How to replace 3rd Gen lower ball joints. Pic Heavy.

shawnstcyr

shawnstcyr

New member
Hi guys. I just replaced my lower ball joints this morning. It took me about 2 hours to complete. I have included illustrated pics. Anyone can do this at home, regardless of experience.

Tools:
Jack and jackstands
14 mm wrench or socket
19 mm wrench or socket
15/ 16 wrench or socket
tie rod fork
hammer
needle nose pliers.

If you don't have access to a tie rod fork, place the top of the castle nut flush with the tie rod stud, and strike squarely with a hammer.

Illustrated pics: picasaweb.google.com/shawnstcyr/LowerBallJointChangeout#
 
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shawnstcyr said:
Hi guys. I just replaced my lower ball joints this morning. It took me about 2 hours to complete. I have included illustrated pics. Anyone can do this at home, regardless of experience.

Tools:
Jack and jackstands
14 mm wrench or socket
19 mm wrench or socket
15/ 16 wrench or socket
tie rod fork
hammer
needle nose pliers.

If you don't have access to a tie rod fork, place the top of the castle nut flush with the tie rod stud, and strike squarely with a hammer.

Illustrated pics: picasaweb.google.com/shawnstcyr/LowerBallJointChangeout#
Click to expand...
I agree, this CAN be done at home, lol it CAN be done on a trail :D
 
Cool. I will be replacing the extremely worn shocks on the front of my 4Runner this weekend with some Bilstein 4600's and figured that I'd swap the upper and lower ball joints while I was in there. They've got more than 200K on them and I'll be taking a 9 hour trip to Okie-land next month....

Time to find my pickle fork!

Thanks for the pics.
 
Um... yeah. Does my grass driveway count as a trail? I tore my outer rie rod end grease boots, now I have to wait until tomorrow morning for replacements. So now I have to get up at 4:45 to take her to work, on my vacation week! BTW, I'm glad I proposed to her the night before on Twin Cone. We never made Red Cone Summit the next day, which is where I originally planned to do it.
 
One should note getting the tie rod ends out aren't that easy. I've never had success with a pickle fork or a hammer on these trucks. The only way I've had luck is by using a ball joint puller or tie rod end puller. Sort of like a gear puller but you get the idea.

At least in my experience, the hardest part of this job is getting the tie rods out :)
 
Thanks for the write up. Im doing mine next week. One question I have . . . is it absolutely necessary to get an alignment done for this job when youre replacing with oem parts?
 
The tie rods are super easy to get out. People jump straight to hitting the stud downward just to jam it in there worse. Hit it on the knuckle sideways first about three times, then hit the stud down.
 
A tire rod puller makes it cake and it won't damage the tie rod like a pickle fork usually will. I've used the hammer technique too, but that can be difficult if they are old or rusty.

1985taylor1925,
I don't know if it's always 100% necessary to do an alignment afterwards, but it is recommended. In theory, the same part is going back in and connected at the same points so why would it change the alignment? But I think the answer is because if the old LBJs are worn out, the old joints might have more play in them and the last alignment may have been set to accommodate that play. New LBJs (with no play) may make the tires sit a little differently and that will probably affect your alignment. So long story shorty, I would still get it alinged.
 
Love the tires. The warranty and the quietness are awesome. I spent 15 years in automotive repair. I would certainly get the alignment done afterwards, unless you just want to chew up your tires. As far as the techniques for removing outer tie rod ends, to each their own.
 
I just did this, or actually just the driver side. One of the bolts snapped on the passenger side going into the spindle, so I have been having fun today. I will post up the part numbers for the pullers I used. I spent I believe 15 bucks on each puller and they make this job simple, as long as your bolts don't snap.
 
brian2sun said:
A tire rod puller makes it cake and it won't damage the tie rod like a pickle fork usually will. I've used the hammer technique too, but that can be difficult if they are old or rusty.

1985taylor1925,
I don't know if it's always 100% necessary to do an alignment afterwards, but it is recommended. In theory, the same part is going back in and connected at the same points so why would it change the alignment? But I think the answer is because if the old LBJs are worn out, the old joints might have more play in them and the last alignment may have been set to accommodate that play. New LBJs (with no play) may make the tires sit a little differently and that will probably affect your alignment. So long story shorty, I would still get it alinged.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. Alignments are killing me though. Ive had 4 of them done in the last 5 months.
 
This is strange, why go through all this work and only do half the job. Where are the directions to replace the upper ball joints? :naughty:
 
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