2000+ Dodge 2500/3500 (AAM) Installation Instructions

***THIS IS NOT A BALLJOINT. INSTALLING THIS SYSTEM LIKE A BALLJOINT AND TORQUING LIKE A BALLJOINT WILL NOT WORK AND YOU’LL BE REDOING WORK. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW AND YOU’LL HAVE A FANTASTIC DRIVING RAM.

  1. Start by putting all joints in the freezer for an hour or 2 which will help contract the materials just enough to make pressing the cups in easier.
  2. Begin by inserting the lower stud into the outer knuckle as shown below:
  3. Using hex pocket in top of hardware to hold stud, torque ¾” lower nylock (using 1” socket) to 40ft/lbs and slide dust boot over the stud as shown below. The fit of the boot will be tight.
  4. Using a balljoint press, begin by pressing the joints into the upper/lower bores of the inner C as shown below:

    (Take care to ensure the joints are starting straight into the bores to avoid damaging them or the bores of the inner C. The upper joint is distinguished by the smaller machined hole in the housing.)
  5. Both joints should be pressed to the shoulder as shown below:
  6. After pressing the joints in, now it’s time to install the outer knuckle. Align the lower stud with the bore of the lower joint and guide it through. You will see the threads sticking through as seen below:

  7. IMPORTANT TIP: when torqueing ¾” low profile nylock to 35ft/lbs hold knuckle in neutral position using free hand or the upper pin. Do this with the ratchet passing through the open face of the outer knuckle. Due to the geometry of the AAM, the joint will want to misalign as its rotated, making it difficult to keep the socket on the nylock. The stud will be flush with the top of the nylock once tightened to spec. A 27mm thin wall socket can be used or a 1” socket.

  8. Insert upper pin by tapping (not smashing), down through the joint and into the taper of the outer knuckle as shown below. Using the hex pocket on the top of the pin to hold it, torque the 5/8” nylock to 40ft/lbs using a 15/16” socket.

  9. Apply grease to top of upper joint, followed by Viton seal, then shim to complete the seal head of the upper joint. See pics below.

    (Center the seal around the stud so it seats centered between the bearing/race OR you can place seal in prior to applying grease. Apply even pressure to shim to seat seal and wipe away excess grease.)
  10. Torque upper 7/8” nylock to 20ft/lbs. as shown below using a 1 ¼” socket and wipe away any excess grease.

  11. Position and tighten zip tie around uppermost section of dust boot as it fits around the 2” OD of the lower joint and trim excess as needed.

  12. ***Take the opportunity now to grease the lower joint just as the upper was greased.*** Make sure that spot on the casting is clean of oil/debris and apply silicone (Permatex Grey preferred) to the casting of the lower C indicated by the silver lines. Don’t overdo it, a decent little bead will do fine. Press firmly on the cap and let that set up for 30 minutes if possible so its not disturbed when sliding the shafts back in.

 

NOTES:

Only the lower joints receive dust caps. The sealing must take place externally due to the lower joints misaligning with rotation. The upper joints can be sealed differently. The 2 styles of caps are pictured below:

You can verify correct placement of the outer knuckle by the alignment of the front steering stops. If you have a thread variance at the top, but alignment at the bottom, we manufacture longer threaded upper studs for those rare instances….just reach out to us!

The knuckle should be firm to rotate by hand when assembled prior to adding shafts, steering, etc. Remember, there is no weight on the vehicle and we have little mechanical advantage compared to a steering system with the tire rolling. If you desire increased steering firmness, simply tighten the nylock in step #10 (upper nylock of top assembly) in 5ft/lb. increments (do not go overboard here, 5ft/lbs. will make a difference).

Each Ball Joint Delete™ System is greased on one end to avoid you having to disassemble the joint, then each bearing is lubricated with Tri-Flow prior to shipping. Adding the grease upon install ensures no debris gets introduced and traps the lubricant in the Teflon liner.

Visit Frequently Asked Questions – American Iron Offroad or view our YouTube video here èUltimate Ball Joint Delete™ FAQ | American Iron Offroad™ Tech & Troubleshooting

Thank you for choosing Ball Joint Delete™ Systems by American Iron Offroad™!


Email help@americanironoffroad.com for any questions.