New with a 98 Tacoma Ball Joints popped.

Just bought it and has 227xxx on it. Put about 130 mile on her and going out my drive it came apart. Lucky was going slow and on sand so didn't kill a lot. Went to O'Rileys as I hadn't read all the horror stories about ball joints in after market. They sold me a pair of bare ball joints saying top and bottom are the same. Looking at the bottom once got it off I don't see as it is a replaceable press in like the top.

The axle assembly ripped the boot and the bears on the end while intact are filled with our grand red Mississippi sand.Am I better off to replace rather then try to wash all that sand out and hope for the best?

Are the OEM ball joints really that superior to the parts store? I am looking to get the most longevity I can and will be keeping a close eye on the other side as well. I won't be doing many highway miles mostly national forest mud roads and farmer two tracks.

No lift done on this as yet. Only mods I know of are the PO put a DVD player in, a headache rack with 5 big honking lights you would need to run a generator to keep going and under truck purdy lights guess he never heard about chrome don't get you home.

 

They seem to be better, but i don't think they are 2x the money better. $70 gets you a new lower ball joint assembly. Pretty easy to change using the smack 2 hammers together methods. Pops them right out. Remove the 4, 12mm bolts on the bottom and the tie rod end and it's out.

I just put in a Moog BJ on my left side. First time doing it took me 45 minutes.

Look up replacing Toyota Tacoma ball joint on u tube.

 

Thanks for the speedy reply. The way some dis the after markets has me kind of paranoid about using them.

 

So, what brand of ball joint did you buy? Is it still holding up?

 

OEM for everything IMHO

aftermarket doesn't last for shit

 

Put in Autozone ball joint. Learned the hard way about locktite is your friend on the bolts as well after a couple thousand miles. Autozone loaner press don't fit either on upper ball joint.