Ball Joints - Mevotech

I don’t like how the boots are secured. I’ve used them and they seem gimmicky with the cerakote type finish and blue boots.
I cannot attest to their longevity or strength, but the boots do pop off on install if you’re not careful.

 

@lbhsbz - You're still missing an important point. No Toyota parts website features ball joints as stand alone parts you can purchase for my 2016. I do not have adequate vehicle information to check the complete Gen3 MY range of 2016-2023 but I find nothing. In fact, I have not been able to confirm the lower ball joints @Revelations referred us to are compatible with my SR5 yet. I contacted a couple of Toyota dealers by email late last week about this but none have responded.

 

The ball joints are hilux ball joints that are imported from Japan or sold directly by a Japanese seller. If you do a search on this forum for hilux ball joints, there is one person who has successfully used them. I have a set on hand and will be installing them next month.

 

Thanks for this additional information. I'll begin looking into this tomorrow.

 

My ebay hilux balljoint is going strong and I have a spare in the toolbox cause they were sold as a pair.

 

No trying to start a fight but genuinely curious, how do you know they aren't OEM. I don't have my old ones anymore but they were near identical down to the marking on the ones I removed. Only difference between both in my hand was the paint on the shell of one and bare metal of the other.

For Mevotech I'll agree and retract my statement as I was mixing it up with Delphi. I apologize for the confusion there... I'm dead on night shift

 

Because I was in the chassis parts business for about 5 years, and we bought some products from 555. They don't make anything OE. If you're seeing the same markings....it's very possible that either the stuff had been replaced before, or Sankai 555 bought out OEM overrun parts (which we used to do to when the opportunity arose).

Example: The 1st gen tacoma / 3rd gen 4runner lower ball joints, from Toyota, these use a 2 piece delrin/polyurethane liner and a polished ball stud, sealed design. The Sankai 555 part is a metal on metal style that is greaseable...and required servicing or it will gall and wear in short order.

 

My search for anything featuring 'ball joints', 'hilux' or,'hilux ball joints' only identified lower ball joints which is what I purchased on ebay last evening. In fact, there are a few ebay sellers that offer these. Has anyone identified an OEM ball joint for the upper?

 

Interesting. I've owned the truck since new so aside from my brief TTX experience, the 555's are the only other joint to get installed on the truck.

I didn't cut open the old ball joint but hearing this now I wish I did. Atleast when ever these wear out I could then cut them open too to compare. I'm curious if there are any internal discrepancies.

The 555's I installed are also sealed and as I mentioned aside from one having a painted shell and one being bare, they were identical. Both even had the same colour grease in them.

 

The ball joint on the 1st gen taco / 3rd gen 4runner / 1st gen Tundra is unique in that the stud is loaded such that it is trying to get pulled out of the housing...Literally every aftermarket unit for these is not designed correctly. The sealed units all use a delrin liner of the type typically found in an "idler" type joint...with no real load on it (like an upper ball joint, for example)...when used in the joint I mentioned, the material creeps and loosens up quick. Metal on metal is OK, but requires regular servicing...which typically doesn't happen because what tech is gonna go around looking for grease fitting that shouldn't be there in the first place?

Many of the idler joints and loaded joints that push the ball into the housing are designed OK (in the aftermarket), but execution is poor. Surface finish on the balls is typically not as good as the OEM, which will result in premature wear of the delrin (POM) liner.

After spending 5 years playing with chassis parts from about every factory in China, Spain, Turkey, Taiwan, etc... My stuff gets OEM ball joints, bushings, and tie rod ends unless they're not available anymore.

 

I use Mevotech greaseable sway bar links on our Subaru's and have good luck with longevity.

 

Check out their website...this page specifically states they are an aftermarket supplier. If a company was an OE supplier, they would mention it every chance they get...but nowhere does it state that they service the OEMs.

http://www.sankei-555.co.jp/profile

Also, I know of at least one factory in Taiwan who has a "555" brand, basically counterfeit Sankai 555 parts. If you go with 555, order from a reputable source...not ebay/Amazon

 

Let’s go back to OP’s first post. He is planning to lift the truck 2 to 3 inches. He should not be looking for OEM anything. In fact, he should not be looking for stand-alone ball joints at all. When you lift the truck that high, you need aftermarket upper control arms to return to an acceptable alignment. OP needs to buy complete aftermarket UCA’s.

I run SPC UCA’s with no problems but a lot of folks here have had trouble with SPC. Either identify a quality aftermarket UCA, or change your plans regarding how high you want to lift. Usually you run into alignment problems at about 2 inches of lift with factory UCA’s.

Buy once, cry once. I’ve been down that road with UCA’s.

 

Used them on my 06 Ranger. They had play in them within about 6 months. 50/50 city highway. No offroad.

 

I'll be limiting this to 2" after the reading I've done in the past few days and learning more about the Gen3 suspension issues. Anything higher and I would say I'm playing with statistics that do not favor me and I do not regard that as constructive.

You're exactly right...buy once cry once. At the moment, I'm going with the HiLux lower ball joints in view of what I've learned here on TW. For the uppers, perhaps the Sankei 555, used low mileage OEM UCA's or new OEM UCA's from one of the Toyota parts dealers that also operates a wholesale business. The Toyota Pro lift kit is a legitimate option but would likely cost far too much and would introduce purchasing the Pro OEM UCA every time thereafter which are extremely costly.

 

After you lift, check that the fins of your CV boots aren’t pressed together. You can’t go wrong with adjustable-height coilovers, in that if you run into alignment or clearance issues, you can lower them incrementally until the issue is resolved.

 

Sorry to derail again everyone. Last comment then i'll stfu.

interesting and all true that you've stated... wtf happened to my truck then where it ended up having 555's from new. Anyways thanks for the info and pointing out 555's aren't OEM. I'll stop saying they are

 

That's a good question, and one that I don't have an answer for.

 

Does Spicer make a replacement ball joint for this application? They were a known very good brand a while back.

 

Nope, I just called ECGS who has the Spicer/Dana Ball Joint kit, but they stated it does not fit the Toyota Tacoma. Oh well....