Ouch my lower ball joint while drivin, need advice

I am all for DIY!
Trust me.

But suspension and alignment are very dangerous if done incorrectly. You can end up a picture on a street pole really quick.

It's just not the best project to take on by yourself.

 

Ima just say

k

 

Have something incorrectly installed or torqued and it snaps at 60/70 from a bump on the interstate.. Your going to end up flipping your truck.

 

Quite a few Alignment techs in that group as well .

I love when I am told "we are sorry your vehicle is to old the specs are not in our system"

Even though I have in hand all the data They would need no one can enter it or do a manual Alignment.

 

Don’t do it incorrectly
That’s where the write ups and YouTube come in.

But I guess if I had the money to have someone do it all for me I’d have no problem with it.

 

I guess it comes down to how you were raised.

Some people get real scared when I say Never Seize always goes on the Lower Ball Joint bolts I have no idea why

 

He's asking if he should take it on himself.

These things aren't always as easy as described.

There's no doubt it can be done, you will eventually pay someone to align the truck no matter what.

You can buy everything you would need and still get stuck somewhere. That's all I'm saying, sometimes it's better to just pay someone who has more equipment that is beneficial for your truck in the end.

I've had shops notice other issues that I didn't see, frame damage, etc. I've also had dealerships do awesome work, with toyota hardware, gaskets, bolts,, etc. readily available. So when work is done, they replace these things since they're already stocked in house. You might end up having to buy Dorman, aftermarket products that won't outlast their quality or accuracy.

Take it for what it is, but don't let people tell you it's always cheaper to do it yourself.

 

I'm a complete idiot if were not for you guys and utube.....
and I did my truck from bumper to bumper replacing everything....

I dont trust mechanics, half dont know what they're doing, professional guessers...
About 1 out of 10 are outright crooks....


Re: However when I was growing up....I had a highschool buddy do his brakes on restored mustang....

Something went wrong when going down 15st ....caliper locked up ....ended up upside side down 4 lanes accross on a cyclone fence...
It took 6 surgery's to rebuild his hand/wrist.....

 

its a 5 lug, 2.4 auto

uhmmm since my vehicle is literally one block away ….. yall think 3 of my friends can carry the left side passenger straight to my house ? lol

 

Jerry rig something on a car dolly....
the one wheel would get strapped in...
maybe steel milk crate on other side.....

All you got to do creep along for a block...

 

And dont pay any attention to those 4x4 vids...the Rwd 2.4 /2.7 everything on it is super easy to fix...

They're just hoping we share in their nightmare, which we dont,,
ours are simple rwd models built to last half million miles plus, with very little maintenance..

 

If you never try you'll never learn. Don't listen to people too scared to work on their own rig.

 

It is easy to spend other people money !

I recall my first clutch on the Camaro done in a low spot in the yard no torque wrench just craftsman hand tools long before harbor freight . It was not longer all the front end got redone in the day when Moog was the go to in steering and suspension parts..

It was the first time I was under a car a few months later I pulled the engine and did most of the rebuilding but the machine work.

If I needed to pay labor I would have been riding my bicycle saving money for a few years while the car sat.

 

I have been a hot tub technician for 14 years. Plumbing, electrical, some carpentry, etc. I’m no stranger to tools but I also know I’m not an ASE certified mechanic. That said, I’m self taught plus TW and the occasional YouTube video to work on my truck. So far no mistakes that I couldn’t work through myself. I did my lower ball joints in June. All new OEM parts down to the bolts and boot protectors. I have never done them before and no one was there to help. Before that, I installed whiteline LCA bushings into my arms and did all steering rack bushings. Went perfectly smooth. I think if someone feels uncertain or uneasy, they should trust their gut and not push the envelop. Safety matters. But it’s also possible to push past some first time jitters and just start turning wrenches.

 

At least a couple of us have had to deal with broken LBJ bolts. It sucks, but with a torch and some vise grips, it can be overcome. Look at it this way: if you get stuck in the middle of the project, what do you have to lose? The truck is already disabled in the middle of the street. Trying and failing vs. not even trying: both require a tow.

 

I bought the oem parts at toyota ($98) 4 bolts oem and the lower bj. I went longboarding to check on my truck, its just a block away (5houses down). The homeowner came out and he said “no problem”. I was talking with him and me and him had the same idea of jacking it up and put the ball back in the socket and ratchet strapping it and going VERY SLOWLY back to my house which is again 5 houses down the street. I didnt have time today (im too tired saving people) I will have time on Friday, sat, sunday. Thanks yall.

 

“Too tired from saving people.” Too funny, several people on this forum could have that as a general motto. But that’s what makes this place great, so many helpful people.

 

Just curious - how did you remove the oem LCA bushings? I'm facing this job at the moment, trying to decide if I should undertake it myself. I'd pay a local member to help out if I could find someone willing.

 

I used a heat gun and the factory jack. Metal sleeve come out easy

 

If its rwd .....id just install the Bj at curve side, limp home and then check tru everything...
take couple jacks and a ratchet strap.....

I think you got lucky....hopefully no other damage.....
could of been much worse....