GM 2500 ball joint UPDATE

MM49,

"Never been under a vehicle"??? Try this on for size. I owned an engineering business and I and my people worked with Ford, GM, amd Chrysler by invite for decades mainly on pickups/vans/and suv's before I'd sold and retired. Been involved in and with front ends and suspensions for decades as well as engine mounts, bumper systems, engine support components mounting brackets, cross car beams/IP beams, frame brackets, etc. Been under more vehicles before you were even born than you probably have since. Many on this and other forums know who I am but you likely will not and that's just fine. GOT IT?

My '05 Chevy has 192,000 on it. I've owned it since new. I've never replaced the ball joints, wheel bearings, or even the front brake pads.

travelnutz wrote:
MM49,

The OP said his vehicle is a GM not a Dodge/Ram/or Fiat product. Front ends/steering/suspensions last a very long time with normal as per the owner's mnual maintenance before needing replacement parts on GM's or perhaps you haven't been reading this or the many other forums to learn that!

I tell you have probably never been under a vehicle. The well developed mouth gives it away.
MM49

MM49,

The OP said his vehicle is a GM not a Dodge/Ram/or Fiat product. Front ends/steering/suspensions last a very long time with normal as per the owner's mnual maintenance before needing replacement parts on GM's or perhaps you haven't been reading this or the many other forums to learn that!

Change them. You will be amazed at how much wear in on them. I would guess 3/8 "to 1/2" of slop on the lowers.
MM49

Good to know, thanks guys. I hate to let stuff go until it's broke, but at the same time hate throwing $$ at good parts.

I've had 4 of the GM 2500's with the IFS front ends and have put over 200k on each truck before going newer. Not one of them needed ball joint replacements. I grease them at every oil change religiously. Two of my 1500 trucks had over 240k on them befor getting rid of them and again...never had to replace a ball joint. Keep them greased and they last a long long time.

BurbMan,

The ball joints, the tie roods, nor the wheel bearings have never been replaced yet in the 1993 Chev 2500 5.7 V8 ext cab LB 4X4 truck we'd purchased new and later sold to an asparagus farmer friend who's farm is next to some acreage we own. The truck only has over 350,000 miles on it as of this fall the last we'd seen it and talked to him. The truck was used by us for RV'ing with a 9-1/2' Lance TC and a Carrilite 5th wheel and the farmer uses it to haul crops/fertilzer/plows his barn and driveway areas with his Meyer plow/etc since 2004 when we sold it to him. He added the plow. Still has the Air Lift Systems original air bags I had put on it and the original engine and tranny but he's got a lot of dents and scratches in it now but still no rust showing except in some of the dents/damaged/scraped areas.

We always maintained our vehicles and so does the farmer as most do and that makes so much difference. 160K isn't a death sentence on a GM front end at all it maintained properly. However, it's usually well past the OEM components death sentence for a truck with a solid front axle.

Just check out the ball joints for looseness/wear yourself or have a trusted shop not known for trying to sell you on bogus needs claims do it while you watch. Likely still to be fine!

LOL, no curb hopping! Yes, I grease them at every oil change and last time I checked them over the summer they were OK. Only reason I was thinking of changing them was for mileage.

Hi.
Have you had the joints inspected? Are they tight? Are the wheels true? Are they lube capable? Has the maintenance been keep up? Do you suspect a problem other than mileage?
One final question do you curb hop?

If the answers are more positive, then you shouldn't have any problems.

I replace mine at 240,+++ miles mostly the was very slow to recover from a hole or dip in the road (bottoming out). First was the "A" frame bushings (U/L)(R/L), at the same time the Ball joints also (L/R) (L/U), then tie rod ends some time later.