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Lower Ball Joints

Discussion in '4th Gen 4Runners (2003-2009)' started by TN_FunRunner, Aug 7, 2019.

  1. Aug 7, 2019 at 4:58 PM
    #1
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    How many of you have replaced them on your 4th gen?
    Did you use OEM or aftermarket?
    Anyone have a write up? Everything I’ve found is for 3rd gens.
    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Aug 8, 2019 at 6:29 AM
    #2
    Benny123

    Benny123 Toyota enthusiast

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    I havent. Im sure some have done it and they can chime in. I suspect as more of us reach 200,000 in the coming years, someone will do a how to post or a video.
     
  3. Aug 24, 2019 at 9:46 AM
    #3
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    Well just ordered the lower ball joint and am planning on tackling it next weekend.
     
  4. Aug 29, 2019 at 1:41 PM
    #4
    captsolo

    captsolo New Member

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    I bought the ball joints with the lower arm assembly for front wheels because my mechanic said to get them (I think we did tie rods too). He was doing the brakes on a lift, but I can't remember.

    I used AM. No need for the dealer on these. I wouldn't tackle this job without experience.
     
  5. Aug 30, 2019 at 10:40 AM
    #5
    Benny123

    Benny123 Toyota enthusiast

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    @golfguy Chrisfix has a good video on lbjs. Same concept just different parts.

     
    TN_FunRunner[OP] likes this.
  6. Aug 30, 2019 at 11:15 AM
    #6
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    Thanks guys, I actually found a video of it being done on an FJ.
    Gonna knock it out this weekend. Doesn’t look too hard.
    This is the lbj I got in case anyone needed a reference.
    82040D6D-3215-4388-A709-A00A2160DA37.jpg
     
    smiley62 and Benny123 like this.
  7. Sep 1, 2019 at 5:03 PM
    #7
    Benny123

    Benny123 Toyota enthusiast

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  8. Sep 1, 2019 at 5:20 PM
    #8
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    Well a lot has happened around here in the last few days.
    Friday evening my border collie got into something and we had to take him to the emergency vet and he had to get 50 staples to close up a wound on his side. After a nearly sleepless night I didn’t feel up to the job and went to a friend’s shop in town to see what he would charge to do it, he told me $80 since I had the part already, I told him to go for it. Well this is where things go south. I don’t know the guy that did the work, if he was new or whatever, but I go pick the truck up and they are finishing up and I pay and go on my way, get halfway home and things don’t feel right. Check underneath and there is grease everywhere from the cv axle, mind you this axle was perfect when dropping it off. So I go back to the shop and tell my buddy to look underneath and he gets the mechanic that worked on it turns out he used a torch to heat up the lbj so he can get it out, well in doing so he melted a hole in cv boot and I guess he used a pickle fork to break the upper apart because it’s boot was jacked up. My buddy asked if I could bring it back Tuesday and he would make it right, this was Saturday and they were about to close.
    So now I have to take it back Tuesday and have a new cv axle and upper ball joint installed. Granted it’s not gonna cost me anything but just a little frustrating.
    Sorry for the long post but I guess I should have done it myself.
     
    k1ng_Snoopy likes this.
  9. Sep 1, 2019 at 5:24 PM
    #9
    Benny123

    Benny123 Toyota enthusiast

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    Fawk. That sucks. Sorry about your border collie too. Glad the shop is making it right. I had a national repair shop damage my cvs last year during and alignment. Got home, smelled something odd, and there was grease all over. They made it right though and replaced it. Good news is that the lbjs are done. And theyll fix the cvs.
     
    TN_FunRunner[OP] likes this.
  10. Sep 3, 2019 at 10:30 AM
    #10
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    Well she’s back together now and back in business.
     
    Benny123[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Sep 3, 2019 at 12:26 PM
    #11
    Benny123

    Benny123 Toyota enthusiast

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    Good to hear. Things really fell apart there. Hope the pup recovering as well.

    From what I read if you separate the knuckle you can simply hammer or press out the old LBJ. Heat was an unnecessary step & it clearly caused an avoidable problem.

    Glad they took care of it.
     
    k1ng_Snoopy and TN_FunRunner[OP] like this.
  12. Sep 3, 2019 at 5:25 PM
    #12
    TN_FunRunner

    TN_FunRunner [OP] New Member

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    Totally agree about the LBJ, I don’t know why the guy did it that way.
    The doggo is recovering well, gonna be a few weeks before he’s back to normal tho.
     

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