Front end Qs - 2017

[jmoore]

2017 quad cab/3.6/4x4
61k
Strange noise under hood - diagnosed as front axle/steering gear issue.

I’m not a hands-on gearhead - even tho raised in Detroit.

How common is this? Was NOT expecting P&L of +$4k!!!!!!!
Vehicle is a daily driver, never off-road, never abused, maintained as per specs. Probably hasn’t spent more than 5hr in 4wd - all snow. Worst thing it is subjected to is run-of-the-mill potholes.

Is there any kind of history of this type of issue?

TIA

Bonedaddy

 

[Black-Wolf]

It's not uncommon - esp. with an older vehicle like that (I have a 2017 and just replaced the driver's side hub a couple of months ago). You can do the job yourself for less than $400 or so - get a gearhead buddy to come over and feed them beer and pizza. It takes about 2-4 hours to do the job IF there are NO issues. Issues that could pop up: A ball joint wont break free while trying to replace the hub (or the axle) - and you'll need to see my post from earlier this week about how I solved it - too long to go into here; you crack the steering knuckle; you damage a ball joint; you strip a bolt; or you don't torque correctly... You'll need to definitely remove the steering knuckle for replacing either the hub or the front axle(s). Lots of stuff out there on youtube on how to do it.

If you absolutely don't want to do it yourself or can't find time or a buddy who's a shade-tree mechanic, shop around. Any competent shop can do that job, and they can do it for less than that $4K you're talking about... and if you bring them the parts that you source yourself, you might come out cheaper than having them do the sourcing.