lower ball joints different between 4runner and tacoma?

[thenodnarb]

So I started rebuilding the front end of my 1st gen tacoma and I've been using Timmy's YouTube videos, which are fantastic, as my guide. i had a hard time coming up with part numbers for the tacoma 4wd. many of the the online retailers seem to omit 4wd as an option when searching and i wasnt sure the prerunner balljoints where the same. But since the 3rd gen is so similar i thought the part numbers i found on the 4 runner forums would work. So i ordered all the parts from camelback and put them in. i replaced lower and upper control arm bushings lower and upper balljoints and my steering rack and tie rod ends. however when i went to insert my tie rod into the arm on the balljoint, it wouldn't fit. like not even close. come to find out 4runner TRE and LBJs are different! crap! Now i need to reorder the correct balljoints. i put the old ones bank on for now. they were 555 marked btw with over 100k on them. they're still good but i really want to replace with oem.

camel back doesn't take returns after 10 days so I'm stuck trying to sell these to someone with a 4 runner who needs them. I'm only posting this to hopefully warn others who might also think that these parts were the same.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

The difference in LBJ’s/ OTRE are pretty well documented on this site in the 3rd gen section through various threads, but it’s a shame people viewing other sources don’t have that knowledge. Especially when some parts are functional with both 3rd gen 4Runners and 1st gen Tacomas, and some aren’t like in this case.

Assuming it in fact wasn’t mentioned in Timmy’s video, maybe they can make an edit to add that info into the video somewhere or perhaps the description of the YouTube video? [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION]

 

[jremus]

I've been watching several of his videos recently as I've been doing work on my 3rd gen.

Can I ask what the lower ball joints cost you from Camelback? I realized that's something I may need to inspect/consider replacing on mine in the near future

 

[T4R2014]

These Tacoma ball joint threads need to be edited as misleading/incorrect. They are not the right part and offer no improvement.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

These Tacoma ball joint threads need to be edited as misleading/incorrect. They are not the right part and offer no improvement.

The main issue for the OP is that the lbj’s aren’t universal for his Tacoma since his OTRE’s won’t fit, whereas your points are a whole other conversation. I opted for OEM LBJ’s myself instead of the Taco ones, which are getting installed this weekend. I’ll keep my already crappy factory turning radius, thank you very much!

 

[Dezert4Runner]

I've been watching several of his videos recently as I've been doing work on my 3rd gen.

Can I ask what the lower ball joints cost you from Camelback? I realized that's something I may need to inspect/consider replacing on mine in the near future

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/for-sale-suspension-wheels-tires/267517-fs-oem-lower-ball-joints-3rd-gen-new-left-right-4wd-monterey-ca-$200-shipped.html

 

[jremus]

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/for-sale-suspension-wheels-tires/267517-fs-oem-lower-ball-joints-3rd-gen-new-left-right-4wd-monterey-ca-$200-shipped.html

:cheers: I was looking around their site and could not find the right link. maybe I need another coffee this morning..

 

[thenodnarb]

i almost just converted over to the 4 runner TRE as it would have been easier at that point. But the only ones i could get from the part store at that moment were crappy duralast parts that weren't shaped right, looked poorly cast and were more expensive than the oem parts. even used a cheesy lock nut instead of a castle nut. i didn't want that on my truck so i opted to just do it right. for now the old balljoints are still in good shape.

 

[thenodnarb]

:cheers: I was looking around their site and could not find the right link. maybe I need another coffee this morning..

it's actually a little difficult to navigate. i obviously had a hard time. if you already know the correct part number it's easy to search. that's where my mistake began...

 

[T4R2014]

The main issue for the OP is that the lbj’s aren’t universal for his Tacoma since his OTRE’s won’t fit, whereas your points are a whole other conversation. I opted for OEM LBJ’s myself instead of the Taco ones, which are getting installed this weekend. I’ll keep my already crappy factory turning radius, thank you very much!

Yup I know. He may have gotten the idea that it would work from all those Tacoma LBJ threads that convinced people that they were actually interchangeable. Maybe not his specific case, but for any future readers this could become a repeat scenario.

OP, why aren't you on TacomaWorld? I swear I've seen part number threads there.