lower ball joints

Well things are just freakin peachy over here. No auto parts stores have the ball joint press adaptor I need, the 2.5 inch OD ones. I tried a piece of exhaust pipe but the pipe buckled in the middle. Harbor freight won't have their $70 kit until Monday.

Any tips on what you used as adaptors? Did you but the harbor freight kit or just find a piece of pipe that matches?
 
Brownfaux said:
Well things are just freakin peachy over here. No auto parts stores have the ball joint press adaptor I need, the 2.5 inch OD ones. I tried a piece of exhaust pipe but the pipe buckled in the middle. Harbor freight won't have their $70 kit until Monday.

Any tips on what you used as adaptors? Did you but the harbor freight kit or just find a piece of pipe that matches?
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. My local advanced auto had the large press kit with the correct adapters. Other than the harbor freight option I don't know. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
 
I think I'm going to try napa and pep boys, but I will likely just find some pipe that will work. I have a few steel shops nearby that I go to that will probably have something close. I can grind or weld it to fit from there.
 
Update for anyone interested, my only options now are the $70 harbor freight kit, or scrap steel suppliers. I have to buy a minimum 10 foot piece, and the closest thing they stock was too small and 1/4 inch wall.

So, I'm thinking I'll get a close piece of scrap, then cut and re-weld it together to make the right size.

If anyone is think to just buy the HF kit and return it when done, I'm not willing to do that. HF has been good to me with returns for legit reasons and I don't want to take advantage.
 
Brownfaux said:
Cool, thanks. I have the small kit from Orielly, but I think it will work. I've set the stuff up and it appears to be what I need. I found a generic video online that helped.

My current hangup is getting the bottom bracket, that bolts to the wheel off of the ball joint. Is that hard to press onto the new one?

I'm going to take pics on the process once I get one done. Maybe even a video.
Click to expand...

I a, hoping you do this because I need to do this as well. You go first.
 
Well, found the press in sleeve on amazon for 7$. No go on the receiver for pressing it out. Anyone cut out a ball joint?
 
Ok so this doesn't look too bad. My big question is. Since you have all the tools and have to get an alignment would it make sense to do both at the same time?
 
Brownfaux said:
Well, found the press in sleeve on amazon for 7$. No go on the receiver for pressing it out. Anyone cut out a ball joint?
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound like fun. I guess you could but at that point I'd probably just take the lca to a shop and get them to press in and out and reinstall. I can't recall reading where anyone's cut them out.

Where are you located that local auto stores don't have the big kits? Just curious...
(out of town and using the app so I can't see folks locations)




Morphyne said:
Ok so this doesn't look too bad. My big question is. Since you have all the tools and have to get an alignment would it make sense to do both at the same time?
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Do both as in both LCA's? Depends what your budget allows I guess. I prefer to replace 'paired' parts at the same time since usually if one is gone or going the other isn't far behind. If you have the time it's worth the extra $30 or so to do both, IMO.
 
Yeah if you have an advance auto parts this is much easier. I was just torn with paying $70 for a one time use tool. But I found a shop that will press them in and out for $45 total if I just bring them the arms.
 
Well, I figure I should confirm some of the info here! Today I spent 5 hrs getting the old LBJ out and the new LBJ in.

Never used heat, needed a few feet break and be purchase tools...

Tips:

1 Rent the large Pittman puller ( hard to find in salt lake city) used to get the control arm lower piece off the LBJ stud


2 Get the bearing press kit and the harbor freight bearing adaptor kit ($69).

3 Get the small Pittman tie rod puller used to get the the rod off

4 having the right bearing sleeve adaptor is critical, thus the harbor kit, none of three major auto parts stores rented the full kit.

5 two ft cheater is mandatory...

6 small snap ring on original lbj will fly...use flat screw driver and 5 lb hand sledge.

7 original bearing will leave a rust ring in the LCA.... No need to sand or polish it down.

8 new bearing... Leave zirc off... Use a short adapter ring on top that is big enough to give the bearing some room. You will have an adaptor ring on top and bottom. If the bearing gets started crooked, you can straighten it out by shifting the adapter rings...pull like you are pulling for life. Bearing may bang,snap into LCA.
Put the zirc into the LBJ before putting the snap ring on. Grease up the joint. Then put snap ring on. Invest in a snap ringplier.
 
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At what mileage are 4th gen owners seeing their ball joints crap out? I just took mine into the shop with 170,000 miles and my mechanic says the original OEM parts look fine, and didn't think I needed to replace them. This is on a lifted truck for the past 100k miles. Do people still suggest I replace them with aftermarket parts like a Moog?
 
HOJeepster said:
At what mileage are 4th gen owners seeing their ball joints crap out? I just took mine into the shop with 170,000 miles and my mechanic says the original OEM parts look fine, and didn't think I needed to replace them. This is on a lifted truck for the past 100k miles. Do people still suggest I replace them with aftermarket parts like a Moog?
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Depends mostly on the health of the boot. As long as they stay sealed, they should last a very long time. I wouldn't use any aftermarket ball joint, personally. I would just suck it up and buy OEM LCA, as the bushings are probably about worn out by the time the ball joint is.
 
3 of my 4 ball joint boots were torn at ~130K, and I didn't know how long they had been torn, so I replaced them before they could wear out. (I also had other motives like getting aftermarket UCAs.) They can be a real PITA.

If it ain't broke, why fix it? I don't think the LBJs are a wear part, so if the boots are intact there is no reason they can't last the life of the vehicle (under normal use, anyway). I also don't think that a lift necessarily increases wear on the LBJ.

If you do replace them I see nothing wrong with Moog. The 4th gen LBJs don't fail catastrophically like the 3rd gens, so even if aftermarket LBJs wear out sooner you can buy a lot of $50 LBJ pairs for the $800 you'd spent on new OEM LCAs.

One thing to keep an eye on is your alignment cams - if they become frozen you will have to cut them off and if you replace the LCA at that point then the new one will have new ball joints.
 
dchild said:
3 of my 4 ball joint boots were torn at ~130K, and I didn't know how long they had been torn, so I replaced them before they could wear out. (I also had other motives like getting aftermarket UCAs.) They can be a real PITA.

If it ain't broke, why fix it? I don't think the LBJs are a wear part, so if the boots are intact there is no reason they can't last the life of the vehicle (under normal use, anyway). I also don't think that a lift necessarily increases wear on the LBJ.

If you do replace them I see nothing wrong with Moog. The 4th gen LBJs don't fail catastrophically like the 3rd gens, so even if aftermarket LBJs wear out sooner you can buy a lot of $50 LBJ pairs for the $800 you'd spent on new OEM LCAs.

One thing to keep an eye on is your alignment cams - if they become frozen you will have to cut them off and if you replace the LCA at that point then the new one will have new ball joints.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this feedback. I told the mechanic to just keep the OEM LBJs. He said the boots look fine. I was just worried about failure after reading horror stories about 3rd gen failures.
 
HOJeepster said:
I told the mechanic to just keep the OEM LBJs. He said the boots look fine. I was just worried about failure after reading horror stories about 3rd gen failures.
Click to expand...

That's what I would have done. Those 3rd gen pics are scary! I'm glad the 4th gen LBJs are set up so the weight of the truck presses the ball further into the socket, instead of the 3rd gens where the weight is trying to pull them apart.
 
The forum on toyota120 on how to replace the LBJ was pretty helpful. Who all has done this? & How long did it take with all the right tool? I might do this instead of spending an outrageous amount of money on LCA. Any recommendations?
 
Well, it's my turn.

I blew a ball joint during bed in process on my new brakes and rotors. now when i brake hard i get a popping bouncing along with the rotation of the tire. looked at the LCA BJ and it was blown.

So I will be embarking on this soon. doesn't seem too bad. anyone need any fresh pics of this?
 
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