Lower ball joint boot damage?

How it looks currently...starting to stress out about it

 

dude... you are fine, a little weeping of grease. Both mine look like that at 105k miles, both are tight and smooth and have plenty of grease inside.

 

Thanks guys appreciate the positive vibes

 

So I should I wipe it down and monitor to see if it oozes out more?

 

Leave the grease. and if you are concerned about the joint its very easy to check it. Jack the truck up pull the tire off, undo the two big bolts that hold it to the spindle and you can move it around freely. Those bolts are 118ftlbs fyi.

 

Don't stress man. My boot is exactly the same. I honestly think there's a defect in the manufacturing of the boot. Is this your driver's side? I'm not worried about it at all. Maybe one day when I do UCA I'll replace it.

 

Yeah that’s my driver side

 

Aint no defect..... opening of the boot is at the bottom, gravity pulls grease to the bottom, air inside expands from heat and pushes a smidge of grease out. NO. BIG. DEAL.

 

I've never seen a ball joint with an engineered defect built right in, but u may be right.

 

It isn't unusual to have some grease squeeze out. Even on these sealed style. Wipe out down, and look for any boot damage. If you can't see any then just drive the truck into the ground like the rest of us!

 

This shows it as part of the LCA. That's lame. https://parts.camelbacktoyota.com/v...6-gas/front-suspension--suspension-components

 

My passenger side ball joint looked like yours so I replaced it this weekend. Once it was out of the control arm, it did feel a bit loose, but I would probably have been fine leaving it on the vehicle for a while longer.

Used a clamp style ball joint press and it was close to impossible to press the old one out. I replaced it with an AC Delco ball joint with a zerk. Pressing it back in, the threads on the c clamp broke in half. I ended up using a friends shop press to get the new one in. It was not as easy as I thought it would be. In the future, I may have just replaced the entire control arm, but $40 vs $250.

 

Apparently there is a replacement available now! https://www.bilsteinlifts.com/shop/...l-joint-boot-kit-for-2005-2020-toyota-tacoma/

 

Revive:

I was reconnecting my steering knuckle two bolts. I had to adjust that knuckle to get the bolts through and noticed the grease.
that adjustment was swiveling it to get the bolts though. Does that mean it’s failing?

 

Pics?

 

How many miles did you have? I missed the part where you said it felt loose last year

 

I dont remember exactly. Maybe 50 or 60k. I think I would have been fine leaving it alone, but it would have always been on my mind.

 

This has been an interesting thread. I had taken my 3rd Gen in for one of the free oil changes and they noted that my lower right ball joint may need to be replaced. If I can recall correctly they quoted me $1200 to replace (it may have been for both sides).

That was probably a year or so ago and I finally got around to looking at the ball joint . It looks very similar to the other photos. Maybe I'll replace it soon

 

LBJs are a wear item

Yes. Toyota doesn't sell the LBJs apart from the LCAs for 3rd gens

 

I noticed both driver and passenger side were like this today on my 2017 at 61k miles.