Description
QU50219 Greaseable Upper Ball Joint for Dana 60 front axles in 2000-2002 Dodge Ram 2500, Ram 3500 4x4 trucks.
For complete kit for both sides, see: QK4776.
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Dan the Gear Man® Tech Notes:
Ball Joint Failures
Remove
Axles with CAD
Inner Axle Seals
Inspect U-Joints
Matching Parts
Applications
Tech Note 1: Ball Joint Failures
Ball Joint failures on 2000-2002 Ram Trucks is a reoccurring problem that will probably plague these trucks for their entire life due to the size of the Ball Joints and the steering geometry of the 2000-2002 Dana 60 Front axle.
The Upper and Lower Ball Joints on these axles are at different angles, in other words the vertical axis of the Upper and Lower Ball Joints are neither in-line or parallel to each other. To compensate for the different arcs of each Ball Joint during turns, the modest sized, straight shank, .855" diameter stud of the greaseable Upper Ball Joint is vertically floating in a plastic sleeve. Consequently, the Upper Ball Joint does not support any weight, it merely keeps the knuckle in place. On these axles, the Upper Ball Joint is not really a Ball Joint at all, instead it is a floating King Pin that is smaller in diameter then King Pins found on 1966-1981 Ford F100 4x2 1/2 ton trucks and light 3/4 ton trucks with GVW's of 4,700 lbs-6,900 lbs.
The non-greaseable Lower Ball Joint is load bearing, in fact, the two Lower Ball Joints carry 100% of the front axle weight on your 2000-2002 Dodge Ram 2500 or 3500 truck. Dimensionally, the outside diameter of the Lower Ball Joint is only 3.5% larger than the Ball Joints used on 1972-1986 Jeep CJ's (and other light-duty models of that era) which has somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 of the front axle weight of the Dodge Ram, plus both the Upper and Lower Ball Joints on the CJ are load bearing. In addition, the Ball Joints used on older models like the Jeep CJ and 1994-1999 Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500* shared the same vertical center line axis and were pre-loaded to compensate for wear. With the 2000-2002 front axle steering geometry using differing Ball Joint angles, no preload is possible, therefore, any wear means loose Ball Joints.
Yes, lack of lubrication with the non-greaseable factory lower Ball Joints can be a factor; however, very few of the failed lower Ball Joints we cut apart are suffering from a lack of lubrication. Replacement Ball Joints in both greaseable and non-greaseable versions are available from us, plus there are even offset upper Ball Joints out there (which in my experience is both short-lived and of limited use). Installing Greaseable Ball Joints and regularly greasing them may provide longer service life, but with the 2000-2002 axle, chances are you will still need to replace the Ball Joints every three to five years. One would not mind the relatively short Ball Joint life so much if these trucks steered better than previous models, were not subject to "Death Wobble", or had longer tire life.
I do not find any allowable Ball Joint tolerances in my Factory Dodge Ram Truck Service Manuals. Generally, with a solid axle, any side to side play is grounds for replacement. Some slight vertical play is probably acceptable for these years.
*1994-1999 Dodge Ram trucks with the Dana 60 Front Axle have Lower Ball Joints that are nearly 10% larger than the 2000-2002 axle. Average Ball Joint life for 1994-1999 trucks is close to 150,000 miles or 7 to 10 years. All 4 Ball Joints for those years carry weight and are pre-loaded to compensate for wear and dampen steering shocks.
Tech Note 2: Remove
To replace your ball joints, you must remove the brake rotor, wheel hub, axle shaft assembly, and steering knuckle from the axle.
Tech Note 3: Axles with CAD
If you are replacing the right ball joints on an axle with Central Axle Disconnect (CAD), engage four wheel drive before starting disassembly. This will slide the CAD shift collar to the left and onto the differential output shaft splines. If you pull the shaft in 4x2 mode, the shift collar will drop out of position. If this happens, remove the CAD shift unit from the axle and align the collar. Always replace QU40090 CAD Housing Gasket if you remove the CAD Shift Housing.
Tech Note 4: Inner Axle Seals
Given the era of trucks this Kit fits, it is recommended you replace the inner axle seals which can become hard and brittle with age. For Inner Axle Shaft Seal Kits with oil seals and installation tools see: QK4621 2000-2002 with CAD and QK4802 2002 non-CAD.
Left Seal, All Years: Pressed into the left axle tube next to the differential for all years. Differential removal is required. Use QU40298 Seal.
Right Seal, 2000-2002.5 with CAD: Pressed in the axle tube outboard of the CAD shift unit. CAD shift unit and right axle shaft removal required to replace seal. Use QU40271 Seal.
Right Axle Seal 2002 without CAD: Pressed into the right axle tube next to the differential. Differential removal is required. Use QU40298 Seal.
Tech Note 5: Inspect U-Joints
While your axle shaft(s) are out, check the axle u-joints for both play and binding. If your u-joints are questionable, now is the perfect time to replace them.
Tech Note 6: Matching Parts
Matching Parts for QU50219 Upper Ball Joint:
QU50220 Lower Ball Joint
QK4776 Ball Joint Kit
QK4510 Ball Joint Set with Dana Original Equipment Ball Joints
QU30332 U-Joint with greaseable Hot-Forged Cross
TK40715 Premium non-greaseable U-Joint with Cold Forged Cross
TK40724 Premium greaseable U-Joint with Cold Forged Cross|
QU40090 CAD Housing Gasket for 2000-2002.5 with Central Axle Disconnect
QU40298 Inner Axle Shaft Oil Seal fits left side all 2000-2002 and right side on 2002 axles without CAD
QU40271 Right Inner Axle Shaft Oil Seal for 2000-2002.5 axles with CAD
QK4732 Outer Axle Shaft Nut and Washer Kit
QU40359 18 Spline Right Inner Axle Shaft for 2000-2002 with CAD
TK40574 32 Spline Right Inner Axle Shaft 2002 without CAD
QU40469 Left Inner Axle Shaft
QU10943 Differential Output Shaft 2000-2002.5 with CAD, 32 splines inboard x 18 splines outboard
QU40485 32 Spline Differential Gear Kit
QU10963 Right Brake Shield for 2000-2002 Ram 2500, Ram 3500
QU10964 Left Brake Shield for 2000-2002 Ram 2500, Ram 3500
QU10594 Hub to Knuckle Bolt
QK4555 Wheel Hub Kit for 2000-2002 Ram 2500, Ram 3500 with 4 Wheel ABS
QK4574 Wheel Hub Kit for 2000-2002 Ram 2500, Ram 3500 with Rear Wheel ABS
QU40367 Dana Original Equipment Model 60/70 Differential Cover Pan Gasket
QU42029 Dana Reusable Model 60 Differential Cover Pan Gasket
QK4802 and QK4621 Inner Axle Shaft Seal Kits with Installation Tools
Dodge & Ram Shop Manuals
Applications
Dodge Ram:
Ram 2500, Ram 3500: 2000, 2001, 2002
Warranty
Product Reviews
Delivery & Returns
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