Ball bearings!!

[panamacamper1]

So, im in the military deployed overseas and asked my wife to take our 2006ram 2500 diesel mega 4x4 in for an oil change, about 120.00
she calls and says our oil pan is rusted out? Wheel bearing need replaced and just the bearing will be $2100.00
never dealt with this before. Is that expensive, is this something that can be done for a couple cases of the sweet nectar of the Gods (BEER). I just dont want my wife getting messed over by some shop because she is female and I am miles away.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Jarlaxle wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

45Ricochet wrote:
Their from China now I believe. No real good options like everything else.

X2, my front end guy of 30 years says they all suck. Rick you are correct, Moog now outsourced...............or so I have been told. :M

I recall Timken is still US-made.

Some yes but, some are made in China also.

[Jarlaxle]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:

45Ricochet wrote:
Their from China now I believe. No real good options like everything else.

X2, my front end guy of 30 years says they all suck. Rick you are correct, Moog now outsourced...............or so I have been told. :M

I recall Timken is still US-made.

[AH64ID]

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:

ah64id wrote:


Why are you using the hot shot stuff?

Amsoil is a high detergent oil, and our injectors don't have oil in them like the older power strokes.

I thought you had a 5.9? Why CJ oil?

You do know our turbo's run on oil and the Hot Shot stiction eliminator will clean the turbo of any deposits from 145+ miles of use. Just one more thing to help keep her in tip top shape.

I was not aware that the injectors in the 03 and up Rams were not lubricated. Would think with the very high pressures these injectors see they would have some kind of lubrication for them.

The CJ-4 Amsoil is backwards compatible with older vehicles and is the only oil offering a 25,000 mile or 12 year warranty when used with their oil filter.

Don

Yes the turbo's run oil, but stuff like that alters the properties of the main oil and it's not something I would want in my oil if the motor is ever worked. The Amsoil has a great detergent package. Amsoil will not warranty the oil if you put an additive in it. The warranty is hard to do anything with anyhow, I never made the 25K miles (back when that was the rating) based on soot and even as a dealer I couldn't get anything warranty out of them.

Dodge has never used injectors with engine oil, that is a Ford injector thing in pickups.

Where do you see a 25K mile warranty? Both oils appear to be rated for up to 50K miles/600 hours, or 1 year in pre-2007 engines, not to exceed 3x the OEM interval. Since you are on this site I will assume you are Schedule B, as 99% of owners are, and that means up to 22.5K miles. There isn't a single diesel oil on their 25K miles web page. http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-category/25000-mile-oil-change/

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/databulletins/g2607.pdf

I would use UOA for drain intervals past 10K miles, based on UOA experience with Amsoil and my sig truck. I'm a dealer, and believe in their stuff but have found the oil isn't quite as long lived as they claim in multiple rigs with multiple different oils. Each rig and use does different things to oil.

CJ is backwards compatible, but I haven't found many people (including multiple tech's at Amsoil) who claim it is better than CI oil, if the motor is spec'd for CI oil.

The AME has a higher TBN, so it will generally last longer and has a higher ZDDP level so it's better for flat tappet motors like the Cummins. The CJ oil will work, but if your going to buy Amsoil you may as well get the better oil at a lower cost. The CJ wont increase wear, just isn't as good as CI was. CJ was developed for emissions, it had to be changed significantly to meet DPF exhaust criteria.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

ah64id wrote:


Why are you using the hot shot stuff?

Amsoil is a high detergent oil, and our injectors don't have oil in them like the older power strokes.

I thought you had a 5.9? Why CJ oil?

You do know our turbo's run on oil and the Hot Shot stiction eliminator will clean the turbo of any deposits from 145+ miles of use. Just one more thing to help keep her in tip top shape.

I was not aware that the injectors in the 03 and up Rams were not lubricated. Would think with the very high pressures these injectors see they would have some kind of lubrication for them.

The CJ-4 Amsoil is backwards compatible with older vehicles and is the only oil offering a 25,000 mile or 12 year warranty when used with their oil filter.

Don

[AH64ID]

transamz9 wrote:


Ram Ball joints will have up and down movement from new. It's the side to side that you don't want.

The joints have different inspection criteria.

The upper BJ is allowed 0.060" side to side.

The lower BJ is allowed 0.090" up and down.

There is no test for side to side in the lower BJ, or up/down in the upper BJ per the 2005 Service Manual.

[transamz9]

Dave H M wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Just read page 3 where you said it was the bj's not the unit bearings.
How many miles on the truck? How does it drive/track? Is it wearing out the inside of the tread on the fronts?
Just givin you questions you can ask your wife.
The bj's on my 07 "were out of spec" according to the alignment shop 50k miles ago. Well the truck still drives fine, tires wear evenly and frankly they've had about the same slop in them since almost new.
Be wary of changing the bj's unless it's wearing out tires or starting to death wobble. Likely something you could wait to do when you get home.
Maybe someone on here who is knowledgable and lives near could check it out for you.
Thank you for your service.

Heck yeah. I ran my last F250 until she became noticeably knock kneed. :R

Ram Ball joints will have up and down movement from new. It's the side to side that you don't want.

[Idahoan]

I was just down that road. My bearings were going bad so had them replaced, cost a little over $700. Wish the shop would have reccomended U-joints at the same time as 2 months later they needed replaced. Took it in to get an estimate and they said ball joints were bad also. Estimate for all was around $1500. I watched what I'm sure are the same videos you just watched and decided to do the ball joints/U-joints myself. If you will notice in the videos they cut off the video anytime they have an issue, so if you just watch the video it appears piece of cake, but in reality not so easy. Not to mention watching a video is so much easier than actually turning the wrenches. Of note you do not have to pull the hub/bearing assemble to do U-joint/ball joints. You can just pull the whole axle shaft out instead. I heard but never verified that the axle nut torque is around 600lbs and I didn't want to mess with that so just pulled the whole shaft/hub/bearing as one piece.

So as someone who has just went down that road I'd reccomend doing it all at once while you're at it, they all wear out and if one is bad the rest are most likely not far behind.

On my estimate they quoted the standard rate for each, they have a standard price for ball joints figured start to finish and a standard rate for U-joints start to finish. They did not take any hourly rate off to adjust for the fact that instead of doing 3/4 of the work twice they only have to do it once if everything is done at same time. Once you get a quote make sure they are not in effect "double" billing you.

As for the oil pan, I got nothing

[Dave_H_M]

Grit dog wrote:
Just read page 3 where you said it was the bj's not the unit bearings.
How many miles on the truck? How does it drive/track? Is it wearing out the inside of the tread on the fronts?
Just givin you questions you can ask your wife.
The bj's on my 07 "were out of spec" according to the alignment shop 50k miles ago. Well the truck still drives fine, tires wear evenly and frankly they've had about the same slop in them since almost new.
Be wary of changing the bj's unless it's wearing out tires or starting to death wobble. Likely something you could wait to do when you get home.
Maybe someone on here who is knowledgable and lives near could check it out for you.
Thank you for your service.

Heck yeah. I ran my last F250 until she became noticeably knock kneed. :R

[dodge_guy]

You have to remember, that a BJ will have some play as they age and can still be in spec. I would have someone give you a second opinion.

[Grit_dog]

Just read page 3 where you said it was the bj's not the unit bearings.
How many miles on the truck? How does it drive/track? Is it wearing out the inside of the tread on the fronts?
Just givin you questions you can ask your wife.
The bj's on my 07 "were out of spec" according to the alignment shop 50k miles ago. Well the truck still drives fine, tires wear evenly and frankly they've had about the same slop in them since almost new.
Be wary of changing the bj's unless it's wearing out tires or starting to death wobble. Likely something you could wait to do when you get home.
Maybe someone on here who is knowledgable and lives near could check it out for you.
Thank you for your service.

[AH64ID]

I have Dynatrac balljoints, only 10K miles on them so no claims to life yet. It's a job I only want to do once, so the MOOGs and other cheapies where not an option.

As it was mentioned do the wheel bearings at the same time, if the cash is there then I would opt for a spinfree kit, especially since you said you are not planning on selling anytime soon.

Perrysburg Dodgeboy wrote:
Well I'm in the rust belt and just finished an oil and filter change. At 145,600 miles not one bit of rust on the oil pan, but I wash my truck at least every other week if not every week in the winter.

My oil change cost me almost $160 in parts, 15W40 Amsoil full syn. and their filter, the extended 25,000/12 month. have a sample all bottled up ready to ship out Monday to Blackstone Labs. I did add 2 quarts of the HOT SHOT'S SECRET Stiction Eliminator other wise it would have been $125.

Don

Why are you using the hot shot stuff?

Amsoil is a high detergent oil, and our injectors don't have oil in them like the older power strokes.

I thought you had a 5.9? Why CJ oil?

[srt20]

Grit dog wrote:

panamacamper1 wrote:
In all the videos I watched it seemed pretty straight forward on removing the hubs, what things were done wrong to have to replace hubs? Being that I am in korea, i wont work on it until I getback in nov unless someone else does the work. So moog expensive, got it. Ill keep lookin

For everyone that chimed in and doubted everything that the OP said could be wrong with the truck, YDHAFC.
Oil pans rusting through on the Cummins are fairly common on trucks in the rust belt.
Front unit bearings are also common around 100-150k mi.
$120 for an oil change may seem steep to you doubters until you go buy everything assuming its a lof service, air filter and fuel filter. Yes I can do a complete service on mine for about $70 in parts and I buy in bulk and oil on sale. Add some markup and 1/2 hr labor, you're well over $100. Wake up, it's 2014 not 1994!
Replacing BOTH unit bearings and not the hubs, although sometimes they are so rusted on they get damaged. Buddy and I fabbed a puller to remove the hubs. It saves the hub. Doing both, figure $300 ea side for parts and 3-4 hrs per side. That's $1200 min at a shop.
Oil pan, the motor needs to be raised up a bit to get the old pan out and new one in. Again $3-400 for pan and gasket and $500 at least in shop labor.

$2100 sounds about right for that work.

Couple tips. How do they know the unit bearings are going bad? Ask your wife if the front end is growling or grinding.
Many a rusted oil pan was fixed semi permanently by draining the oil, cleaning it up, prep the steel and apply some jb weld. Personally I'd do the cheap fix if I was driving the truck but I wouldn't trust not having eyes on it and risk losing the engine from a bad oil leak at the hands of my wife. Your call there. Depends if she can keep an eye on it.

Basically you have 2 common Ram repair items that just popped up.
That said I still wouldn't just trust one shop unless you could verify all the work actually needs done.

Haha, good post! Yep, you are the one with a clue.....lmao.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

Well I'm in the rust belt and just finished an oil and filter change. At 145,600 miles not one bit of rust on the oil pan, but I wash my truck at least every other week if not every week in the winter.

My oil change cost me almost $160 in parts, 15W40 Amsoil full syn. and their filter, the extended 25,000/12 month. have a sample all bottled up ready to ship out Monday to Blackstone Labs. I did add 2 quarts of the HOT SHOT'S SECRET Stiction Eliminator other wise it would have been $125.

Don

[Grit_dog]

panamacamper1 wrote:
In all the videos I watched it seemed pretty straight forward on removing the hubs, what things were done wrong to have to replace hubs? Being that I am in korea, i wont work on it until I getback in nov unless someone else does the work. So moog expensive, got it. Ill keep lookin

For everyone that chimed in and doubted everything that the OP said could be wrong with the truck, YDHAFC.
Oil pans rusting through on the Cummins are fairly common on trucks in the rust belt.
Front unit bearings are also common around 100-150k mi.
$120 for an oil change may seem steep to you doubters until you go buy everything assuming its a lof service, air filter and fuel filter. Yes I can do a complete service on mine for about $70 in parts and I buy in bulk and oil on sale. Add some markup and 1/2 hr labor, you're well over $100. Wake up, it's 2014 not 1994!
Replacing BOTH unit bearings and not the hubs, although sometimes they are so rusted on they get damaged. Buddy and I fabbed a puller to remove the hubs. It saves the hub. Doing both, figure $300 ea side for parts and 3-4 hrs per side. That's $1200 min at a shop.
Oil pan, the motor needs to be raised up a bit to get the old pan out and new one in. Again $3-400 for pan and gasket and $500 at least in shop labor.

$2100 sounds about right for that work.

Couple tips. How do they know the unit bearings are going bad? Ask your wife if the front end is growling or grinding.
Many a rusted oil pan was fixed semi permanently by draining the oil, cleaning it up, prep the steel and apply some jb weld. Personally I'd do the cheap fix if I was driving the truck but I wouldn't trust not having eyes on it and risk losing the engine from a bad oil leak at the hands of my wife. Your call there. Depends if she can keep an eye on it.

Basically you have 2 common Ram repair items that just popped up.
That said I still wouldn't just trust one shop unless you could verify all the work actually needs done.