Ball joint brands

hello again everyone I am ready to replace all 4 BJ's on my taco since I've been hearing a clicking noise from the front every time I go over bumps anyway I was thinking going to an aftermarket greasable BJ to replace the oem's I was looking @ the mevotech ttx & the moogs but I've been reading a lot of negative reviews online about them not lasting & wearing out so fast. Is there any other better brand of BJ's out there that you guys recommend or should I just stick to the oem? What r u guys running & what are your experiences with moog/mevotech or any other brands?

 

Absolutely oem for the lower. As for the upper there are a lot of companies that make control arms with nice ball joint options and allow better alignments with or without lift. Or oem if you want to just keep it stock.
Also, you check your wheel bearings for wear?

 

I'm just gonna run my stock UCA's & no I haven't checked my bearings yet

 

I would suggest the Mevotech TTX line. You cannot compare them to Moogs- it’s apples to oranges- I ordered a set and immediately returned them due to their piss poor quality. The boots alone felt paper thin.

Mevotech ttx line is the same as the NAPA gold line. I installed a set on my Tacoma and they’ve held up great. For a second gen, I’d have no trouble putting them on. For a first gen (or third gen 4r) I’d definitely go OEM though.

 

You could buy used 3rd Gen UCAs with low miles, which are the same as 2nd Gen for cheap instead of the hassle of rebuilding your stock UCAs or getting subpar aftermarket. As far as LCAs I agree with ryfox and I would go with OEM.

 

I would go oem but the thing I don't like about em is they're not greasable & I'm guessing the oem's are more $$ than the aftermarket?

 

OEM lower ball joints cannot be purchased standalone for 2nd gens here in the US- you need to buy the whole LCA (unless something has changed since I looked last). There are sources in Dubai / SA that sell OEM lower ball joints though I havent tried that route ever. With so many counterfeit parts out there (anything on ebay that isnt from a dealer), I just dont trust them

 

I would go oem but the thing I don't like about em is they're not greasable & I'm guessing the oem's are more $$ than the aftermarket?

did u install them yourself or a mechanic? I'm wondering since I've been reading that they are a PITA to remove on the 2nd gens since they are pressed in. Should I just rent a BJ remover from the parts store & give it a try or should I just get a mechanic to do it?

 

I would go oem but the thing I don't like about em is they're not greasable & I'm guessing the oem's are more $$ than the aftermarket?

did u install them yourself or a mechanic? I'm wondering since I've been reading that they are a PITA to remove on the 2nd gens since they are pressed in. Should I just rent a BJ remover from the parts store & give it a try or should I just get a mechanic to do it?

 

I did the install myself in conjunction with whiteline bushings so they were off the truck.
I own a ball joint press kit and it wasn’t bad at all. I did freeze the ball joints overnight in hopes of them being slightly smaller. Not sure if that helped or not.

I did struggle on the bushing install though- that sucked lol

 

Ahh ok well then I'll go rent a BJ tool kit from the store & attempt it thanks for the reply

 

My experience/advice comes from rebuilding multiply 3rd gen 4runner front ends, and that has AWLAYS been that the aftermarket parts ( especially ball joints) are sub-par at best, most are absolute garbage. I've had the worst experiences with the NAPA parts, even the sankei 555 brand which is "claimed" to be the OE vendor to Toyota. The Moog components have past the point of no return for quality, I've even stopped using them when doing front end work on domestic trucks, which is where Moog always shined above anything else.

I always use Toyota BJ's and hardware when I do that work anymore. If someone doesn't want to pay for those parts, I don't do the work. Way too many ill fitting parts from the aftermarket, tapers on the studs that don't have the correct length on them, splined bodies that can be seated in place with a normal "c" clamp, boots that don't fit correctly. Cheaply made, ill fitting replacement control arms, installation instructions that tell you to drill out the holes to fit the mounting hardware in place.

OEM parts will always fit and function the best, although I fully understand that they are stupid expensive and can kill a budget very quickly.

 

When did Toyota dealers start carrying ball joints for 2nd gens? Thought they only sold whole control arm assemblies (though you could buy the bushings separately).

 

As far as I know they don't. I was referring to the whole assembly.

 

That can be an order of magnitude increase in part cost and labor time, especially if the cam bolts are seized in the LCA bushings and have to be cut out (ever looked the cost of the cam bolts at the dealer?)

@Dr. Hook go with Mevotech TTX - better corrosion protection on the stud pin than Moog and regreaseable. If you go off-road, that ball joint interior will get contaminated no matter who makes it, so the best way to ensure joint longevity is to flush it with new grease yearly.

 

OP, the OEM ball joints are available but you have to import them from Japan or the UAE, depending on stock levels at the time. I have rebuilt many 2nd Gen. LCAs using the OEM ball joints and the OEM bushings. I have a 20 ton press and I probably would not attempt it with one of those loaner tools.

Since about 2010 I have not found an aftermarket joint that was worth the time to install IMHO. None have a decent boot or internals remotely equal to OEM. And stay far, far away from Moog as they have fallen to the very bottom and beyond.

The aftermarket used to have a number of good choices. If you can find some new, old stock of Spicer Professional, Raybestos Professional, ACDelco (these are all the very same joint), or even Moog with the Asian box label from about 2005 or earlier, they tended to be much better and had a grease zerks. But they must be old stock not new.