Please help my wife's 2003 4Runner Upper ball joint leaking grease

[djcamryse]

I'm back again, for help from you experts out here if it's ok? The problem this time is when me and my wife brought her SR5 2003 4Runner for 30,000 service at the dealer I think 3 months ago or more, we also included for them to check this cranking sound every time we steer hard to the left when trying to park on the side of the curve. My wife actually always complained about this problem ever since she purchased her 4 Runner.She already made them checked every service but they kept saying there's nothing wrong with it. But last 30,000 service, I checked here before we went to the dealer for service and saw this Big help about similar problem. ATLRunner said on the thread "grease your steering stops" and we told Alex at Miller Toyota at Culver CA, to tell the mechs to grease the steering stops and it Worked! No more loud like Tog sound when steering hard to left moving slowly.But the prognosis was Upper ball joint leaking grease. My wife called Alex from Toyota on how much it will cost us. He said around $1400! Is that really the correct amount? Or can a Pep Boys shop do it for cheap and still be good? We need to travel for 460 miles next Friday from Los Angeles to Fresno back and forth to bring my mother at my brothers.My question is , if we can't change the upper ball joint when we travel on a freeway, do you guys it would be safe? I would really appreciate it if any of you guys can suggest something.Thanks in advance!

 

[loner]

Hard to know.... I'd wonder why they wanted to replace the joint, if it's just leaking a little grease.

If the actual joint is bad, I'd get it replaced before the trip. I have been told by the dealer that the upper ball joint is not sold seperately, and is only sold together with the upper control arm. That's expensive, if it's true. Aftermarket OEM-type replacements for the upper ball joint were not avilable when I searched late last year.

The boot itself can be replaced for less than $10 bucks. I did it on my '05 4WD. It just took a cheap ball joint separator from Harbor Freight, a socket wrench, and about an hour. (I was already familiar with the disassembly from installing the suspension lift two months earlier.) The Toyota part number is 43324-69015 for the replacement boot kit. I re-used the original spring clamp, as the replacement clamp was inferior to the original IMHO. There were no aftermarket boot kits available when I searched, but the Toyota part is cheap enough that it doesn't matter.

 

[djcamryse]

I really appreciate the input you just said about this grease leak. That's my problem, because I don't know anything about working on vehicles except drive, check tire gauge, pretend to know the level of oil by looking at oil stick.My wife said she's going to ask the dealer why they need to change the upper ball joint because it is only leaking grease.My wife is asking if you know, by chance, on what is the typical mileage for a 2003 SR5 4Runner's upper ball joint to be replaced? I mean she doesn't even drive off roads cause her work is all streets and the average travel everyday is only 10 miles.She bought the 4Runner March 2003 and the mileage is only 31,000.But anyways we really appreciate your reply.

 

[loner]

I've never heard of anyone replacing an upper ball joint on the 4th Gen 4Runner. I'm guessing it would be very rare for a ball joint to go bad at such low mileage (unless we were talking about Dodge Durangos).:biggrin2: