If you look at the drawings and read the description carefully, you'll see that it isn't a replacement LBJ. It's a replacement LCA/ LBJ combination. With that in mind, and knowing that they seem to be targeting hardcore off-roaders who are willing to pay big money for small improvements, I don't think the pricing is a mistake.
Short lived lower ball joint
- Thread starter TucsonMike
- Start date
If you look at the drawings and read the description carefully, you'll see that it isn't a replacement LBJ. It's a replacement LCA/ LBJ combination. With that in mind, and knowing that they seem to be targeting hardcore off-roaders who are willing to pay big money for small improvements, I don't think the pricing is a mistake.
jross20
New member
But if you're a hardcore guy and you're okay with spending that much... Why not just go long travel? Maybe it's just me but it seems odd haha
Devbot
New member
Because they're reinforced arms that would directly compete with people like Total Chaos. These are definitely for the long travel folks.
With that said I'm almost baffled at this point nobody else has bothered to try and integrate them (like the vast majority of other vehicles.) Well I think Mevotech has but I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them.
Or SAS. Never understood why someone would want LTIFS over solid axle.
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wnc4runner
New member
Any suggestions for LBJ for a weekend toy that is mainly driven on roads and forest service roads/fire roads with minimal four-wheeling and nothing crazy?
I know most people are a fan of OEM's, but I'm looking at something that will last for ~40k miles or so.
I know most people are a fan of OEM's, but I'm looking at something that will last for ~40k miles or so.
thatoneguy
New member
It's a shame that OEM quality is going down. I got my LBJ's done for peace of mind 5k ago. I just want them to last another 10-15k before I sell it for a new one.
I would still recommend OEM LBJ's for that terrain and mileage. I've seen Moog, 555, and others fail way before that. I've also seen them last longer, but OEM consistently lasts longer than that with the terrain you are conquering.
TonyB66
New member
I was wondering about just that... Thanks. I imagine it would be somewhat less than $2,500 though. Nice to have options...
2001 Limited 285K
Member
40K miles seems like a low expectation. I'm at 286K miles and am installing my 3rd OEM set tomorrow. Out of an abundance of caution more than anything else.
Of course, I'm strictly a daily driver. No off road whatsoever and very limited use of the 4WD. Plus I only drive about 10K miles a year with Covid in effect.
As a general note ... right side OEMs are apparently hard to get in the states at the moment but there are about 400 of them in transit from Japan.
T4topher
Member
Yea definitely not 2500 lol, I’d bet it’s around 600-800 though. Thinking about trying to install some Johnny joints on mine. The joints are only 50-60$ each so wouldn’t cost much to try it. Going to look into it. I want to go long travel someday but who knows when that will be, the kit I want isn’t even released yet lol.
got mine about a month ago, OEM , will be installing soon, being proactive, no idea how many miles or age on this rig's LBj's , but the pass side was changed at one time as this particular year has those dust shields, and its not on the pass side. Im not reinstalling the dust shield on driver side and ordered the older flanged bolts that also take the higher torque.
A "friend" with a 98 told me he had his replaced and they just used Napa ones and that was 3 years ago ( I was asking who did his work he told me, I went there for an alignment and I got total rip off, now use another shop for that). Its their 3rd rig and does not get lots of miles put on it......they are saving it for their son who gets his drivers permit later this summer.
A "friend" with a 98 told me he had his replaced and they just used Napa ones and that was 3 years ago ( I was asking who did his work he told me, I went there for an alignment and I got total rip off, now use another shop for that). Its their 3rd rig and does not get lots of miles put on it......they are saving it for their son who gets his drivers permit later this summer.
Mudeprived
New member
Just saw some in stock on Amazon recently.
I should probably check mine. Replaced them in 2016 and got mine straight out of Japan. Took a few weeks shipping time.
I should probably check mine. Replaced them in 2016 and got mine straight out of Japan. Took a few weeks shipping time.
TucsonMike
Member
Picked up both passenger and drivers side lbj at dealer via online ordering. Will install this weekend or sooner. I check mine everytime I do oil change.
Thanks
MikeM
Thanks
MikeM
Toyota Tacoma / 4Runner Lower Uniball Conversion - Anonymous Fab WELD SHOP
I can't remember where I saw it but I think I remember him saying they'd be around $600.
Devbot
New member
VERY appealing. Might just try them if they work out nice for the guinea pigs
Edit: just noticed they use FK uniballs, which is what Total Chaos puts in their products. I might preorder these myself :rockon:
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Tucson4runner
New member
A friend of mine had the same experience and swapped over to some moog replacement ones I believe and they have been good since. I think the oem ones were on for a couple years and the moog ones have been on for atleast 8, we did mine at the same time.
Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk
I’ve only recently learned about the LBJ issue and my originals lasted 260k+. I’m not even sure they were bad but had the upper and lower arms changed and it made sense to replace the ball joints too. Is the lower LBJ failure related to lifts or stock suspension as well?
Brian.
Member
It's a design issue, so it impacts 100% of 3rd gen 4runners and 1st (only?) gen Tacomas. But, it is exacerbated by lifts, bigger wheels, wheeling, etc... Look back through threads like this from before and Most people seemed to land on the "change them every 100k miles" with a fairly large group allowing for 200k and only the hardcore wheelers being in the 30~50k range. 300k street miles seems to be about where people post they had failures (from the few threads I've personally seen happen in real time).
Mine were 100% trash at 190k miles, boots torn, rusting, but not much "slop" when testing on the bench. Of course that was 20 years of use too, and age has every bit as much to do with failure as miles. I plan to just do a 10 year replacement cycle for as long as possible... not going to horde them because of that age deterioration thing (though I imagine kept in a dark box will help a good bit, vacuum pack them would help even more, and mild temps would be the trifecta).
Failures also tend to be during Sharp steering inputs, so low speed.
jross20
New member
OEM, just check them every 10k. Honestly I might buy a few spares.
