Just looking at '94 tires and stability thread and broken idler arm by Dumpolina. I broke a tie rod once also. I "tied" it back together with a ratchet strap and limped back to town. How often should steering components be replaced and which ones specifically? All of them? Looks like I will be throwing some in as spares as well.
Front end work (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jgranthevagrant
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I think every 60k if you replace with non OEM...
- Thread starter
- #3
I generally use OEM unless there is a clear benefit to another brand. OME springs for example. Looks like I will do some steering component work in the spring.
Keep them greased and replace them when the joints have play in them. They might last 200k on a highway truck and 10k on a truck that gets rallied through the back roads.
- Thread starter
- #6
They seem ok for play. They just look and mostly are old. I grease all points twice a year minimum.
dohcdelsol93
snoogans
Anyone have any experience with moog? I'm rebuilding the front end of a long neglected 88 before putting it on the road. I have had great experience with the entire front end of my 7.3 4x4 excursion being built with moog. Had one wheel hub fail at around 300k, had been on there since 120k and a good 10 years.
All the tre's are stil solid. Lots of highway and towing miles.
Im not only wanting to do moog tres but also upper and lower ball joints, idler arm and upper/lower CA bushings at the same time.
Ive considered energy suspension bushings instead of moog for the CA bushings. They dont bind like the rubber inserts. They do ride a little more rough but I feel they are more responsive.
Like others i dont trust house brand bearings or tres
All the tre's are stil solid. Lots of highway and towing miles.
Im not only wanting to do moog tres but also upper and lower ball joints, idler arm and upper/lower CA bushings at the same time.
Ive considered energy suspension bushings instead of moog for the CA bushings. They dont bind like the rubber inserts. They do ride a little more rough but I feel they are more responsive.
Like others i dont trust house brand bearings or tres
I personally use moog and 555 for all of mine. Often when ordering moog i have received 555 components.
dohcdelsol93
snoogans
I was told moog uses national bearings in some of their wheel hubs from a shop in the automotive supply industry, im not sure if there is any truth to that. I was hoping to hear the moog reliability wasn't just for heavy fords
I have an 88 with close to 300K with stock Ball Joints and Tie Rods. I have replaced the idler arm bushings 3 times now.
I take the truck to my cabin and the roads are far from good, It is a rocky and bumpy ride. The stock stuff has held up well. I always check the front end play, and the joints are still good.
My ball joints have little grease screw to accept a zirk. I put a little grease in about 10 years ago, but every time I check they are still good. I don't want to over fill them. The rubber still looks good. That is one area Toyota did good on, the front end stuff on these trucks.
I take the truck to my cabin and the roads are far from good, It is a rocky and bumpy ride. The stock stuff has held up well. I always check the front end play, and the joints are still good.
My ball joints have little grease screw to accept a zirk. I put a little grease in about 10 years ago, but every time I check they are still good. I don't want to over fill them. The rubber still looks good. That is one area Toyota did good on, the front end stuff on these trucks.
here's some good info on the subject and bushing upgrade parts if you haven't already seen it.
Toyota IFS Idler Arm Upgrades
4crawler.com
I think i would prefer 555 if given the choice and when I order moog i get the problem solver version as i understand that is their premium version of parts. My taco got new tre and ball joints that were half 555 and half moog problem solver. Sold the truck a month ago, but they were still great at 9 years of fairly hard use. Front coils were also Moog but those were only a year old when i sold it so they were at least good that long.
Last edited:
Dang. Glad I'm solid axle.
dohcdelsol93
snoogans
So I already started tearing down my front end while waiting on the moog components to arrive.
The tres came off without a hitch. The ball joints took some convincing. The bottle jack between the control arms did the trick. I split the bottom joint from the mount first rather than the the taper shaft. I then knocked the top mount out with ease gently pulling the hub Assy out with a small section of ripe while hitting with the other arm. With the hub Assy removed and lower now exposed with tons of space to wack I put a jack uner the bottom taper shaft of the ball joint, Jack it up just enough for there to be constant upward pressure. A few good wacks and the bottom joint fell off. Hitting from the underside without a lift is insanity, for me anyway so I avoid it. I used a 3 lbs hammer.
So question on the torsion arms. There is a crap ton of pressure on the upper arm, how do I relieve the pressure of the torsion bar so I can replace the upper arm?
My rig is an 86 if it makes a difference.
Thanks for the ilder arm upgrade link, Ill make that change.
The tres came off without a hitch. The ball joints took some convincing. The bottle jack between the control arms did the trick. I split the bottom joint from the mount first rather than the the taper shaft. I then knocked the top mount out with ease gently pulling the hub Assy out with a small section of ripe while hitting with the other arm. With the hub Assy removed and lower now exposed with tons of space to wack I put a jack uner the bottom taper shaft of the ball joint, Jack it up just enough for there to be constant upward pressure. A few good wacks and the bottom joint fell off. Hitting from the underside without a lift is insanity, for me anyway so I avoid it. I used a 3 lbs hammer.
So question on the torsion arms. There is a crap ton of pressure on the upper arm, how do I relieve the pressure of the torsion bar so I can replace the upper arm?
My rig is an 86 if it makes a difference.
Thanks for the ilder arm upgrade link, Ill make that change.
- Thread starter
- #15
I have not done my torsion bars for a bit, but FSM should indicate procedure. Something like jack up front of vehicle, crank down or relieve pressure on torsions bar, remove bar, remove upper arm, replace in that order? I can check Sunday night when I get home.
dohcdelsol93
snoogans
I dont have an fsm so that would be terrific! Before I started loosening on the tension bolt by putting a 7/8 wrench on the top nut and loosening the bolt head I wanted to make sure i was doing it right.
I think once it's loose I can unbolt the UCA from the torsion bar for removal of the UCA. I dont think the torsion bar needs removal from what I see.
I think once it's loose I can unbolt the UCA from the torsion bar for removal of the UCA. I dont think the torsion bar needs removal from what I see.
dohcdelsol93
snoogans
Got bored, no kid for the weekend and too cold to be on the boat so I tore into it. The torsion bar just needs loosened enough to take off the tension which put the nut right at the every end of the bolt. The uca takes some maneuvering but it comes out.
Safety note**** there is a jack stand on the other side of the blocks. Im on thinly poured asphalt and on an incline so I don't trust only a jack stand especially with the torque it took to bust the nuts loose on the cv axles under it. Don't trust concrete blocks!!! Or jack stands on sub par surfaces.
Safety note**** there is a jack stand on the other side of the blocks. Im on thinly poured asphalt and on an incline so I don't trust only a jack stand especially with the torque it took to bust the nuts loose on the cv axles under it. Don't trust concrete blocks!!! Or jack stands on sub par surfaces.
