dgsholar

I need some wisdom and help understanding my dealer and symptoms.

Short version - dealer said I needed offset ball joints on passenger side.

Long Story - Noticed a torn boot on ball joint last time I did oil change. Took to dealer. He said I needed 3 new ball joints and a tie rod. Will cost about $1,000.00...Great I said, I have a "Gee Whiz" after market warranty that pays for all of this - bumper to bumper, and it did.

After getting my Jeep back, it pulled a little to the left, front tires making more noise than normal and I noticed increased drag....just a little, as if a brake caliper were slightly dragging. Took back to dealer, they said you have a bent housing, but if we tell warranty company, they will red flag that part of your jeep, and refer all repairs related to your auto insurance company. He said the Fix is an off set ball joint.

When I bought this 08 in Feb of 2011 - I put new stock BFG tires on it. We went to Mosquito Pass last summer for some mile off roading, but nothing really agressive (newbie remember). Same tires on front ever since - no abnormal wear.

My questions if anyone can help:

If front axle housing is bent - why are tires not wearing abnormal?
All was fine till dealer replaced ball joints and put in new tie rod?
What is the down side of an offset ball joint - they said 1 degree?
Can Dana 44's bend that easy?
I see some folks on the forum refering to a "Cheap Insurance" mod for your axle that helps prevent the housing from being bent - can you point me to what this is, any details about this?

Thanks all - from a total new to JK owner!