How do I replace the upper ball joints on a 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel with 2WD? Torque specs for the bolts/nuts (ball joint is bolt-on type)?
Hello and thanks for your post. Well below you will find all the info you will need to perform the job. <table border="0" cellspacing="10" cellpadding="0" width="90%"><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Note: </strong>The manufacture doesn't provide Service and Repair information for this component. However, the Ball Joints are a part of the <a href="http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V134220455~C34084~R0~OD~N/0/77993956/78219382/78219455/78219457/34853741/34864218/34864722/34864894">Control Arm</a>.<br /><br /><strong>See TSB NHTSA00V307000 (Recall 00V307000) Oct. 2000</strong> <br /><br /><strong>Upper <a href="http://www.alldatapro.com/alldata/PRO~V134220455~C34084~R0~OD~N/0/77993956/78219382/78219455/78219457/34853741/34864218/34864722/34864894">Control Arm</a></strong> <br /><br /><strong>Removal</strong> </p><ol><li>Raise and support the vehicle. </li><li>Remove the upper suspension arm nut and bolt at the axle bracket. </li><li>Remove the nut and bolt at the frame rail and remove the upper suspension arm. <strong>Installation</strong> </li></ol><ol><li>Position the upper suspension arm at the axle and frame rail. </li><li>Install the bolts and finger tighten the nuts. </li><li>Remove the supports and lower the vehicle. </li><li>Tighten nut at the axle bracket to <strong>163 Nm (120 ft. lbs.)</strong> . Tighten nut at frame bracket to <strong>163 Nm ( 120 ft. lbs.)</strong> .</li></ol></td></tr></tbody></table>
I have that info from Alldata, but it's for the upper control arm. I'm specifically looking for torque specs for the upper ball joint itself - the ball stud nut as well as the ball joint to control arm bolts/nuts (there are three). You wouldn't happen to have these would you?
Well chrysler does not offer a balljoint for that yearmodel they require replacing the whole arm as a unit which is why there are no specs for the 3 balljoint nuts. I know very well what you are describing to me and have run into this also. But since I work for a dealer there are safety concerns with doing it the way you have.As for the ball stud nut it is torqued to 60 foot pounds.
That's what I was after. I ended up calling the manufacturer of the balljoint and they recommended to me 50 ft-lbs on the three nuts. Thanks for the help on that other spec though. Is Chrysler concerned with safely transferring funds from my bank account to theirs, or is there a long-standing legitimate safety concern with doing it this way? I've heard about this on other makes (some Ford's, Chevy's, etc.) but I've never exactly why and have always seen the joints get replaced independently of the control arm. Just curious!