Where to lift from to separate the upper ball joint

Lca or frame?

 

If you are trying to separate the upper ball joint from the spindle, don't jack it up to do it. Leave the nut on a few turns and hit it a few times with a small sledge hammer. A 10lb should work. Hit the side of the spindle area where the ball joint bolt goes through.

 

Ok sounds good. I was going to take off the tire. So I guess if I jacked from the lca it would simulate the tire being on the ground. Gotta put a new boot on the upper joint is all.

 

Don't 4Runners just balance on three wheels

 

Watching Thread
Thanks OP
I'm slowly gathering the balls to install SPC new and improved Sealed balljoint replacement kit

 

I did it lol was nervous too never done suspension stuff before. I figure if I'm going to run my rig off road I best learn to fix suspension things. Had to wack it with the hammer pretty hard a few times then it came right off. The metal rretainer ring that came with the boot was garbage so I zip tied it seems pretty damn solid now. The only trouble was the ball join bolt (stud) twists when reinstalling the castle nut. I just held it in place with a pry bay as best I could to tighten. I think the little flange bends came from what ever I hit that wrecked the boot.

 

Is that flange part of the original boot?

Did you end up separating it with all four tires on the ground? I took mine off to attempt to remove my shock a while back, and never would have thought to leave it on the ground. I would have been afraid of something shifting on me.

Also, the curiosity is killing me! How did that boot get trail damage all the way up there? Was it a tree branch? We need stories man!

 

No idea how it got damaged prolly in some deep mud with debris in it maybe a rock flew up. The flange thing is attached to the ball joint as far as I could tell. I don't think it's going to cause any problems being slightly bent it might be meant to hold the grease in somewhat. I jacked it up from the lca and it went back togather pretty easily and I tightened the bolt and put in a new cotter pin. Good as new lol.

 

Hmm, interesting. I don’t have experience with these boots, but it almost looks like it was originally part of the old boot. Or at least meant to be interface with it.
Possibly pressed into place by the spindle when it gets torqued?

Did you use a new OE boot? Any possibility it also had a flange like this inside of it?

 

The new boot didn't have any metal parts so I just put the new one over that metal part. The ball joint itself at 43k miles looked and felt almost new.

 

@2020 4Runner
thanks
Ima try bj replacement install
so ur sayin leave wheel on, and then keep which nut on a few turns, top or bottom nut?

 

The wheel will need to be removed. You will want to loosen the nut but leave it on a few threads so that everything doesn't come apart once the ball joint releases from the spindle. Once the nut is loosened but left on, you will want to hit the circled area. You will know once the ball joint separates. After it separates then you will be able to push the UCA down enough to finish removing the nut.

 

@20204Runner Big thanks brother
Same exact deal for SPC UCA, with nut on top and grease zerk?
I've marked up the location/direction to wack my knuckle, is this correct guys?

 

The lower nut at the arrow is the one that you want to loosen but leave on. The top nut at the zerk fitting is used for alignment and holding the ball joint in the UCA.

 

Yes that's what everybody says to do in Youtube videos. Example of how hard you may have to wail at it.

I never had luck there. I thread the castle nut on backwards until the base of the nut is flush with the pin, then hammer on the end of the pin

 

Yes, that can be done too as long as it's flush to prevent thread damage or mushrooming the stud itself.

 

You guys rock
Sorry for thread jacking
Kiddos almost to bed, then it's time

 

No hammer needed, separator tool worked

 

One SPC was done tnite, second in the morn