LCA Ball Joints/Hydraulic Press

My local collision center has a 10 ton press. Will that make changing LCA ball joints as smooth as butter? Will I still need all these special "adapter plates" still? I've searched google and tacomaworld and came up with a few results but not enough for me to be assured that this will be a simple task.

*Note: I'm thinking about Moog Ball Joints

 

How are your LCA bushings? The reason I ask is you can buy the whole new LCA with bushings and a new ball joint for $260 assuming you can re-use the mounting hardware (this assumes the mounting hardware within the bushings isn't just a solid piece of rusted metal).

 

Do you not know anyone that knows anyone? lol

The place I am thinking about... one of the shop owners we have been going to for YEARS for all of our collision repairs. He knows most all of my family and I suspect he might do it for free or charge like $20-$50. My uneducated guess would be that IF you take it in to a press, circlip already removed, no problems had with special adapters, I'm thinking it would probably be no more than $60. If I were you I would try to go back there while they do it... (I have a hard time trusting people messing with my stuff)

 

That's if you can get them off. Toyota didn't put any grease in there from the factory so it doesn't take much to make everything rust together. I couldn't get my LCA bolts out and ended up cutting them to remove the LCA. If that's the case, on top of the $260 LCA, you have to buy another $30-40 worth of mounting hardware per side. I don't know what the ball joints cost but the bushings were almost $100 per side so at some point, just buying the whole LCA may become more cost effective than taking the time swapping out bushings and ball joints on your old LCA, especially if you have to pay a shop for the press.

Just throwing it out there. If you're handy, and do all the work yourself, it's cheaper to swap parts out, but if you're in a hurry and can't have your truck down, buying the whole LCA assembly might be something to consider.

 

I actually just bought new LCAs. Was asking about ball joint press just because I was interested in greasable ball joints. FYI a reciprocating saw is MUCH safer than an angle angle grinder (more precise)... Attached are photos for your viewing pleasure of some of my recent hardships... Also had to cut through rear leaf spring bolts (front ones)... getting the old bushings out of the a-arms was wayyy too difficult and and I forget what other issues there were. I just ended up buying new LCAs. My 5100s on one side were seized as well. I just cut the shock off to make things easier to work with. I was 18 (4 years ago) when I installed these shocks and replicated what Toyota had already in place (so I probably didn't grease them since I didn't know any better lol)



Maybe I'll get a build thread going when this is all done...

 

That all looks way too familiar... giving me flashbacks to burning out the hole bushings! I got mine out the same way, good ole Sawzall

 

One other pic...

 

I couldn't get the rotary tools to work for me either. I toasted a bunch of Milwaulkee blades on one LCA bolt, then switched to a Lenox blade and finished the job with one blade. I dosed the crap out of everything with PB Blaster every day for a week before the project and used PB Blaster as cutting oil which helped a lot.

 

The angle grinder will disintegrate and grab the grinder and throw it. (no matter how firm your grip is)

seemed to be the case for me at least...

 

Have you actually tried to take them out Ray ? I thought for sure my bolts weren't seized as I could move them but they were in fact seized to the inner bushing sleeve

 

Mine would barely rotate but they would not come out.....):

 

lol... I used up a bunch of Lennox blades and then changed to a cut off wheel and it cut like butter. Everyone has their own way best for them.

not I. no issues whatso ever. your cut off wheels look thick. try thinner next time maybe

this.... loosen cam bolts, remove shock, and try to cycle the LCA. thats when you truly know whats going on down there.

 

And what Will happen if I cycle it and it is siezed? At first it didn't even rotate....maybe if I hit it with a hammer

 

cam will move with LCA as you cycle it. also will be a pita to cycle.

 

When I Jack my truck up the cams don't move at all

 

If you try to force it I am thinking you may flatten the cam adjustment tabs on the frame..... Don't want to do that...

Just be careful and ensure your cams aren't pushing the tabs real hard

 

that has absolutely nothing to do with it. you can't see the problem. I could also show you pics of my seized ones and they look identical to my brand new ones.

judging from the amount of rust your fubar

 

If its siezed then shouldn't you not be able to loosen the bolt?

 

nope. nut comes right off bolt. bolt is seized to sleeve. bolt should not spin so if you apply torque to only the bolt then you are correct.