Lowe Ball joint help

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a77boy

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Lower Ball joint help

I am pretty sure that this is the Lower Ball joint on my 03 4Runner V8 4wd, but I just wanted to verify it. Looks as thought the protective rubber piece that keeps the grease in has ripped on both the driver and passenger sides. Is this just a matter or removing lower bolts and replacing with OEM parts? Thanks for any and all help

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Hey a77boy, I had my lower ball joints replace for free at a toyota dealership. My runner is a 2002 limited, there was a recall for that year. You may want to check and see if it pertains to your year. :bigok:
 
proudrunner said:
Hey a77boy, I had my lower ball joints replace for free at a toyota dealership. My runner is a 2002 limited, there was a recall for that year. You may want to check and see if it pertains to your year. :bigok:
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I dont think there is a recall for the 4R's ball joints. Doesnt the entire lower control arm have to be replaced?
 
proudrunner said:
Hey a77boy, I had my lower ball joints replace for free at a toyota dealership. My runner is a 2002 limited, there was a recall for that year. You may want to check and see if it pertains to your year. :bigok:
Click to expand...

Id really like to check on that recall issue, My concern is that the body style changed in '03 as I am pretty sure the lower ball joint assembly did also.

Toyota of Dallas seems to sell only the lower control arm assembly. They don't sell the ball joints by themselves. My local Orielly auto parts seems to carry the ball joints. I am hoping that Moog has started manufacturing aftermarket ones. If I have to buy the two lower control arms I will have to pay around $700.00
 
a77boy said:
Id really like to check on that recall issue, My concern is that the body style changed in '03 as I am pretty sure the lower ball joint assembly did also.

Toyota of Dallas seems to sell only the lower control arm assembly. They don't sell the ball joints by themselves. My local Orielly auto parts seems to carry the ball joints. I am hoping that Moog has started manufacturing aftermarket ones. If I have to buy the two lower control arms I will have to pay around $700.00
Click to expand...

That price for LCA's is ridiculous. The 2002 and 2003+ LCA's and thus ball joints are completely different.
 
www.parts.com has the lower control arms for $244 "including ball joint". I've used parts.com quite a bit for my 4runner (brakes/rotors), and for my Lexus (brakes/rotors/motor mounts/transmission mounts)....always OEM parts. Parts.com seems to be like a "clearing" house for a network of toyota/lexus dealerships around the country who are willing to sell the parts for the listed price, as when I order and get the parts a few days later, they're always from a different dealership somewhere (I've gotten parts from Arizona to Florida).

But, question: How many miles do you have on the 4runner? What symptoms are you having that makes you think they're bad and need to be replaced? Hearing "clunks", can't keep an alignment, etc? I ask, because if you're basing the decision simply on the appears of the grease against the metal, then I wouldn't be so quick to spend the money. The second you install the new ones, the grease in there is also going to ooz out of the rubber housing seal too. Honestly, unless you've jumped your 4runner, or have hit a bunch of jacuzzi-sized potholes at cruising speeds, I wouldn't think they would start giving you trouble until around the 100k-120k+ mileage mark.. Having some knowledge of balljoints from my former LS400, my current GS430 "which I have new ball joints for at 58k miles due to the severe road conditions here in Chicago", and the 4runner, I can easily confirm the 4runner's parts are so overly engineered to take abuse, that I'd be surprised if it needs the same kind of maintenance intervals like this, as the sedans do. I replaced the balljoints on my LS400 at 115k miles, and honestly, they didn't really need it. The rubber housing was practically gone on those too.
 
nc211 said:
www.parts.com has the lower control arms for $244 "including ball joint". I've used parts.com quite a bit for my 4runner (brakes/rotors), and for my Lexus (brakes/rotors/motor mounts/transmission mounts)....always OEM parts. Parts.com seems to be like a "clearing" house for a network of toyota/lexus dealerships around the country who are willing to sell the parts for the listed price, as when I order and get the parts a few days later, they're always from a different dealership somewhere (I've gotten parts from Arizona to Florida).

But, question: How many miles do you have on the 4runner? What symptoms are you having that makes you think they're bad and need to be replaced? Hearing "clunks", can't keep an alignment, etc? I ask, because if you're basing the decision simply on the appears of the grease against the metal, then I wouldn't be so quick to spend the money. The second you install the new ones, the grease in there is also going to ooz out of the rubber housing seal too. Honestly, unless you've jumped your 4runner, or have hit a bunch of jacuzzi-sized potholes at cruising speeds, I wouldn't think they would start giving you trouble until around the 100k-120k+ mileage mark.. Having some knowledge of balljoints from my former LS400, my current GS430 "which I have new ball joints for at 58k miles due to the severe road conditions here in Chicago", and the 4runner, I can easily confirm the 4runner's parts are so overly engineered to take abuse, that I'd be surprised if it needs the same kind of maintenance intervals like this, as the sedans do. I replaced the balljoints on my LS400 at 115k miles, and honestly, they didn't really need it. The rubber housing was practically gone on those too.
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Thanks for the great reply. My Runner has 130,000 miles so seemingly they would be in for replacement. And yes the rubber housing that retains the grease is ripped on both sides. I am heading over to parts.com right now to do some investigative work. Thanks for the lead
 
UPDATE

I received the Lower ball joints that I ordered from O'Reilly auto parts. They are made by MOOG and cost $35 a piece. The are great construction and unlike the factory ball joints, these come with a grease fitting. What could of possibly have been a $600 job turned into a $70 job + my labor.. Thanks for the input.
 
a77boy said:
UPDATE

I received the Lower ball joints that I ordered from O'Reilly auto parts. They are made by MOOG and cost $35 a piece. The are great construction and unlike the factory ball joints, these come with a grease fitting. What could of possibly have been a $600 job turned into a $70 job + my labor.. Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

Thanks for keeping us informed. Good to know they were replaceable. Kudos to you for doing it yourself.
 
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