Upper Ball Joint Boots Busted 2007 Tacoma V6

I just recently replaced my upper ball joints several months ago. After replacement, the upper ball joint boots busted and grease started to come out. I already replaced it with a manufacturer one, and this time it happened again.

Can anybody here recommend a good upper ball joints boots that can be used to replace the manufacture ones? The one I’m using is MevoTech greasable by the way.

Thank you

 

Not sure why your boots are only lasting a few months. My 2003 Tacoma had original UBJs that weren’t rotted and dry after 17 years.

So, let’s question other things. Are you spraying chemicals onto them - car wash, brake cleaners, ArmorAll, etc?

Are you using approved grease?

 

No chemical at all. I just pumped grease into the boots after installation and that’s it. If you look at the pictures, there are small cracks on the boots, so idk if these boots are made with quality materials or not

 

It seems MevoTech is using garbage for dust boots. I am running Moog-K80811. The moog dust covers are somewhat problematic in that the design of the boot is too tall, but they will last a lot longer then the MevoTechs. My advice is just to leave it alone and grease it every six months. Unless there is play in the joint just leave it alone

 

I’m tired to take off the front suspension to just replace the boots. I think, I’m gonna grease regularly as you stated until the ball joints need to be replaced then I’ll just replace the whole thing, but this time, I’ll buy some OEM boots from dealership lol.

 

Wow, those boots look rotten and cracked.
You aren’t over filling them with grease are you?
A lot of guys over grease them, thinking the boots need to “puff” out.
3 pumps on a grease gun is sufficient. Then do it again next oil change.

 

I actually over filled it before that was why it busted in the first time. There is a overflow hole in the boot, I pumped the grease until seeing grease comes out from the overflow hole then stop. After the replacement, I just pumped a bit of grease. This ball joint is the greasable one.

 

Overflow hole in the boot? Sounds like a way for dirt and water to get in, and grease to leak out making a mess on a otherwise clean and dry suspension joint

I'd either upgrade to something fancy like Delta-Joint Icons or use OEM

 

I'm guessing it's cheap Chinese rubber. I've been the victim of that with aftermarket end links on a car- OE link boots lasted 15 years, Advance Auto link boots lasted 1 year.

With all the trouble my truck has had, it still has the OE BJ boots, and they are fine. After 180K miles.

 

They're dry rotted. Look at the cracks in his picture.

 

Not arguing that, I can see too. He stated they have a "drain hole" in the boot right out of the box

 

There are this little hole in the joint ball boots that I have. When pumping grease on the top several times, I waited a bit until I see grease comes out of this hole then I stop pumping.

 

I installed new UCA and LCA on both sides, in Jan '24, and have a 3 year warranty on the Ball Joint. RockAuto wants me to buy and return the entire UCA assembly and I pay for shipping, to because of a torn dust boot. Makes no sense! The labor of removing and reinstalling UCA, just to replace a dust boot would exhaust me and take so much time. MOOG says they do not know individual part numbers of the entire assembly. Told me a new High Utulization Ballhjoint is part #

$34 K80811 Front Upper Suspension Ball Joint for Toyota Tacoma

K80811. A new Ball joint from Rock Auto for the "High Utilization" Ball Joint is also shown as model # K80811. It sells for over $20 without shipping and taxes. I am thinking of getting one to do a Dust Boot swap, to avoid replacing the entire UCA. The cost of purchasing a ball joint, would probably be less then the return shipping of an entire UCA. I would pay the cost of new to avoid bending sheet metal again, to get it out of the way of the giant bolt which holds the UCA in place. The original Dust Boot is made of Neoprene. I have no idea why it split. I don't even want to look at the Passenger side, to avoid learning if that side also failed. The splitting of a dust boot is insane. The old UCA dust boots , on a sealed ball joint were still fine, on a 16 year old truck. A new part doesn't last even a year...and the warranty to replace an entire assembly is useless due to time, tax, labor, and shipping costs.

 

I agree with you. I replaced these myself so I saved a bit of labor cost but I can tell you, it is a PIA to take it off. So far, I took it off twice already for the same problem because of the parts were shitty. I looked at OEM parts but it’s just too pricey. I may in the future swap it out for an OEM, cry once and done.