2x 555 Ball Joint Boots Failed after 3,500 Miles (2 Viewers)

[lexuslandcruiser]

My 2002 LC had around 205,000 miles and I was getting a clunk from the LCA ball joint on the drivers side. The boot was in tact, but it was very obviously clunking on any dip, bump, turn, etc and I don't want to mess around with an LBJ popping while my wife and the kids are in the car.

With my tendency to want to always go OEM everything, but Toyota not selling just the OEM LBJ, I decided to install 555 ball joints instead of replacing the entire LCA at easily $300+ a side vs $55/side for the separate LBJ. I got the 555s from Cruiser Teq in January 2025, installed Mar 2025, failed sometime around August 2025.

I had an independent Toyota master tech install the 555 ball joints and new bushings in the OEM arms and everything was fine, until this weekend when I was towing and heard some strange noises. I looked under the car and saw BOTH boots on each ball joint are torn, one extremely badly, and the other still quite bad. Pics below.

Being over 60 miles from home with a loaded trailer, I had no choice but to slap the only grease I had on hand in there and drive white knuckled home. It made it, but now I'm wishing I had just bought the factory Toyota complete arms with the true Toyota OEM LBJ and bushing already installed.

Right now (Labor Day 2025) the Toyota/Lexus dealer I always order from in Mobile, Alabama (Springhill Toyota / Lexus of Mobile) has 15% off all parts and free shipping over $75 so I ordered both LCAs for a total of just $549.

This is obviously super expensive for effectively one bushing and one ball joint since my existing arms are perfectly fine, but I don't want to touch it again for another 200,000 miles.
In hindsight, I knew better than to waste time doing it any other way than just replacing the LCAs with true OEM, but I saw people here on Mud with mostly good things to say about the 555s.

My hope here is to simply tell you that if you're looking to replace your lower ball joints on your 100, just do it right the first time and get Toyota OEM arms. Yeah it sucks massively to pay so much for a ball joint and a bushing and end up with an entirely new arm you didn't new, but it's the only way to do it right.

I'm sure many of you are gonna say your 555s have been fine, but for both sides to have failed in 3,500 miles, that seems insanely coincidental. There's no way I'm installing them again, or even bothering to re-boot them.

Was it improper installation? I don't think so. This tech is highly rated and when I reached out he said he'd never seen anything like this before.
Was it a bad batch of rubber on the 555s? Who knows!

Unlucky...

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Given the hammer marks on your spindle and that it is both sides, I'm saying it's definitely install, your tech appears to be pretty heavy handed.

 

[Poomunj]

Yeah your knuckle looks mangled. Someone went at the arm with a big hammer…

 

[Mike NXP]

Hmm yeah but even if his tech beat up the knuckle why would that cause the boot to fail? cant imagine its bent that bad to cause both sides to fail but Idk

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Not saying the hammer marks caused the failure, just that it's an indicator of someone that maybe uses force over finesse. Could be he pressed them on with the boots on and they got caught in the cup. They both looks like they're split evenly around the middle seam.

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Not saying the hammer marks caused the failure, just that it's an indicator of someone that maybe uses force over finesse. Could be he pressed them on with the boots on and they got caught in the cup. They both looks like they're split evenly around the middle seam.

Very well could be the case. I’ll be installing the new OEM arms myself, for sure

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Hmm yeah but even if his tech beat up the knuckle why would that cause the boot to fail? cant imagine its bent that bad to cause both sides to fail but Idk

I agree because it seems too coincidental that both failed, and if memory serves I asked if he had to pull the boots off and he said yes.

Doesn’t mean it wasn’t just forced in anyway but I’d certainly hope a shop like that isn’t doing it the wrong way

 

[Bisho]

Just to fulfill your prophesy, I have 80k miles on my 555s on my 100, and going strong.

Did you look to see if you can just buy new boots? You actually can for the OEM uppers and lowers, at about $10 each. I rebooted my LX, as the boots cracked but the joints were still solid at 230k. I thought it was worth a try, and 15k later still no issues.

 

[Asanka]

Did you look to see if you can just buy new boots?

Boots were not available for 555 when I checked

 

[nissanh]

I helped a friend who had a corolla KE72 to install 555 into his steering system.... After a few weeks, all have developed free play and we re-did all again with OEM. For the 3rd gen 4Runners we always advice to go with OEM lower ball joints. OEM lasts 200K+ miles while 555 lasts JUST 20K.

I did all suspension control arms in my 100 and 4Runner with OEM Toyota, a big cry but knows I am good for another 200+ miles.

 

[Mike NXP]

I helped a friend who had a corolla KE72 to install 555 into his steering system.... After a few weeks, all have developed free play and we re-did all again with OEM. For the 3rd gen 4Runners we always advice to go with OEM lower ball joints. OEM lasts 200K+ miles while 555 lasts JUST 20K.

I did all suspension control arms in my 100 and 4Runner with OEM Toyota, a big cry but knows I am good for another 200+ miles.

Psh who cares about ball joints lets see that Corolla lol what a classic .. Rear wheel drive little ripper