WTF is wrong here

What am I looking at? can anyone tell me what happened here? Picture is on its side, and your looking at the lower front ball joint (Yes it needs to be replaced)

 

that's the outer tie-rod. Yes, with the boot compromised, either the boot or the whole tie-rod should be replaced. I'd replace the dust shield as well. Looks like something got angry at the general area.

 

I wouldn't drive it far as it is. Your cotter key is almost out, which is what keeps the tie rod on the wheel. If the tie rod comes off while driving, you will have a very bad day.

 

I'm pretty skilled and good with my hands. How difficult is it to replace ball joints with hand tools solo? and I guess the dust shield as well. What do you think could have done that...... its the exact same on the other side as well. How to you make the ball joint have a mechanical weld on the control arm? It seems like the last time I assisted a friend with a ball joint we couldn't get the nut tight enough because the joint would start to rotate and spin the nut, we had to trailer it in. I think we used something called a pickle fork and they came out okay but it was getting the new ones to "stick" into the cone shaped receiver on the control arm. Thanks so much for your assistance!

 

looks like a gun shot......

 

Subbed for intrigue, sorry no help here.

 

floor jack under the ball joint forcing the tapered shank into the tapered hole does the trick.

Or just making sure the threads are super clean will also work.

Outer tie rods are cake to replace, no more than an hour for the whole job for a first timer.

 

That's the kinda stuff I'm talking about... good clean innovation. Floor jack is a great idea. Any thoughts on the upper ball joint? That's the one that we couldn't get the last time and I don't think the jack would work in that situation. Any recommendations on where to buy the four Ball joints and dust shield?

 

Go OEM on the ball joints. Not sure the best place to get them though.

And as for the upper, maybe the spare bottle jack between the upper arm and inner fender holding it down, then a floor jack under the lower joint holding the spindle up.

 

Ya know, I was wrong. I thought the cotter key was almost out. Looking again, it is all the way out and gone.
Second look also shows evidence that someone tried to get that BJ out, but gave up. Didn't have the right tools.

 

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

the $15 small ball joint puller from Autozone helps make things go easier.

I'm actually doing my driver side LBJ and OTR today. Got everything apart, starting to put it all back together.

 

Man I would have killed for a step by step with pictures of that sir! I am on a pretty tough budget so I really don't have much of a choice when I comes to doing these things now.

 

Where did you purchase your parts?

 

Camelback Toyota. They have a parts thread down in the vendor section.

 

The dust shield is chewed up like that in the exact same Manor on the other side. I could see running over something and getting that result... But not when it's the same on both sides. I just had the rack and pinion replaced..... does the tie rod look bad?

 

There is your answer.
Whoever replaced your rack, beat the tar out of those tie rids to get them out to replace the rack. I'm surprised they did not sell you on new tie rod ends.
Else they trashed them trying to get them out and to add insult to injury they did not put the cotter pin back in creating a very unsafe truck to be on the road.
If you do. Not do anything else please grab a pair of cotter pins from a auto parts store and put the, in those tie rods.
Then buy new tie rods ASAP.

 

This is why I can't stand the thought of another person turning a wrench on my vehicles. Even getting new tires, I am as nervous as having a loved on in surgery.

 

I am the same way now. ...I guess I'll just need to man up and be prepared to do everything my self. .. Just so it can be done correctly. .. The worst pros for lying are auto mechanic's and Doctors.

 

Also while you have it apart, check and make sure the seat in the spindle isn't damaged. Something else looks off. The nut is very high, so much so that the cotter pin doesn't look like it would keep the nut from spinning. It almost looks like someone put the wring tie rod on, and it is too small to seat tightly in the spindle. (If this happened, the spindle is trashed)

 

Sorry friends. ..I have no idea what a spindle is. Just learning all this my self.