,
You are the best subscription decision ive ever made.
Rich, I changed my upper ball joint today and tried the cut grooves in the rivets. I only have a 4 1/2 inch grinder and the wheel is too big to make a cut a good X in the rivet heads. The ticket is an air grinder with a smaller cutting wheel. I then drilled holes and that is the way to go as far as I can tell. Once again, thanks for the good video.
The drilling is a little tricky but makes them come out easier.
Important Update: Jan 2013 there will be a new richpin channel for all future videos.Richpin06a channel will be mainly for all the Saturn lovers out there.Should be a lot of fun so stay tuned.
Nice working ona more classic style of vehicle. Not front wheel drive. Great as always...
Thanks for the video it made the job alot easier. Now i here they are talking about a recall. I did find that you are correct about drilling the rivet , they dont just fall out when you get the rivet head off.
I have to do all this on my 02 Dakota when i get home. Great vid you make it look easy!
Man, you and chrisfix are life savers! I'm new to your channel but definitely a huge fan and I appreciate what you do brotha
Most detailed DIY yet! Thanks
Well done ,,, thanks for sharing your knowledge !
i also found that if the rivets fight you to much taker the chisel to the bottom of the rivet and wedge it out that way
Another excellent video sir. Again, thank you.
Good work but i would like to add that it is a good idea to antisieze the bolts so they don't rust jack for next time.
Love your video's, I have learned plenty, keep it going.
Thanks for the video great work and great info
thanks great vid to let me see ahead of time what i need to do
Great video Rich! Everyone always just skips over removing the rivets, but you show us step-by-step, exactly how to do it! That air chisel made it look easy and efficient (but drilling the rivets out paved the way for success)! That looked like a Spicer (now Napa) outer tie rod, was it?
You can take the rivet head off like he does in the video without drilling any holes. Once it's off and smooth to the A-arm you just take a pointed air chisel and knock the rivets through the back. That's how I skipped drilling because I didn't have any good bits at the time. I think it'll make it a bit less work drilling though.. It took a long time chiseling the heads off with no holes to weaken them for me. I'm about to try the drill method though, so I'll update when I'm done.
You should put up a video.
Is that crack at end of the sway bar normal? Just got my boy a 2000 Dakota with the same crack in the sway bar. I was going to replace it but won’t if it isn’t necessary.
Sounds interesting i will have to investigate.
awesome vid rich my friend has a 98 dakota and he used a torch MAN WAS THAT A BAD IDEA !!!
Hi Best video on this job , thanks for taking time out sharing your skills and talents .
I’m doing this b next Monday 99 rt By any chance the specs on the ball joint torque ? And the sway bar link ends ? Last time I tightened too much I felt very easy to tighten never got tight , I went to far . Any tip?
Thank you sir
was just wondering what to torque the nut and bolt to since the replacement does not come with the specs and it is nowhere online that i can find
I have a 4x4 Dakota (2003) rust level fairly similar to the one you're working on here. How can I tell if my ball joints are bad...I just have both upper and lower replaced on the right side and it apparently made my mechanics NUTS. They aren't used to rusty trucks in Florida so yeah. I also had the wheel hub bearing on the other side replaced (same trip) and I'm thinking one of those two things needs replaced on the side it wasn't replaced on. Thinking of going to pepboys or a dealer this time.
@epiphaknee You are sharp,yes it was from Napa.
great video
nice truck
You can not shock the knuckle with a rubber hammer.
Rich I just subscribed as I had to replace both stabilizer links and tomorrow both upper ball joints. Merinsmith has a video with the official Dodge service bulletin showing to cut an X into the rivets with a grinder and then air chisel the heads off. Have you tried that as opposed to drilling the holes in the rivets. thanks,Charlie
How do you know, how tight is tight for every nut? Also when finished does it need an alignment done?
Excellent! Video. Very Thansk. Richpin
Great Video! Thank You! Rich
You saved my ass on this video, Rich! I thought my sway bar links (2003 Durango - same front end) were pressed or welded in until I really pounded them with the hammer and they fell right out. Question, though, I read that the torque on the upper nut was 27 ft-lb and lower was 35 ft-lb. That squished the hell out of the bushings, did yours end up looking that way??
Hi I just notice my front bushings r looking bad & im replacing rear links on 01 dakota.Thanks for the help.
At what point did you remove the rotor? It was there when you removed the tie rod, but at the end of the video when you put the spindle back in place it was missing. Very helpful video, I'm off to tackle my 01 Durango feeling much more like I can do it now. Thank-you
sbbliss
I have about 5 inches of play in my steering wheel. Along with the front end dipping 2 or so inches when i turn all the way to the right. Might the Ball Joints be a likely culprit. Or is there something more to it?
You should have mentioned filling the grease fitting with grease. A seemingly simple step could ruin that ball joint, again.
Great videos!
What is the Dodge Dakota Sway Bar Link Replacement (upper nut and lower nut) supposed to be torqued to?
It was a duralast.The uppers were fine.
what year durango are you working on in this video? .....nice job,very thorough in explaining things
Rivets, rivets and more rivets! the Chevrolet Silverado suspension is also full of huge, thick rivets. Why do American auto companies insist on making their products hard to work with?
is this basically the same for a 99 dodge durango? its the most related video i could find to my vehicle.. thanks
With that much play it should be quite easy after you jack it off the ground to find the problem.
oh ok, thats what i needed to know :)
thanks.
A brief mention on why you are doing this would be helpful
Thank you!
Good video!
Your thoughts on taking an angle grinder to the rivits instead of drilling them out? I just had to drill out 2 studs on my wheel that was such a pain in the neck. What is your solution to stripped lug nuts? Thanks for the video. Ill ne doing my ball joint soon enough now.
If you have the room a grinder might be ok.For studs a hammer an punch should get them out.
nice
Good vid. Too bad you didn't show how to find the worn out part first.
richpin06a , Nice camera work , straight to the point work. Can I replace the sway bar link without removing the spindle ? I already had all new A arms installed but there is a loud clunk when i back up. Im guessing its the sway bar links ?? Thanks for the concise vid.
+66thru68veteran I think you can replace the links without removing the spindle.
+richpin06a How can I remove old rusted sway link having very hard time with it and limited on tool.
@@jasonpixley3717 You can borrow the tools you need from many auto parts stores, we did from Advance Auto. The "pickle fork" tool to get the tapered lower sway link out. Some penetrating oil would probably also help.
@happy543210 All i can think of is it must be easy to build them that way.
nice video,would my 2006 2wh be done the same way???
does your truck shake with a bad ball joint how did you know its bad?
In this case it fail its yearly inspection.
I have a 00 4x4 durango. Would it be about the same process?
just wondering the torque specs on those 4 bolts for the ball joint?
Beautiful thanks
@rodrigoelgu I love them they are differently a bargain.
Any tips or tricks on getting a spindle nut off that has 160K miles on it?
Lots of penetrating oil and a good impact wrench or long bar.
you may have got this comment already but it appears the bottom most washer on the new sway link looks upside down. I could be wrong
@scottaner500 I would say it is the most economical way.
Thanks for the video. Excellent. Work and lighting very detailed. I'm going to do it base don your insight. How ever what do you torqiue the bolts,too? The sway bar link and the ball joint bolts, if I don't have a good torque wrench ( harbour freight is what I have. Thanks
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If it is two wheel drive it should be the same.
Like the video but the local shops quoted 600 dollar labor...... just because its a dodge and its riveted.... plus just after i put tires on it found out a rear axel seal is out...... another150 i only spent 3800 on buying the truck.. starting to think i shoulda parked it on the side of the 45e and asked $6000 after i overhauled the front brakes due to random locking
Took my 98 Sport in for an alignment and was told it needed all four ball joints changed (and a few bushings) to hold an alignment. I was quoted $2,600.00. The parts were $878.00 and the labor was 12 hours at $119.00 per hour. I checked the part numbers on ebay and cost $225.00. A friend told me he's done thousands of these in the last 25 years and it takes about 2.5 hours. Wow! Even if it takes three hours, I'm still charged for 12. Sounds fair to me. Just for giggles, I called the Dodge dealer and was quoted $4,000.00. I paid $1,900.00 for the truck.
It pays to buy a few tools and do certain jobs yourself. Keep in mind a lot of suspension work changes your alignment (not sway bars and ball joints, unless the ball joint had been really bad and wasn't aligned before), so it also pays to go to a shop after you've done work and get your alignment checked and adjusted as necessary.
The parts ended up costing me more than I anticipated because the upper control arms are no longer available; I had to purchase the ball joints and bushings only. It ended up being a good deal because the aftermarket arms looked nowhere near as beefy as the originals. So long story short, we did the work at a dealer after my buddy was off the clock so we had all the tools and to top it off, the alignment was free. The tires are showing no wear and everything seems to be good. (I did pay my buddy $100 cash for his time; I didn't want to be a schmuck.)
Nice! Glad it worked out, having the dealership's shop makes things nice, too, heh.
Yep!
+2cyclemix I just bought all new A arms complete with ball joints and bushings for $ 76. each from Rock Auto . and 600. for labor to have them installed
It is a 2003 Dakota.
So should you put greese in the new
its 4x4 would there be a whole lotta differnce in it
y do thay rivet them in ??
why a metal hammer and not a rubber mallet?
What are the torque specs?
OEM parts if not what is the brand?
cut a x in the head of the rivet with a cut off wheel then chissle the head off with air hammer then use a pointy bit on the air hammer to hit it through no nead for a drill at all
+UBBERTANKER If you have all those tools ;)
Air hammer wouldn't punch mine out, truck being a 2000 with 250k might have something to do with it.
@reap62 Absolutely not.
I do not at this time.
@mtlh05 Wow thank you.
Got an example vid?
Would have been nice if you put torque specs!
hey rich i jout bought me the mechanic gloves ur wearing forn harbor freight for 4 dollars :)
Peter?!?
Why not just use a punch
@mtlh05 me too