Replace both lower ball joints or just the one?

‘09 125k dclb
Went on a trip to Florida and pulled off to get a gas refill and heard this terrible squeak when Turing in the parking lot. People stared

It sounded like it was coming from both wheels from inside the cab. I was in Florida for a week with normal driving around. The sound would be intermittent. Then the sound stopped on my trip back home.

When I got back to Tennessee I started checking my lbjs.

it seems that my driver side ball joint is going bad. (I jacked up my truck and could feel some slight play when wiggling the tire side to side, but up and down it was solid.)

so I’m assuming my lower ball joint is going bad. I’ve never replaced them before but it seems pretty straight forward.

should I replace both? Or just the one that seems to need it?

 

You should feel movement up and down with a bad ball joint or wheel bearing. Side to side movement would point towards a tie rod end.

LBJs on these trucks typically involve the entire lower control arm, and almost always new alignment cams since they need to be cut out with a carbide sawsall blade. It's probably the only significant repair these trucks typically see. Doing just the LBJ is rare since you need an alignment after, and since the cam is seized you can't align it.

I'd do a little more troubleshooting to make sure it's actually the problem.

 

I would do both LCA’s at once. That way you get new ball joints and bushings. As said above, be prepared for the cam bolts to be seized up. My ‘06 has lived its entire life in Ca and I was able to reuse mine. I went ahead and did everything else at had same time, UCAs / tie rod ends / sway bar end links / coil overs / ect. Since I was already in there.

 

Check your cab mount bushings, i was convinced need to replace ball joint. Bushings were cracked

 

Yep. On a wear part that will eventually need to be replaced anyways, replace them both. I’m surprised by how often this kind of question comes up. Unless you’re horribly strapped for funds there’s no question here. That is if you replace one, do them both.

Think of getting an alignment on one worn LCA/bushings and one new… how long is that going to track nicely? Not something I’d want to think about.

 

Thanks Z! I'll check out that tie rod. It's had a busted upper boot almost since I bought it but it never complained to me.

 

I agree. IF that's it, do both and consider it good for a while.
I do the same with bulbs too.

 

It definately looks like the upper tie rod end. Its boot has been torn forever. But after I pulled the lower tie rod end, the tie rod was very freely swinging around in its joint. It had no resistance at all.

https://youtube.com/shorts/5Jr8r4qZB74?si=79gy9Pn2pNgu1UKu

 

Dang! Glad it didn’t come apart at speed. Only one I ever had break was in my driveway. Jammed itself between the rim a break disk.