Ball Joints and Tie Rods

[jammingator]

Ok, so I have a bad lower ball joint and a bad inner tie rod. I'm going to go ahead and do all of them on my 01 with 148k.

I have the parts and am reading every thread I can find along with some youtube videos - sounds like a recipe for success doesn't it? My thought is to do one side at a time and wanted to see what order I should try to do this in. I'm doing UBJ's, LBJ's, inner tie rods, and outer tie rods.

Any tips and information are welcome, thanks in advance!

Matt

 

[gregnash]

No real input but interested to see what everyone comes up with and how things go for you.
Any particular reason you are doing uppers if they are not bad?

 

[Eyedaho]

The hardest part for me was pressing out the upper ball joints. The rest was easy with the right tools. My ball joint press just didn't quite fit the UCA/UBJ configuration, so I had to do it with my shop press.

Rent/borrow an inner tie rod end tool from your local parts store, with a 42mm spanner. Some of them don't include that size. Break the outer TRE lock nut free before you detach the outer from the steering knuckle. Measure your length and/or count turns so you can get your tie rod ends pretty close to the correct alignment so you can drive to the shop to have your alignment done. Also match mark your cam bolts if you pull your UCAs to get the ball joints replaced, so you can get them installed back pretty close.

 

[gregnash]

Most say that if you use the 555 TREs that they have a different thread count and thus counting threads is a no go. Measure the length instead.

@2001LC posted some photos of how to press out the old UBJ with a ball joint tool. Definitely takes a bit of work to find the correct combination from what I can tell.

 

[Eyedaho]

Most say that if you use the 555 TREs that they have a different thread count and thus counting threads is a no go. Measure the length instead.

@2001LC posted some photos of how to press out the old UBJ with a ball joint tool. Definitely takes a bit of work to find the correct combination from what I can tell.

Yeah, between my ball joint press kit and my ball joint press adaptor kit I didn't have a combination that would clear the top and fit in the press. Since I didn't plan to do it again any time soon, it was easier for my just to pull the UCAs and do it on my shop press, where I could use a taller stack. I just needed a large diameter but short height receiver tube.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

In addition to what @Eyedaho and @gregnash said above, I pulled everything out, working one side at a time. When I say everything, I mean everything except the front diff and steering rack. I figured if a ball joint was bad and both inner TREs were bad, then the UCA and LCA bushings were probably also bad, and once you’re in that deep then you might as well replace all joints and bushings. Pulling the control arms is the easiest way to replace ball joints, but it can also be done in the truck. I was replacing bushings too, so I went ahead and pulled them.

 

[jammingator]

Thanks for the input! @gregnash I haven't actually checked everything. The ball joint and tie rod were discovered during a Missouri vehicle inspection. I just figured at 19 years of age and many dirt road miles (drove it for 7 years living at the end of 4.5 miles of privately maintained roads in Florida) there's a good possibility they're all pretty worn. It's my wife's daily driver so I haven't driven it in a bit - now I'm noticing how loose everything feels so just going to go for it.

Thanks for the insight fellas, some I've read in other threads and some I haven't. The UBJ's seem to be a bigger challenge based on the kit you find. I stopped at Advanced Auto today and they had two kits - one had many more adapters so maybe it'll have one that works.

I did go with the 555 ball joints and tie rods from @cruiseroutfit (great service from Chris!) so I think I'm going to take one of each ball joint to Advanced to see if their kit has adapters that will work.

 

[jammingator]

Thanks for the input! @gregnash I haven't actually checked everything. The ball joint and tie rod were discovered during a Missouri vehicle inspection. I just figured at 19 years of age and many dirt road miles (drove it for 7 years living at the end of 4.5 miles of privately maintained roads in Florida) there's a good possibility they're all pretty worn. It's my wife's daily driver so I haven't driven it in a bit - now I'm noticing how loose everything feels so just going to go for it.

Thanks for the insight fellas, some I've read in other threads and some I haven't. The UBJ's seem to be a bigger challenge based on the kit you find. I stopped at Advanced Auto today and they had two kits - one had many more adapters so maybe it'll have one that works.

I did go with the 555 ball joints and tie rods from @cruiseroutfit (great service from Chris!) so I think I'm going to take one of each ball joint to Advanced to see if their kit has adapters that will work.

 

[gregnash]

The UBJ presses in from the bottom if I remember correctly. This is where the issues come into play as you have to have a cup on the top that has enough room to allow the UBJ to be pressed all the way through.

 

[Eyedaho]

The UBJ presses in from the bottom if I remember correctly. This is where the issues come into play as you have to have a cup on the top that has enough room to allow the UBJ to be pressed all the way through.

It presses out through the top, which was the issue for me. It takes a large diameter receiver tube, which in the parts that I had available was also a long tube. Since you also need a long tube over the shaft, it made the stack too tall for my ball joint press. I could have cut down the length of the large diameter receiver tube, but opted to just pull the arm out and use my shop press to accommodate it.

 

[gregnash]

It presses out through the top, which was the issue for me. It takes a large diameter receiver tube, which in the parts that I had available was also a long tube. Since you also need a long tube over the shaft, it made the stack too tall for me ball joint press. I could have cut down the length of the large diameter receiver tube, but opted to just pull it out and use my shop press to accommodate it.

Ah ok... that makes a little more sense now with the retention c-clip being on the bottom (underside) of the UCA.

 

[jammingator]

Ok picked these up at Advanced hoping to cover all angles!

 

[jammingator]

Cold and wet weekend put the whoa on this project :-(

 

[jammingator]

Ok, so got started yesterday evening with driver's side teardown! Went pretty smooth overall. The Powerbuilt Front End Service Kit I rented from Advanced Auto Parts #648626 (smaller kit pictured above) was key - especially the longer puller shown laying horizontally on the case cover. It was the best option for the tie rod end and the lower ball joint. Will document with pics at some level as I go. Here's where I left off last night, getting going again after the rain this morning.

A couple of questions:

• I have the 555 ball joint and tie rod end kits from @cruiseroutfit, should I paint the outer tie rod end before or after install?
• what size bolt is best to thread into the end of the axle to pull it out tight before snap ring install?
• the left front wheel was stuck on the hub pretty good - got it off with hammer and 2x4 (my wife's old 4Runner used to get like that also) - what are latest thoughts on grease or other around the hub to help with that?
• If you can see the grease leaking from the CV joints, I'm going to have to address that. Put these on brand new about 4 years ago but with the torsion bars cranked a little to level, they're leaking. I'll research but any recs in the meantime?

 

[jammingator]

Better view

 

[gregnash]

- Repainting the TREs is personal preference.
- Bolt for end of axle is an M8x1.25 threaded bolt (I have a couple 3" ones laying around for this matter)
- Leaking CV boots should be cleaned and leak location determined. If it is the bands then replace with new ones (few different threads on this). Otherwise may be time for a reboot.
- With regards to your hub grease questions... not really sure what you are asking. Can you clarify?

 

[jammingator]

Thanks @gregnash - it was hard to get the wheel off (a problem I've experienced before on this and our old 4Runner) so wondered what the latest thought on treatment the outside of the wheelhub to prevent the rim from "getting stuck"

 

[gregnash]

Thanks @gregnash - it was hard to get the wheel off (a problem I've experienced before on this and our old 4Runner) so wondered what the latest thought on treatment the outside of the wheelhub to prevent the rim from "getting stuck"

Ok so you are talk the wheel (rim and tire) vs. the spindle off the axle, corect?

 

[Eyedaho]

Ok, so got started yesterday evening with driver's side teardown! Went pretty smooth overall. The Powerbuilt Front End Service Kit I rented from Advanced Auto Parts #648626 (smaller kit pictured above) was key - especially the longer puller shown laying horizontally on the case cover. It was the best option for the tie rod end and the lower ball joint. Will document with pics at some level as I go. Here's where I left off last night, getting going again after the rain this morning.

A couple of questions:

• I have the 555 ball joint and tie rod end kits from @cruiseroutfit, should I paint the outer tie rod end before or after install?
• what size bolt is best to thread into the end of the axle to pull it out tight before snap ring install?
• the left front wheel was stuck on the hub pretty good - got it off with hammer and 2x4 (my wife's old 4Runner used to get like that also) - what are latest thoughts on grease or other around the hub to help with that?
• If you can see the grease leaking from the CV joints, I'm going to have to address that. Put these on brand new about 4 years ago but with the torsion bars cranked a little to level, they're leaking. I'll research but any recs in the meantime?

View attachment 2243127

Yes, paint the outer tie rod end. I'm pretty sure Cruiser Outfitters says that on their site also. If you don't rattle can that bare steel, it will be all rusty in no time.

A lot of people, myself included, have had good results from replacing the leaking CV boot clamps with worm screw ones from McMaster Carr. 5574K25 for the large and 5574K16 for the small.

 

[jammingator]

Ok so you are talk the wheel (rim and tire) vs. the spindle off the axle, corect?

Yes just lubing so simply taking the rim & tire off to fix a flat, etc is a little easier!