Checking if my LBJs need to be replaced after work done on front suspension

Hello 1st genners,

I recently acquired a new 1st gen: a 1997 Tacoma 5-speed 4x4 Xtracab with 164,000 miles on it. It came from a loving family that did a lot of good maintenance on it. I've been going through the maintenance records, and the following work was done on the suspension in January of 2023:

First the material description:

• $98 90369-54002 Bearing
  90369-54002 R-F wheel bearing
• 43502-35170 R-F wheel hub
• 90312-95002 Outer wheel seal
• 90316-69001 Inner wheel seal
• 88-1573x P-S rack boots (2x)
• 2610-326594 Innter tie rod ends (2x)
• 45064-3928 L-F outer tie rod end
• 45047-39175 R-F outer tie rod end
• 08921-04950 Cooling fan clutch

And the labor description:

• Replace R-F wheel bearing and hub
• Replace inner and outer tie rod ends and boots on P-S rack
• Replace cooling fan clutch
• Front end alignment

That's it! So I think I need to still replace the LBJs to get a baseline? I am planning on putting the truck on a neighbors hoist this weekend to test the LBJs, but am leaning to changing them out if not 100% sure they have been recently swapped. Also I'm quite puzzled why they went through all that effort and didn't replace the ball joints when they were at it!

Comments welcome, thanks!

Cheers

TxIn

 

I would just change them, it's not hard and then you will know for sure.

 

Yes, just change em! Clean truck keep it that way, I would use OEM lbj’s, buts that’s me.

 

I don’t think there is a proven way to test them. I’ve seen posts of people who religiously check for play every oil change, and still have a lbj failure. Just replacing them every ~80k is the way to go.

 

~80k?

 

Maybe the boots were in good enough condition and there wasn't significant play. Either way, for the sake of safety, I'd just replace them AND THE BOLTS to have a full baseline.

 

Earlier if you beat on the truck, for mostly dedicated trail rigs they be replaced around 30-50k.

IIRC factory recommendation is 100k, I'd go a little earlier to be safe, hence the ~80k.