upper ball joint

[JohnWiggy]

My upper ball joints look like sheet also... prob worse than yours and have for some time. Getting tbelt and water pump done next week at local shop as well as a once over check everything kinda service (I know they will hose me) but I'm curious what they will say about ball joints.

OP how much suspension lift ya rockin up front? I have the adj billy's and tundra coils adjusted all the way up and I hear clunking... I think it's because I literally have next to no down travel left. I got about 3 weeks out of new cv boots before they tore again :frog:

 

[mien4x4]

You may need to jack up both wheels at the same time to identify any play... as long as one side is on the ground, the steering linkages are still "loaded" and might prevent you from seeing any play.

If you have grease coming out of the boots, consider them failed and replace them. It's pretty unlikely they'll fail to the point they break in half or something, but if they lost grease and got any road-muck inside the boots, they won't operate like they're supposed to. The clunking may or may not be related to the UBJs, but perhaps you'll be able to identify it with the front suspension fully unloaded (jack stands)... either way, the UBJ's look like c***.

ok thanks for the info i just bout some used but good condition tacoma UBJs n tie rod ends the LBJs look not as good tho so im definitely going to change them this tomorrow

 

[mien4x4]

My upper ball joints look like sheet also... prob worse than yours and have for some time. Getting tbelt and water pump done next week at local shop as well as a once over check everything kinda service (I know they will hose me) but I'm curious what they will say about ball joints.

OP how much suspension lift ya rockin up front? I have the adj billy's and tundra coils adjusted all the way up and I hear clunking... I think it's because I literally have next to no down travel left. I got about 3 weeks out of new cv boots before they tore again :frog:

i only have the OME 883 up front but ima replace the UBJ n see if its the problem n hopefuly it is lol

 

[THEREALTOR1]

i only have the OME 883 up front but ima replace the UBJ n see if its the problem n hopefuly it is lol

How'd you ultimately make out with this mien? I've got a clunk also when i'm backing up and turning the wheel (cutting towards the drivers side while backing up), and well as some of what feels like mild rubbing/grabbing. I can see where the ubj is hitting on the coil. I'm guessing all of this is just due to the preload on the coil from the daystar spacers i've got on the front. I ordered my 891's today along with the diff drop. I'm tired of the daystar spacers. Was a cheap lift, but you definately suffer with ride quality and its hard on all of the front end components. How's your ride with the 883's?

 

[mien4x4]

How'd you ultimately make out with this mien? I've got a clunk also when i'm backing up and turning the wheel (cutting towards the drivers side while backing up), and well as some of what feels like mild rubbing/grabbing. I can see where the ubj is hitting on the coil. I'm guessing all of this is just due to the preload on the coil from the daystar spacers i've got on the front. I ordered my 891's today along with the diff drop. I'm tired of the daystar spacers. Was a cheap lift, but you definately suffer with ride quality and its hard on all of the front end components. How's your ride with the 883's?

well i already changed all of my ubj n lbj and its still making the noise so idk anymore except to think it might be my bushings on my control arms but just like yours the noise come from the driver side mine make noise when i hit little pot hole or lumps on the road. the 883s are good i cant complain but since i add a arb bumber in the front i think i need to up grade for better ride and lift

 

[THEREALTOR1]

well i already changed all of my ubj n lbj and its still making the noise so idk anymore except to think it might be my bushings on my control arms but just like yours the noise come from the driver side mine make noise when i hit little pot hole or lumps on the road. the 883s are good i cant complain but since i add a arb bumber in the front i think i need to up grade for better ride and lift

Thanks for the follow up mien. WRT replacing all the ubj/lbj's, I think i'm on the same path as you as I just checked my upper today and its definately shot now. Boot's ripped, spitting grease, and definatley hearing the "clunk" more frequently now. Did you ultimately end up switching everything over to the Taco parts? I went with the NAPA for the lbj that I replaced simply because I read a few posts advocating staying away from Moog's. Any recommendations from any research you've done regarding what brands to look to/or avoid, regarding the ubj's? Thanks again mien :thumbsup:

 

[mien4x4]

Thanks for the follow up mien. WRT replacing all the ubj/lbj's, I think i'm on the same path as you as I just checked my upper today and its definately shot now. Boot's ripped, spitting grease, and definatley hearing the "clunk" more frequently now. Did you ultimately end up switching everything over to the Taco parts? I went with the NAPA for the lbj that I replaced simply because I read a few posts advocating staying away from Moog's. Any recommendations from any research you've done regarding what brands to look to/or avoid, regarding the ubj's? Thanks again mien :thumbsup:

no problem man but yea i went with the tacoma parts but it was used i bought the hole front end from a guy on cl that did a sas it was it looked in good condition so i didnt buy new ones, proly should hav but idk hopfly its good lol

 

[THEREALTOR1]

no problem man but yea i went with the tacoma parts but it was used i bought the hole front end from a guy on cl that did a sas it was it looked in good condition so i didnt buy new ones, proly should hav but idk hopfly its good lol

Cool. I decided to go with the NAPA Premium. Right around $50.00. Thats the easy part though, install on this bad boy is a killer. Local shop wants about $240 to install my own part just due to the labor inovlved. He did say he'd let me bring in just m uca and he'd press it in for a lot less, but thtat of course leaves me doing all of the tear down. I guess its time to start doing some research into uca removal (and of course what else should I do while i've got everything torn apart (bushings, inner/outer tie rod ends, etc...)?

 

[mien4x4]

Cool. I decided to go with the NAPA Premium. Right around $50.00. Thats the easy part though, install on this bad boy is a killer. Local shop wants about $240 to install my own part just due to the labor inovlved. He did say he'd let me bring in just m uca and he'd press it in for a lot less, but thtat of course leaves me doing all of the tear down. I guess its time to start doing some research into uca removal (and of course what else should I do while i've got everything torn apart (bushings, inner/outer tie rod ends, etc...)?

yep it be a good idea if you get all that replace while your half way there lol im kinda regreting not doing that but yea its watever you learn as you go

 

[THEREALTOR1]

So I finally just broke down and took it in to a local shop & paid the $200 to have them replace the ubj. Gotta admit, some of the best money i've spent on her in a while. Took alot of the vibration out, alot smoother ride, big difference, feels almost new again. Just got my 881, diff drop and steering rack bushings in the mail the other day so once I can get all of those swapped hopefully i'll have solved all of my clunking and vibration issues :fingersxd: