Help: Lower Ball Joint- Replace ASAP??

Hello wonderful tacoma world. Reaching out for help/ opinions of how bad my lower ball joints are. I know I need to replace & was planning on doing within the next month but I have to make a trip to Phoenix this weekend (600 miles round trip).

Are these dangerously bad to the point I shouldn't be driving on them?? FYI - I'm at 87k miles.

 

How many miles on those?

With a mileage number we could guess. But Nobody will be able to give you an honest answer without a physical inspection of the ball joints. Nobody can do that over the internet.

IMO you are probably fine, but that is just a guess.

 

You need to check them by unloading the weight on a steady jack and prying up on the tire.

They look old and worn, but visual is not the way to check them.

 

I'm at 87k miles- Good feedback & will include for future posts, thanks

 

My advice is to go to an independent garage and ask them to check your ball joints for you. The only thing you can tell by looking at them is if the boots are ripped or leaking. The boots on yours are ok. The way to check for play in a ball joint on trucks like ours is to lift under the lower control arm and raise the tire 2 inches off the ground. Then with a long pry bar or crow bar (I use 3 ft long pry bar) lift up under the tire. If you can feel the tire move upward(usually with a clunk) then your ball joint has play in it and should be replaced.

 

Jack up that side of the truck, put on a jack stand. Then grab the tire at 12 and 6 (like a clock) and try to push back and forth. If there is play, you should replace. It could also mean that your upper joints need replacement too.

But just looking at them not knowing anything else about miles etc, they look ok. Even factory ball joints will weep like that. If the boots are visually torn, then id replace also.

 

Wow thanks & great info everyone. I think I'll initially try the 12 & 6 method by @fatfurious2 but will get them looked at ASAP before the trip.

Ultimately, I'm about to start a 4x4 conversion in a few weeks & was going to replace uppers & lowers while I'm in there doing the diff, axles & steering knuckle work. In researching a lot of the front end work needed I got very paranoid about ball joints & failure.

 

Fyi, the knuckles that you have are the same as 4x4s. You would just need to knock out the dust cap and get the appropriate seals

 

I did think of that but wanted to preasemble new hubs & replace those uppers and lowes! Your suggestion would have saved me money though which would have helped as a few other costs are increasing!