I was told I need to redo the upper and lower ball joints on the front of my 98 Dakota... does this sound about right for this repair? I know something is wrong because I'm getting some vibration when I drive, especially at high speeds.

I would take it for a second estimate somewhere else.
Garages can have very extreme price differences.
If the garage specializes in something they tend to charge more.
$850 sounds a bit high to me.

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Originally Posted by amricca

I was told I need to redo the upper and lower ball joints on the front of my 98 Dakota.....does this sound about right for thsi repair? I know something is wrong because I'm getting some vibration when I drive, especially at high speeds.

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The vibration could be due to loose and worn components, but it could also be attributed to the condition of the tires, which could be worn unevenly due to worn suspension components.
You don't say if your truck is 2WD or 4X4. That makes a big difference because from what I've read the ball joints on the 2WD are part of the control arm and aren't serviced separately.
So $850 could be a bit high if it's a 4WD, but very generous if a 2WD.
Make certain they realign the front end after repairs are done. That should be included with your original estimate.
I hope this helps.

It's 4 x 4. I had them do it because I called another shop and they told me $800, the truck was there already. It ended up being $725.. guess they overestimated it. They did re-align the front end too and replaced my brake pads.

Like Capt Rich said you do not want uneven tires or tires that are pretty worn.
If they did a front end alignment on uneven or worn tires that is not good.