Biggest Cluster F*ck Ever - Dodge and Its Stupid Ideas

I didn't like the way Dodge designed the way you have to adjust a rear on the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500. You don't shim it - you have to turn these adjusters with a special tool. Well, Big Bertha worked just as well as the special tool, but still... how do you know they won't come unadjusted, right? At least shims stay where you put them.

I thought that was bad, but they came up with one more that's a really Cluster Fuck. Lower ball joints that are riveted in. And to boot, lower ball joints that typically go bad in 60,000 miles. Well, they pegged that one right - we only have about 60,000 (just over) on the truck, and the passenger ball joint was squeaking to beat the bandit. Hubby has been drilling, pounding and grinding these sons-a-bitches now for about five hours. There are four mongo rivets to get out.

Now that is a stupid design. I don't know what Dodge was thinking when they did that. Oh wait, yes I do. Since it takes about six hours to do the job and dealerships get upwards of $120 or better an hour, I do know what they were thinking. Too bad for them hubby's arsenal features a $20,000 Matco tool box with just about every tool known to man (and he was thinking of selling it all when we moved from FL to TN... don't know what he was thinking, but talked him out of it). Dodge got fucked out of this job anyway.

For those who don't have a clue - the only way to get a rivet that is as big as a dude's index finger out is to drill the snot out of it. And pound it. Drill it some more. Pound it some more. You get the picture. Once out, the replacement ball joint has big bolts. Oh yah, and grease fittings. Something Dodge neglected to put into the original ball joint. Gee, Dodge, ya think it would have made sense to put some grease fittings in the original lower ball joints? No? Oh, you wanted people to pay you to get these honking rivets out. FAIL.

Now, once he gets this last pain-in-the-ass out, we can only hope that Napa, in its infinite wisdom (Not!) gave us the right part. It looks different, but that might not mean anything as it's a different design. Then again, who knows.