When do lower ball joints need to be replaced - symptoms?

[Morphyne]

So I recently redid the suspension of my 07 (shocks, springs and tires). Afterwards I heard/felt a click in the left front wheel area when I applied the break. When I looked I saw grease coming out of the boot on my lower ball joint boot. I thought I needed to replace the LBJ but the click stopped and has not returned in several hundred miles since.

thoughts?

 

[99 SR5]

I was just thinking about this the other day as well, hopefully someone will chime in.

 

[Dylan]

Every time I've heard a click from the front wheel wells it's been a torn cv boot. I've only had my 4th gen for a month, but when I changed the BJs on my 2nd gen it was after about 140k miles.

 

[HokieRunner]

I'm starting to hear a slight clicking noise a week after I swapped to bils 5100, any others experiencing this? I'm trying to narrow it down to where it's coming from but don't want to start changing things if not even necessary just yet.

I'd start out by making sure everything is torqued to spec. Other than that, have any specifics on when the sound is occurring? (ie. when turning, upon spring compression or extension, braking vs. accelerating)

It could be a slightly loose bolt, worn ball joint, LCA/UCA bushings, tie rods, lots of possibilities.

 

[Derek G]

So I recently redid the suspension of my 07 (shocks, springs and tires). Afterwards I heard/felt a click in the left front wheel area when I applied the break. When I looked I saw grease coming out of the boot on my lower ball joint boot. I thought I needed to replace the LBJ but the click stopped and has not returned in several hundred miles since.

thoughts?

Within 30 miles of installing my OME lift I checked underneath the front to find that due to the altered driveline angle, the CV boots on the diff side had pulled up the axle shafts and broken the seal to the point grease was leaking out. I removed the factory clamps off the boot and got a grease gun with a needle and pumped the boots full of grease again, then installed a new marine grade clamp. That was about 25K miles ago and no leaks, no problems.