De-lurk: Thanks--LBJ replaced

[kg1]

Registered just to say thanks. Swapped out the lower ball joints on my 98 with 142k. Everything looked good but I decided to replace them anyway--$150 vs possibly catastrophic fail--seems like an easy decision.

The great write-ups here made it even easier. 2 castle nuts, pop 2 ball joints, and 4 bolts on each side? Yeah, even I can do that I did use a pitman arm puller--definitely worth $14 for this job.

My 98 is stock; bought new with 16" wheels (recently "upgraded" to some Tundra 5 spoke wheels) and doesn't do any real off-roading--just some Colorado dirt roads in the mountains.

Tundra brake upgrade is next on the list for me--again thanks to some great write-ups here. Too bad fixing the anthracite metallic clear-coat isn't as easy or cheap!

 

[J-money$$$]

Its a really easy job. Im glad you did it yourself. THe only thing is that people sometimes over tighten the 14mm lbj bolts. I guess this is because of fear of them falling out. As long as you use locktight and follow the fsm torque specs you should have no issues for years.

I should do mine again.

good luck with your future plans on the runner

 

[kg1]

Yep, used blue loctite and followed the torque specs :thumb3:

 

[A.Wilson013]

Yep, used blue loctite and followed the torque specs :thumb3:

Followed the torque specs?!?!?! GENIUS!!! I should buy a torque wrench, I have busted COUNTLESS bolts.

Welcome to T4R.org!

 

[LittleCaesar]

I am reviving the thread since I just replaced a friend's girlfriend's LBJs this evening. The procedure is fresh in my mind. Fifth pair I have done. Once you do one, the rest are easy. All new LBJs have been Toyota.

The culprit today:

I always use these OEM parts pitman arm pullers. Other tools are a torque wrench that goes up to 150ft/lbs; sockets: a 14mm (4 bolts), 19mm (tie rod castle nut), 21mm (lug nuts), and 24mm (castle nut for LBJ). A long 3/8" ratchet, the blue loctite for the 4 bolts, a BFH and some penetrating lube make it an easy install.

Just a couple of possible helpful aids:
1. The little arm puller I have to wrestle in there in the beginning from the top to pop out the tie rod end. It is not as easy as using the bigger puller to pop out the old LBJ. Make sure the 4 bolts are loosend first as per the FSM.
2. I use a jack on the dust cover plate to barely support the upper arm when taking the LBJ out. I do not move the jack so that I can torque down the 4 new bolts, with the new LBJ in place, with blue loctite to 59ft/lbs. I have found it helpful to place the tie rod in the new LBJ for leverage but don't tighten it just yet.

3. The first time I attempted to tighten down the castle nut on the new LBJ, it kept turning on me.:ybrick: So I learned to take the jack, put it under the LCA by the rivets, and jack it up with enough force (barely move the LCA) so that the ball joint does not spin and the castle nut could be torqued down to 105ft/lbs with ease.
4. When putting the tie rod end into the new LBJ, I have had it turn on me right after putting on its castle nut. So I place the little puller from the bottom to barely pull the tie rod to the new LBJ. This holds the joint in place until it can be torqued to 66ft/lbs.

It looks like I'll be doing brakes on this one soon....