Replace ball joint or arm?

I need new lower ball joints. I see the moog lca with ball joint at rock auto for a 4wd Tacoma is only $100/side. Seems easier to replace the arm and not just the joint for just slightly more cost.
Am I correct in this thought process?
Pics of leaky ball joints

 

Having replaced just the ball joint on my driver's side uca, yes, yes you are!

In hindsight, I'm glad I did it, if only for the knowledge that replacing the whole arm, while a bit more expensive, is much easier.

 

I would say do it, save yourself some time and get new bushes in the process.

I replaced my lower ball joints and bushes on my stock LCAs. It sucked. I will go with complete arms if I ever need to replace them again.

MOOG has an excellent reputation and it will be immensely easier to just replace the entire lower arm. Keep your originals so you can rebuild them later if you ever wanted to.

I have heard of guys painting the MOOGs before install, I painted my stock ones.

 

Good suggestion!

 

If your LCA have high mileage, yes, because the bushings will need replacing soon and they are more PIA to replace than the BJ's. However, it's only worth it if you get good quality control arms. I got Dorman LCA's and the BJ's wore out by 15K - probably sooner; I noticed excessive play when I changed out my coils. But, by replacing only the BJ's, which I did not find to be a tough job, you most likely will not need to get an alignment. Before replacing the LCA's, check if your cam bolts are seized; the front ones tend to seize.

 

I can get the moog ones for $100 each and then I'll rebuild my oems for spares. Hopefully my cam bolts are fine it being a south east truck and only a 2015.
I would have thought my oem ball joints would have lasted longer than 50k. Guess not.

 

Another vote for replacing the whole LCA. I did mine last month. It wasn't even a consideration to pull them and replace the ball joint and bushings. The time alone that saved is worth the added cost of a new LCA. I think I paid $260 per arm from McGeorge Toyota.

 

Taking out the arm and replacing the bushings is a bit hard. But worth. I got a local machine shop to do the bushing and ball joint for about 75 an arm. Just had to take them out and bring them down. The spc removal tool is worth its weight for this. Odds are, the cam bolts are frozen in. Replace those with moogs or spc bolts to prevent this in the future. Just remember that all moog products (for the most part) are serviceable, so don't forget to grease them. No sense getting them if you don't grease them

 

I don't think the moog lca's have a zerk fitting to grease them.

 

Sorry, I ment if he replacing ball joint and camber bolts with moogs. Thanks for catching that

 

I'm in southern California and my driver-side cam bolt seized during a 2-3 year period after an alignment was done about 5 years ago - they could have started to rust before then though. Replaced both with Febest cam bolts and greased the shit out of them. Pull them one at a time and grease them so they never seize on you.

That is a short life for OEM BJ. I replaced my OEM driver-side at 135K but that was because I hit a curb straight on at 30 mph. The BJ actually looked good when I replaced it; it as the wheel bearings that were damaged. Didn't replace passenger-side BJ three years ago 156K when my bushings needed replacing and I got the Dorman LCA's. I, too, have my OEM LCA's and will refurbish them as backups. I've already replaced the bushings on them and that took some work using a propane torch to heat the outside and a 9-inch bolt to push out the bushings. I put pics here, see post 73,
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...lca-bushing-press.134846/page-4#post-15148562
Note: don't use Moog bushings; specifically the large bushing; they do not press tight enough and too many folks have reported the bushings spinning in place after so many miles.

 

Well they are just leaking some grease it looks like. I don't think replacement is needed right away but it's coming.

 

Use a needle fitting on your grease gun to inject grease through the rubber boot. I got the

$6 Lumax LX-1416 Silver 18G 1-1/2" Long Stainless Steel Grease Injector Needle with Cap. Ideal for Lubricating in Very Tight Places Like Sealed Bearings and Universal Joints.

Lumax LX-1416. I haven't used it myself but did loan it to a friend to inject grease into his Tundra upper BJ's.