I have grease leaking out of both of my Upper Ball joints, Just curious to see if it is ok if they are on this angle and if i just keep re-greasing the joint so it doesn't run dry, or if this angle is to bad what can be done to fix it besides reducing the rake, would new UCA like Camburg or All-Pro help to fix this problem, if not what would, Thanks
Bad Upper Ball Joint Angle? (PiCs)
- Thread starter tmaxx13
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brian2sun
Elite Member
The upper BJs don't see the same kind of stress that the lower BJs do so it's not as big of a deal, but yours are still being overstressed. You could adjust your coilovers down a little bit and that will help, but if you want to keep your lift height, aftermarket UCAs would be the best choice IMO. Some UCAs have a uniball design instead of a ball joint (like the Total Chaos ones). Others like Light Racing have a ball joint still, but it's heavier duty than the stock BJs. I have heard that the uniballs corrode easy if you live in an area where they salt the roads so that may or may not be an issue for you.
I live in CA and they don't salt here so I would go with a uniball design personally, but something to think about.
EDIT: You live in SoCal too, so I would go with whatever design you like the best for the price.
I live in CA and they don't salt here so I would go with a uniball design personally, but something to think about.
EDIT: You live in SoCal too, so I would go with whatever design you like the best for the price.
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t4r4life
Elite Member
x2 on total chaos all my friends run them, just make sure to keep greasing them so they dont squeak
Brian thanks for that info, i have never seen those Light Racing ones, and as i just moved to anchorage Ak and i hear they do salt quite a bit that might work out better for me, and the price isn't that bad at all, I think i will have them changed out and hopefully that will help the angle some, you said normally the lower ball joint get more stress, any way to fix that as well?
t4r4life
Elite Member
there is no real good way to fix it, because the weight of the truck gotta go somewhere, especially with us guys running heavy bumpers, but if you run made in japan LBJ you should be fine.
brian2sun
Elite Member
Dang, you got ripped off! I have lifetime Napa LBJs also, but I paid $160 for both.
t4r4life
Elite Member
sry my mistake 83 per side lol i thought something wasnt right and checked my receipt lol
brian2sun
Elite Member
Well that's good you didn't get ripped off! Mine were $83 too. I got a 10% AAA discount also so don't forget about that OP!
ya the boots aren't torn they are just leaking from bottom of the boot, i will try to repack it and as far as the lower ball joints, about how long in labor do you think it would take, ill have to have it done at a shop since i don't have the garage or the tools to do so, thanks for all the help
t4r4life
Elite Member
alldata is telling me 2.4 hours, dealer oem part price on those are 98 per LBJ, but if you've done them b4 hour and half should be enough, total of 5 bolts 4 holding the lbj in place and 2 castle nuts one on LBJ one on steering
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brian2sun
Elite Member
I've done my LBJs in 15-20 min per side. I've done them a couple times now, but they are easy and don't require a press like the UBJs. I would laugh at any shop that charges more than an hour labor because it won't even take that. And if it does, that means they are taking way too long and don't deserve more $$. If you DIY, you'll need a tie rod puller so you don't damage the outer tie rod (where it connects to the LBJ). You should also get it re-aligned after changing any suspension components like ball joints, tie rods, coils, or control arms. If you have basic tools, a jack, stands and a place to do it, I recommend taking this on yourself. I'd give it a 2/10 for difficulty and it's good to learn about your suspension components anyways if you plan to off road much. Most parts houses like Napa or Vatozone rent tie rod pullers or you can buy one for ~$12-20.
brian2sun
Elite Member
Most people on here will tell you to buy OEM and I don't disagree. Some aftermarket parts are junk and with LBJs, you don't want to go cheap. O'Reilly's might be great, but for $51 I'll bet they aren't. I went with Napas for 2 reasons..
1) I like Napa and have always had good luck with their parts and service and..
2) The lifetime warranty. After reading so many horror stories on here, I just figure I'll replace them for free every few years. If the O'reilly's have a lifetime warranty they will probably be fine for you, but I would get some better ones if not.
As far as changing them in the parking lot.. I dunno. It took me about an hour the 1st time (for both sides) and about 35 minutes the next time after I knew exactly how to do it. With a non-rusty CA truck, it should go pretty easy. I'd say just read up on it before you go for it..
R&R Upper and Lower Ball Joints - TTORA Forum
In that thread he used a bigger tie rod puller (a.k.a. 2 jaw puller) to separate the LBJ from the lower control arm. This is the best way to do it because you won't ruin the old LBJs like you could if you use a hammer and a pickle fork. I recommend saving the old LBJs as spares for off roading. They haven't broken yet so they can still be used to get you home if you break one of the new ones out on the trail.
1) I like Napa and have always had good luck with their parts and service and..
2) The lifetime warranty. After reading so many horror stories on here, I just figure I'll replace them for free every few years. If the O'reilly's have a lifetime warranty they will probably be fine for you, but I would get some better ones if not.
As far as changing them in the parking lot.. I dunno. It took me about an hour the 1st time (for both sides) and about 35 minutes the next time after I knew exactly how to do it. With a non-rusty CA truck, it should go pretty easy. I'd say just read up on it before you go for it..
R&R Upper and Lower Ball Joints - TTORA Forum
In that thread he used a bigger tie rod puller (a.k.a. 2 jaw puller) to separate the LBJ from the lower control arm. This is the best way to do it because you won't ruin the old LBJs like you could if you use a hammer and a pickle fork. I recommend saving the old LBJs as spares for off roading. They haven't broken yet so they can still be used to get you home if you break one of the new ones out on the trail.
YotaZach85
New member
LBJ's are something I would definitely say to splurge a little bit on. They are way too important to go cheap on! $51 might sound like a bargain but I sure as hell wouldn't trust a $51 LBJ
YotaZach85
New member
As far swapping the LBJ's goes you won't need any kind of special tools. The tie rod can be knocked loose by hitting the knuckle with a hammer right on the end in line with the tie rod. This will shock the metal and the tie rod will pop right out without harming the threads or the boot, same goes for the lower ball joint. I've been using this method for years and it has yet to let me down.
YotaZach85
New member
I got Moog's from Amazon for around $100 shipped for both sides, 1 side was more expensive for some reason but it worked out to be cheaper than I could find at a parts house.
