1999 - how can I tell if bearings or LBJ is bad?

Hello all. I just read a few posts about LBJ or bearings being bad causing front wheels to lock up or buckle in or simply just sheer/fly right off. How can I tell if any of these parts are bad? I have 208k. I'm a bit paranoid now.....I always have my kids in the car. They are ages 2 and 4. Thanks guys!

 

put a jack under the control arm and lift the truck till that tire is off the ground. grab the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and try to wiggle it. there should be little to no movement....for tie rods grab the tire at 3 and 9 and do the same. again there should be little to no movement in the tie rod (you will get some movement from the rack and pinion though)...this is the quick and easy way to check

 

Most of the time when you read about lower ball joint failures, it ends up not the ball joint itself that has failed. Instead it is the mounting bolts for the ball joint that has been the issue. These bolts are known to get loose. One missing is enough to weaken the others causing them to shear off.

A simple and wise maintenance item is to check those bolts (4 per ball joint on each side) for torque.

 

Catastrophic 1st gen LBJ failure comes in 2 flavors.

#1 The 4 mount bolts loosen due to faulty installation, see post #13. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/310722-2nd-time-bolts-sheered-off.html

#2 The ball joint itself pulls apart because it was left in service way past it's safe life. This happens because it was not checked properly. The traditional inspection methods do not apply to 1st gen LBJs.

Below is the one and only inspection method and in this case even Toyota fails to mention that the lower control arm (with the weight of the truck) should be supported with a jack. No amount of "shaking the tire" will show the tiny amount (0.020") of acceptable up and down play. Use a pry bar between the spindle and the LCA, If you can see any movement, it's time to place your parts order.

 

Thanks for the reply. Is my 99 affected by this recall? Im the second owner is there a way to tell if this recall was ever fixed? Im super paranoid now especially with driving my kids around on the weekends and having a 110 mile work commute during the week. What should i do? thanks

 

Lift truck up by the frame so the suspension is in full droop. Carefully insert prybar between lower control arm and ball joint bracket. Pry and check for play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqw85L_sMgE

At 208k the recall has no real effect. Even a good-quality ball joint can be worn out by then. And if the dust boot is damaged and grease leaks out, wear accelerates exponentially.

 

thanks for reply. will toyota fix this for free? how do i know i fall under the recall or is all 1st gens plagued by this disease? shit this is some serious stuff....doing 75 on the freeway and wheel sheers off could cause fatality! fukc

 

Ball joints, like tires and brakes, will wear out over time yet are critical. The way guard against failure is periodic inspection. If you get oil changes done at a shop, they'll typically check the condition of the ball joints as part of their multi-point courtesy inspection.

Check them like the video shows. If they are tight, you are good. If they have visible play, get them replaced. Ball joints are cheap, < $60 each on RockAuto (search for RAYBESTOS Part # 5051266 & 5051267).

 

Thanks. Should I get an OEM ball joints or are aftermarket ones good as well? Do the ball joints also include the bolts? I read on a thread that Toyota didnt put long enough bolts on the ball joints; not sure if this applies to me or not. Is there also an upper ball joint or just a lower? Thanks!

 

OEM ball joints supposedly last longer but costs more ($88 at Toyota of Dallas): http://tps.toyotaofdallas.com/parts...siteid=214074&vehicleid=69979&diagram=8510615 (item 16)

After 15 years and 208k, I think if Toyota used incorrect hardware, it would have failed by now. Nonetheless it's a good idea to replace the bolts with new ones because of fatigue, corrosion, etc. The Raybestos ball joints come with new bolts, according to the photo on RockAuto. Not sure if the OEM part does. You can call the site and verify.

The upper ball joint is item 3 in the parts catalog link above. The dealer may not sell it separately. RockAuto has it for $25 (DEEZA Part # TYG602).

 

My OEM ball joints came with all new bolts. I even ordered 8 thinking that it wouldn't so now I have 8 backup bolts.

 

Interesting. My OEm balljoints did not come with mounting bolts.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys!!!