First gen lower ball joints

with shipping that’s a pretty good deal. Just picked mine up yesterday. Bolts and all. Around 270 ish but then again I’m in CA

 

LBJs aren't a lifetime part, they do need changing depending on mileage and use. But they all go bad eventually

That being said if it turns out they have red on them, just use a blowtorch to heat the bolt and they'll come out

 

Yeah I ordered them from mcGeorge Toyota parts online just installed them today.

 

Mine aren't even a 1 year part. They get swapped out every 6 months. The bolts are also aftermarket 10.9 that get red loctite. That shit backs right off with a 1/2" impact and no heat.

 

Have you seen or thought about doing those uniball lowers by Solo (I think)? I thought I saw them before but maybe it was just a prototype

 

weird. My bolts were really tight and they are just 8.8 with blue loctite. So I put did the same thing just put blue loctite back on and torqued to 59 ft lbs.

 

The Solo kit is north of 3K to get that set-up. I'd SAS before I went that route. I just use $50 ProForged LBJs every 6 months. Before everyone jumps my shit for not going OEM here's a fact. Last year I put an OEM LBJ on the drivers side. I put a PF on the passenger side. After 3 months the OEM LBJ had more play then the PF. After 6 months the OEM had WAY more play then the PF. So, PF it is for me. lol

I use my rig a lot different then most guys here. It's in big rocks on hard trails more often then it's cruising a forest road. You could call my use the extreme end of the spectrum. Because of that I've seen way more failures then most will.

I've had the stock bolts shear off twice. After that I found a 10.9 replacement. I've been running those 10.9s for 18 months and have yet to have any issues. A lot of LBJ failures you read about here are the stock bolts failing and not the ball pulling out of the socket. That's why most guys choose to get new OEM bolts when swapping the LBJs. Most also use blue loctite which is totally sufficient. I use red because it won't let those 10.9s back out regardless of how hard I beat on my rig.

 

Well at less than 5k miles a year this truck will fall apart from rust before it needs new LBJs again unfortunately

 

Rust is nature's loctite after all

 

FYI the Mevotechs I bought come with 10.9 grade black oxide coated bolts

From the way I understand it though, that isn't going to help thread shear since it makes the bolt tensile strength stronger but more brittle.

 

So I've just bought a 2002 Tacoma, V6, 5spd, 4wd, 217k miles, and I gather from numerous sources that lower ball joints are a common (and apparently often overlooked) failure point. I've read various instructions to R&R the damn things, including special tools. My question: couldn't I just whack the $hit out of it and pop it loose? It's getting replaced, after all. I've done tie rods and so forth that require, shall we say, more delicate removal. Am I missing something special about these ball joints before I order a couple and jack up the truck with hammer in hand? FWIW, I grew up with a poor set of tools and no money to buy anything better. As a fully (ha!) functioning adult, I've decided it's best to buy the right tool for the job, now that I can (mostly) afford it. Just wondering in this instance if extra tools are actually needed. I'm accumulating a garage full of (likely) one-time use tools, 'cause dammit, that made the job easier. And I'm happy about it, 'cause I know the job was done right, and I (maybe) spared myself from bleeding excessively. Just hate wasting money on pitmann pullers and whatnot if I don't need one. Thanks!
Jim B.
Grove City, OH

 

Yeah some people are able to pop them loose with a hammer or sledge. I tried that first but it wasn't coming off, getting a good angle on it while on the ground with the truck on jack stands wasn't easy. I picked up a $15 pitman puller from Harbor Freight and it popped it off easily. You can also rent them for cheap at Pep Boys or the like but the hammer method should work.

 

Can someone link me to the bolts for the LBJ? I plan on ordering the OEM parts but none of the diagrams have the bolts in them and I cant seem to find them. (Are nuts /lock washers needed as well?)

Another question--after looking at mine they appear original and theres a good amount of rust. I assume PB blaster for a few days before, then propane torch should be enough to get em off? Any tips welcome. Just realized my power steering rack is leaking and am trying to do as much as I can DIY to save money. Still gonna go OEM on the LBJs though.

 

$197 43340-39585 Toyota Ball Joint - 43340-39585

43340-39585

$222 43330-39815 Toyota Ball Joint - 43330-39815

43330-39815

 

where did y'all get the 555? I don't see them on Rockauto. Rockauto also only has the front lower left for my RWD Base for ACDelco professional for whatever reason.

 

This is where I got mine.

https://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/toy...coma-4x4-lower-ball-joints-made-in-japan.html

 

Been backordered for awhile; may as well go OEM.

 

If you have a RWD 1996 Tacoma then you have a 5lug, the ball joints are entirely different than whats being talked about in this thread. I don't know if 555 is offered for the 5 lugs but the ones on Low Range Offroad's website will not work for your truck

(reason I assume 5 lug is because the RWD Prerunners weren't around until 1998)

 

dang, didn't even notice that.

Did a little googling and here's another source, thought these seem more pricey and help make the case for OEM...

https://www.partsgeek.com/gbproduct...P2qq_IlPWw06beM7vxMYX9UFUdAJHLpxoCalsQAvD_BwE

 

You can loosen the lbj nut, lift the truck by the lbj stud with a floor jack than a little whack with a hammer will have it off in no time I've even had intstances where it pops out by itself


I have ctr ball joints and tie rods on my 4 runner, they're made in south korea, I've jumped it plenty of times and drive like a complete dick with no sways... Like a year and a half ago... they're still tight as new as of the other week and the coating on the joints are still glossy... No need to paint them or look at rust like 555s

The bolt head surfaces are machined flat like oe, so the bolt heads tighten down more even and have a better chance of not loosening up... Since the bolt heads only tighten down on the peaks of the rough casting there's a chance they could loosen up as the casting flattens out if it isn't deformed when the bolt is tightened

Hence why oe joints have machined surfaces

Another cool thing the dust boot on those particular ctr joints is vulcanized to the joint and is thick as shit so you won't have a boot that rips up like I had with my tacomas 555s... Joint was alright but the boots wernt present on the first set I replaced

Ps if you get 555s get the the sealed ones and not the greaseable ones... they feel much better out the box and don't splooge grease everywhere as you service them