Review on ACDelco 45D2311 Professional Suspension Assembly by Marc Alvarez

I have a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel 4x4. I chose ACDelco parts because I found them to be of good quality and come with a lifetime warranty. First, it's a knurled ball joint. This shouldn't be a problem and it seems most manufacturers are going in this direction due to complaints about ball joints not fitting the bore. But it was a shame not realizing this until you opened the box. Some customers do not require knurled ball joints. Secondly. This is a "lubricated" ball joint. This doesn't mean you can oil it, it means you MUST oil it regularly. I'm not sure what the service interval is (I don't have any packing material with me), but failure to lubricate it will void this fancy lifetime warranty. That would be fine, except the grease nipple hole is right under the axle, so you can't drive a truck with the grease nipple on. Therefore, ACDelco offers a connector. This means servicing involves removing the plug (I hope you have a tiny wrench), turning the axle until there is play, installing an oiler (lost it?), greasing, removing the fitting and replacing the cap. . This would be annoying but not impossible to do regularly. Except that even with the fitting installed there is no way to connect a standard grease gun to it as the axle is always in the way. Some people seem to find a 90 degree bracket small enough that they can then shave off the top to adjust it or something. But it seems like a lot more work than the usual maintenance of one of the most expensive ball joints.