High Mileage Front End Replacement?

SeeYaLater5.9

SeeYaLater5.9

Farmer of the year!!
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May 22, 2011
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410
235,xxx
2wd 3500

front end needs work, never been touched by me, or previous owner AFAIK.

what should I be looking to replace?
 
What year? Stabilizer Arm, shocks and front bearings. Front bearings changed from replaceable unit to a hub in 2001 I believe.
 
Just replace what is worn, if it has a lot of highway miles it may not need much of anything. Otherwise you'll be wasting time and money replacing parts that don't need to be replaced. $.02
 
99 2wd 3500 230,xxx miles

It rides down the highway just stuff feels loose and sloppy up there so I was curious as to what parts tend to be problem areas and what not before I start crawling underneath tearing **** up.

Thanks guys
 
Ok, I'm getting great answers from you guys just not quite what I'm looking for.

I'm mechanically inclined, but just never had reason to crawl up front. My Ford went to a shop. So I probably wouldn't be the best at diagnosing. Yeah I can tell a worn bushing and small doo dads like that but I don't wanna tell everything apart "just looking"

So ill try to reword this. You buy a 200,000m + 99 2wd 3500, with no known previous front end work, what would the first areas/parts you would start looking at?

I don't mean to sound mechanically ignorant, just hard to tear into something you've never messed with and know what your doing.

I'm assuming all track bar bushings for sure, maybe ball joints, tie rods?
 
I don't know if the steering boxes are the same, but on 4x4's you can adjust the slop in the steering box.
 
How are we supposed to know what it needs? You have already gotten the same answer several times. You just need to look at it and see what is worn and needs replacing.
 
SeeYaLater5.9 said:
Ok, I'm getting great answers from you guys just not quite what I'm looking for.

I'm mechanically inclined, but just never had reason to crawl up front. My Ford went to a shop. So I probably wouldn't be the best at diagnosing. Yeah I can tell a worn bushing and small doo dads like that but I don't wanna tell everything apart "just looking"

So ill try to reword this. You buy a 200,000m + 99 2wd 3500, with no known previous front end work, what would the first areas/parts you would start looking at?

I don't mean to sound mechanically ignorant, just hard to tear into something you've never messed with and know what your doing.

I'm assuming all track bar bushings for sure, maybe ball joints, tie rods?
Click to expand...
You have a track bar?
 
SeeYaLater5.9 said:
Ok, I'm getting great answers from you guys just not quite what I'm looking for.

I'm mechanically inclined, but just never had reason to crawl up front. My Ford went to a shop. So I probably wouldn't be the best at diagnosing. Yeah I can tell a worn bushing and small doo dads like that but I don't wanna tell everything apart "just looking"

So ill try to reword this. You buy a 200,000m + 99 2wd 3500, with no known previous front end work, what would the first areas/parts you would start looking at?

I don't mean to sound mechanically ignorant, just hard to tear into something you've never messed with and know what your doing.

I'm assuming all track bar bushings for sure, maybe ball joints, tie rods?
Click to expand...


Do you have a shop near you that does front end alignments? That would be your best bet. Take it for an alignment even if it doesn't need one. They will tell you if it needs parts when doing the alignment because it can't be done correctly if you have worn parts. When they tell you what it needs ask them to show you because the previous owner said he just replaced that part or parts. You get a hands on lesson and alignment for ~$50, which you will need anyway after replacing tie rods or ball-joints.

Be careful though because the shop around here tries to make extra money by replacing parts that do not need replaced. They are bold too. Told me I needed all these parts, which still had the bar code from advance on them. I no longer go there needless to say.

Generally if you jack up the front end, grip the wheel at 12 & 6 o'clock and try to move it back and fourth; it is ball joint play. If you do the same thing grabbing at 9 & 3 o'clock it is steering play. Bearing play is in both, but the best way to do it is have someone else move it and you look at what is moving under the truck.

I found it helpful to add a steering stabilizer to my 2wd. It handles a lot better now.
 
@Ducky04 I wasn't asking you to tell me what's wrong with it. I was asking what are common parts to expect worn on 2wd dodges w/ high mileage

@hydroshok, thanks man. Simple answer like that what I was looking for.
 
Any bushing, bearing or joint. Theres no certain part that fails they all do.
 
I just did it all on mine last weekend. I replaced the front left hub (bad Bearing), upper and lower ball joints, idler arm, pitman arm, as well as inner and outer tie rods. Grab yourself a good air hammer as well as a drill and a good stash of bits.

I did all moog parts and it was $1250+ at O'Reilly's.

The hub was $225 at the Dodge dealer.

I had 200,023 miles on the truck and it was wore out bad. Truck does mostly highway miles with no trailers or added weight. I would just do it all, that way when you go get it alined it comes out right.
 
Or 02 just got freshened up. It has 300000 miles on it. 1 hub ass., a ball joint, tie rods, and one broken sping right by the upper perch. That was kinda surprising.
 
i would stay away from the junk inless u wanna do again real soon the stuff they sell at advance and autozone is not really highest quality the prices arnt that bad but i would get timkin bearings and go with spicer stuff just do it once and dont have to worry about it and i know that moog has warrentys but who wants to it twice i personaly dont like other stuff just my 2 cents
 
2000 was when Dodge made all the changes to the suspension, brakes & axles and went to sealed wheel bearings (totally different brakes, spindles, increased wheel offset and tire track width increased 2.0").

'99 was the last year of traditional front wheel bearings, these need serviced periodically where you soak them in solvent & clean then repack with new grease.
 
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