With all this talk of lower ball joints lately, I decided to go check mine tonight and found something I wasn't expecting.... I'm missing one of the four bolts on my drivers side lower ball joint... My only guess is shoty work by a mechanic from the previous owner?! My question to you guys is, where do I get a bolt to replace the missing one? Dealer? Will the parts department know what bolt I need?
Missing a bolt on lower ball joint!
- Thread starter david.b
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Nelsonmd
New member
They should, but just in case, here are the numbers based on build date (check you door jam plate):
90105‑10406: 95 - 8/2000
90105‑10505: 9/2000-2/2001
2001
90105‑10406
For 2002:
90105‑10505: GOLD
90119‑10933: GREEN (I think you need 2 of each of these)
You don't have your rig in your sig, so I don't know what year it is. It should be one of those numbers though.
TN_Soljah808
New member
I think I paid .80 cents each it was less than a dollar. I replaced all eight on mine.
Dealer had to order them. I picked up next day. But if you have a fastener shop around you can have them match one as well. I did this for another bolt that I needed the same day.
brian2sun
Elite Member
Good thing you checked them! I would buy 4 new bolts like t4r4life said. Also torque them down to 59 ft. lbs. and USE BLUE LOCTITE!. You might want to replace the 4 bolts on the other side too just to be safe, but at least take them out, put Loctite on them and retorque them to spec. Chances are the tech didn't use Loctite or torque them properly the last time, so the other side probably isn't correct either.
Also, I wouldn't drive it like that, even to get the parts. It's not safe so get a ride.
Also, I wouldn't drive it like that, even to get the parts. It's not safe so get a ride.
Nelsonmd
New member
Yeah, I second this, replace at least all 4 on that side.
I wouldn't go to a fastener shop for these (unless it is just to tide you over until the dealer can get the bolt in). The Toyota ones are available and cheap, so it is better to use what they designed. You may be fine with other bolts, but there is more than meets the eye to fastener selection, and there may be considerations that Toyota made in selecting the bolt that we don't realize.
Alot of guys will tell you that you can get a better bolt from fastenal or the like, and that it is silly to strictly adhere to OEM for this stuff, but I have had to talk very minor details with bolt/nut manufacturers regarding applications I have worked on, and material properties, elongation, preload, there are lots of considerations that they may have made in choosing that bolt that you don't want to change. Or they may have just had it on the shelf and grabbed it (I highly doubt that for such an important part). You'd be amazed the nitty gritty detail that OEM's sometimes go to with sub-suppliers.
Anyway, all that said, order the right bolts from the dealer, and definitely replace all 4 on that side at least.
TheQuinton5555
New member
I can second that, i had the 2 inner bolts snapped because the 2 outer bolts worked there way out. It happended while i was in the parking lot. But for several days now i havent been able to get the 2 snapped bolts out. I added a couple pictures from the accident. Im just glad it didnt happen while i was cruzing on the freeway all day
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Supermoney
New member
Was underneath adding sway bar links and noticed on my driver side I am too missing 1 bolt out of 4 for the LBJ! Yikes.
Whats the simplest way going about putting new bolts in? If I replace all 4 with blue loctite, can I go one bolt at a time or do I need to drop the entire thing?
Whats the simplest way going about putting new bolts in? If I replace all 4 with blue loctite, can I go one bolt at a time or do I need to drop the entire thing?
TorqueOfTheDevil
Member
You can do one bolt at a time.
Blue Loctite torqued to 50NM.
Blue Loctite torqued to 50NM.
Supermoney
New member
Thank you
Kanoe
New member
Unless part of that missing bolt is still in there, as in it snapped off. Check first before you start as you might have to take that balljoint off to get a stud out. Lets hope that is not the case.
