Am I getting screwed on Ball Joints?

[ndbuck09]

Hi Guys,

My 06 lower ball joints are bad so I am on the road to new ones, naturally I went to one mechanic that quoted me for the entire control arm assembly to replace the ball joint. Then I did research and saw a lot of people simply pressing out the old and in a new Moog joint which led me to call another mechanic. This one is trying to tell me that a moog ball won't fit into the OEM control arm so that route is not a viable option. It's obviously a lot cheaper to just replace the ball joint by pressing.

I have searched the forums and read a lot on ball joint replacement for 4runners but does anyone know whether a guy can press a moog lower ball joint into the OEM control arms??

thanks a lot for your help

 

[chmura]

Mechanics do not want the liability of putting on aftermarket ball joints in a car. Toyota does not sell just the ball joint, you have to by the entire lower control arm if you want new ball joints.

For me with ball joins I will go OEM only. I have my family in my car and it is worth paying the additional $300 or so for OEM stuff. I have seen ball joint failures and they are ugly and can cause a serious deadly accident.

 

[KidVermicious]

I've never heard of screw-on ball joints.

Wait, what?

 

[NuclearN8]

There's nothing wrong with moog balljoints... Find a shop that'll do it, you just have to call around... No dealer would obviously because it's not an oem part.

 

[MikeInNH]

Mechanics do not want the liability of putting on aftermarket ball joints in a car.

I guarantee there are more aftermarket ball joints installed on cars/trucks every year then OEM ball-joints.

Moog makes high quality suspension parts. There's nothing wrong with Moog.

I have seen ball joint failures and they are ugly and can cause a serious deadly accident.

I too have seen ball-joints fail. And it had NOTHING to do with them being aftermarket. I hate to tell you this...but Toyota outsources their ball-joints.

 

[nevada]

Hi Guys,

My 06 lower ball joints are bad so I am on the road to new ones, naturally I went to one mechanic that quoted me for the entire control arm assembly to replace the ball joint. Then I did research and saw a lot of people simply pressing out the old and in a new Moog joint which led me to call another mechanic. This one is trying to tell me that a moog ball won't fit into the OEM control arm so that route is not a viable option. It's obviously a lot cheaper to just replace the ball joint by pressing.

I have searched the forums and read a lot on ball joint replacement for 4runners but does anyone know whether a guy can press a moog lower ball joint into the OEM control arms??

thanks a lot for your help

specifically to Toyota they might be wrong, perhaps the aftermarket ball joints do in fact fit in the OEM control arms. typically tho, that's not the case. there are many vehicles where the after market BJ's will in fact NOT fit in the OEM arms.

unless I knew better and someone came in asking, I would tell them the same thing, "they don't fit".

I've never heard of screw-on ball joints.

Wait, what?

I understand you are making a joke, but they do make screw in ball joints. mostly on older stuff, dodges for sure, maybe also GM.

 

[scottm]

I just posted a writeup of installing Moog ball-joints in my '03. I think the writeup is now on page three. Lots of pics and some half-ass explanations. They seem to fit in my stock suspension arms.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...nt-install-brake-calipers-lossa-pictures.html

 

[KidVermicious]

I understand you are making a joke, but they do make screw in ball joints. mostly on older stuff, dodges for sure, maybe also GM.

No, I know. But it was funny.

Sorry OP, I'll get out of your thread now.

 

[ndbuck09]

Thanks!

Hey I thought I would bring this back up to the top...I found a shop that would do my job with the parts and i got it completely done for $290 inclusive of the parts. I had to call about 6 shops but basically I started telling them that I wasn't bringing my truck in unless they would work with me. Every other shop that I spoke to someone who didn't have the power to really ok anything quoted me $1000+ for the job. I know if i had access to the tools and a shop I could have done this job myself, but i recently moved and have no connections for that.

I just wanted to post the conclusion to this for folks searching the forums. I know the content on here is priceless. This forum rocks

 

[sonerick]

Glad you got it fixed!

For people looking at this thread in the future... most aftermarket BJs will work pressed into the stock LCAs, but the ones with snap rings are ideal (the moogs have a snap ring).