555 Lower Ball joint corrosion (4 Viewers)

[Kofoed]

I had the 555 ball joints installed for about 4000 miles (one year). Somewhere the boot was torn. It looked like is was fairly recent, so packed it with additional grease, duct tape and zip tied it up and broke off 1800 miles over the holidays. I removed the joint and the grease wasn't too bad (I was planning on replacing it). But the corrosion is crazy. I drove through a bunch of snow with roads getting sprayed with calcium chloride, plus desert alkali mud....but sheesh. I had the 555 tie rods ends which needed to be painted after the holiday trip too. The finish of the parts may look good, but it is not.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I had the 555 ball joints installed for about 4000 miles (one year). Somewhere the boot was torn. It looked like is was fairly recent, so packed it with additional grease, duct tape and zip tied it up and broke off 1800 miles over the holidays. I removed the joint and the grease wasn't too bad (I was planning on replacing it). But the corrosion is crazy. I drove through a bunch of snow with roads getting sprayed with calcium chloride, plus desert alkali mud....but sheesh. I had the 555 tie rods ends which needed to be painted after the holiday trip too. The finish of the parts may look good, but it is not.



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This is a pretty well documented but extraordinarily minor issue that has been covered on here before. Solution: hit the exposed surfaces with rustoleum spray paint after/before install.

 

[nissanh]

What made the boot to fail?
I never install 555 parts into any of my vehicles. I know majority of mudders use 555 lower and upper ball joints but I will not because I know its quality.
For example the lower ball joint on a 3rd gen 4runner has a design failure and OEM lasts 150-200K miles without any issues while any aftermarket ball joints (most are 555) fail in less than 20K miles.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

What made the boot to fail?
I never install 555 parts into any of my vehicles. I know majority of mudders use 555 lower and upper ball joints but I will not because I know its quality.
For example the lower ball joint on a 3rd gen 4runner has a design failure and OEM lasts 150-200K miles without any issues while any aftermarket ball joints (most are 555) fail in less than 20K miles.

That’s not exactly a good comparison, in my opinion. The 3rd gen’s design is the problem, though I do agree that OEM joint is superior to 555 for those. However, OEM joints for the 100 series can’t be bought separate from the control arms. So you’re left with 2 options: 1) replace all 4 ball joints with 555 for $180, or 2) replace all 4 control arms with OEM for $1400.

 

[Kofoed]

This is a pretty well documented but extraordinarily minor issue that has been covered on here before. Solution: hit the exposed surfaces with rustoleum spray paint after install.

I installed and painted the exposed top portion as I did my research prior to install. The heavy corrosion is of areas concealed once installed--can't paint that. Further, the press fit would scrape off some of the paint anyway, where you can see some corrosion starting. So I painted the new part prior to install and added anti seize to the groove of the lca. To have a part corrode in a year like that and call it extraordinary minor is a bit dismissive.

I have SPC UCA which had their own freaking ball joint issues.

 

[nissanh]

Yes, true. Wish toyota sells the ball joints separately. I am at 237K miles and the ball joints are still are solid as new. I was tracking a noice on front and later found out it was the worn D-bushing on the steering rack. If I remember right a fellow mudder reported a snapped ball joint stem from the ball. I think it was an aftermarket ball joint.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I installed and painted the exposed top portion as I did my research prior to install. The heavy corrosion is of areas concealed once installed--can't paint that. Further, the press fit would scrape off some of the paint anyway, where you can see some corrosion starting. So I painted the new part prior to install and added anti seize to the groove of the lca. To have a part corrode in a year like that and call it extraordinary minor is a bit dismissive.

I have SPC UCA which had their own freaking ball joint issues.

My intent wasn’t to be dismissive, just that this has been covered previously. We have no other options other than to buy new control arms, because Toyota doesn’t sell the joint separately, so some minor corrosion is better than forking over $700, in my opinion. Assuming the below red-circled area is the corrosion that you’re referring to, paint it before install (I did). It’s not the friction surface that gets press in and, if using appropriate size press sleeve, the paint won’t scrape off during install. It looks like just flash surface rust with mud/dirt mixed in.

 

[2001LC]

I've been installing 555 with marine or a grease that designed to hold in wet condition and has rust inhibitors.

I hone out LCA with 4' wire brush. Grease area. Press in new BJ. The pack grease around top to make a water seal. Not had to pull one back out to see if working well. But sure is a cost savings to use 555, and I don't know of better other than OEM LCA. If someone has found better alternative, I loved to hear about it?

 

[Kofoed]

I've been installing 555 with marine or a grease that designed to hold in wet condition and has rust inhibitors.

I hone out LCA with 4' wire brush. Grease area. Press in new BJ. The pack grease around top to make a water seal. Not had to pull one back out to see if working well. But sure is a cost savings to use 555, and I don't know of better other than OEM LCA. If someone has found better alternative, I loved to hear about it?

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I did the nearly the same thing, wire brush the lca, painted exposed ball joint surfaces prior to install, touched up the top of the joint after install. I used anti-sieze in in the press fit area, though sticky marine grease is a good idea.

 

[2001LC]

What you can't see in final pictures, is, I packed in grease before installation of the C-clip. So it basically top side is encased in grease.

Blue grease seen above, was a cheap marine grease from WM. Stuff wouldn't even wash out with solvent. WM changed brands, that was just to thin. So I switched up to Lucas Red-N-tacky. Lucas also has a Marine Grease for salt water, that's said to really hold. I spoke with Lucas and they felt for none salter water, use the Red-N-tacky was all I needed.

I use a lot of grease during assembly (more than I should perhaps) of all undercarriage and suspension parts. I even pack the pockets of LCA shock mounts, they hold water and rust otherwise. I save my anti seize for steel bolt going in aluminium, more than any thing.

I figure, I've never seen oily or greasy old parts rust. So it's preventive. Ever busted a skid plate bolt. Clean them, add some grease to threads and you'll never have problem with them again.

 

[Kofoed]

What made the boot to fail?
I never install 555 parts into any of my vehicles. I know majority of mudders use 555 lower and upper ball joints but I will not because I know its quality.
For example the lower ball joint on a 3rd gen 4runner has a design failure and OEM lasts 150-200K miles without any issues while any aftermarket ball joints (most are 555) fail in less than 20K miles.

I don't know why the boot failed....it was a tear. I compared the 555 boot with the OEM ball joint repair kit and the OEM is thicker, notably at teh bottom/narrow end.