*PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT AND THE VIDEO DESCRIPTION FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION* **Important Safety Message**: That 2 jaw puller I used from the OTC kit to break the UBJ free of the UCA can fly off from it's purchase when the connection finally breaks free. Be careful when using this type of puller. Possibly putting something solid between the puller in you while tightening down the screw would be prudent so the puller can't go flying into you. **12/13/19 - Brian Kiesel commented sharing that he used an impact gun in combination with his balljoint press to press the upper balljoint out of the knuckle. This enabled him to keep the knuckle on the vehicle because the impact generates a lot of force without any need to properly stabilizing the knuckle like we show doing by removing the whole knuckle off the vehicle and securing it in a bench vice. With conventional ratchets and breaker bars, it's hard to generate the force required to drive the balljoint out and the new one back in with the knuckle not stable. So, if you have an impact gun, this could be an option for you if you don't want to take the additional steps to pull the whole knuckle off the vehicle and secure it in bench vice for the press work like we did. One thing I would watch out for when using an impact for this job is pressing the new balljoint in. You want to make sure the balljoint is driving in really straight because things can happen very fast when using an impact as opposed to conventional tools. You'd probably want to put your gun on a low setting like Brian did and use very quick bursts with the impact to see the balljoint is going in straight, and then once it is, you could be more aggressive and drive it the rest of the way. Another thing to consider is if the balljoint press you have is rated for impact use - I did a quick search online and appears plenty of people use impact guns with their balljoint presses. A common comment is to make sure the screw bar threads are lubricated really well so there won't be any undo wear to the threads.
@@toastrecon That's not a bad idea but maybe something more sturdy than a rubber band. I'm thinking a section of a rubber bicycle tube that I could wrap around the tines on the puller really tight so when the connection breaks free the arms can fling out and cause the puller to launch and become a projectile. Thanks for the idea.
@@TimmyTheToolman I watched every video you have in RUclips, every video is very helpful, Mr. You are the master. Thanks for everything you share with us. 👍👍👍👍
This video helped me immensely. I did all my important bushings: rear control arms (upper and lower), panhard bar, lbj’s, and upper and lower control arms for the front. destroyed my upper ball joints in the process, but seeing your video pop up gave me a huge boost of confidence through the frustration. finished up the job today, and hopefully i won’t have to do it again for a while. thank you for your clear and efficient videos! helped me get my ‘99 back to a respectable condition.
@herculesc130. It's nice to know our videos helped you out. You're very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your success story with us. Happy Wrenching!
I'm about to start this same project. I was looking for some more info, and man did I find it. This is the best "how to" video I've seen for work like this. You did a great job explaining each step, and the camera work is stellar. But the fifth star is extra time you took at the end of the video to show the specific cups needed to press the UBJ out. Great job. You may have saved me hours of time running around while my truck is on jack stands looking for stuff you cannot easily buy at Autozone. I have two buddies with Tacomas, and I will direct them to this video.
That’s great to hear Mark! We hope you caught our mistake on where to leave the twisted wire. We mention it in the video at the end. For those of your friends who are replacing their entire UCA and not just the joint, refer to this video ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html where we show another method to removing the ball joint itself by cutting off the shaft first to fit the ball joint adapters over easier for the press work. - Sean
This is by far the best video I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. I’ll be doing my upper and lowers for my first time and this video has given me a lot more confidence in tackling this job.
I have found that it is always a good idea to put anti-seize on the threads of any threaded puller, press, or compressor tool so the threads don't jam or strip under extreme pressure. I have tried grease and it doesn't do the job. Anti-seize is the way to go. Great video.
Excellent coverage and tooling without damaging any boots brother Tim! Really like OTC's products. When I change my brakes, I have been washing all boot material with soap/water, then spraying Silicone over boots. I've noticed less cracking of the rubber! Another fine video my brother!!
Aloha~ Thank you for your attention to detail! Seem to work on clients’ cars as if they were your own. Good for you! And good for your clients. One alternative to the locking washer would be to have a big washer with the axle hole size then end over two sides towards the nut and one or both of the other sides the other way and drill a hole or grind a notch for the cotter pin.
@bassamabdelnabi3117 I hope there's Sic Toyotas Trucks and SUVs in the afterlife, and God hooks me up with one. You're very welcome. Sean and I do plan on continuing to produce content to help people. Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it!
Absolutely, God is generous and he will give all those who end up in paradise the things they enjoy doing including sick Toyotas 😁. Thanks so much again and best wishes for you.
Great video, like how everything is well lit when you're filming, easy to see all the parts properly, and good speed of taking it apart, good pace, good instruction, you're a pro!
Thanks for making these videos. You have saved me thousands of dollars. I just did this job yesterday. I found it wasn't neccessary to remove the whole knuckle from the vehicle. Also, I couldn't get the snap ring out so I press the ring out with the ball joint. It took more chugga chugga with the impact but it worked...Thanks again for the videos..
You're very welcome Brian. Great to hear you've saved lots of money using our videos. That puts a smile on our faces every time. That's great you were able to do the UBJ swap keeping the knuckle on the vehicle and I suppose using the impact with your balljoint press made that a whole lot easier to do. I didn't consider using an impact with the balljoint press but now I know it's an option, so thanks. Did you also use the impact to drive the new balljoint into the knuckle? Without an impact, it's hard to generate the force required with standard ratchets or breaker bars to force the UBJ out because the knuckle isn't stable like it was for me in the bench vice. So, for anyone without an impact gun, it's good we shared the way we did it with pulling the knuckle completely off the vehicle. I'm going to add a note in the comment I pinned sharing your impact gun technique. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share this with us. Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman Yes, I used the Impact to press the ball joint in. I turned it down to low and went slow. Making sure it was seating in the knuckle straight. I agree doing it this way on the vehicle without an impact would be very difficult, because the knuckle sways around on the lower ball joint.
Do you have a Toyota Tacoma 4x4? How did you secure the knuckle to remove the old UBJ and install the new UBJ? I have a 1/2 " Makita impact wrench, so if it saves me time and frustration to press out the old UBJ and press in the new UBJ, I am very interested in your technique.
Having problems installing with a ball joint installer I borrowed from advance Auto. You're diagram on proper placement saved my ass. Work perfectly! thank you so much!
Thanks for the video, I just finished changing out both my upper and lower following your video. Also change the brake pads in the process but they were cake. Didn't have all the right cups but improvised with impact sockets that fit. Also followed your lower ball joint video. Nice that you included all the torque settings for each nut and bolt.
Great job doing the work yourself. You saved a bunch of money and learned a lot. I'm glad our videos helped you with both jobs. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
@efil4kizum A rented Autozone ball joint installer tool. Looks like a C- clamp that comes with some cups to received BJ and assist in pressing the BJ up and evenly as the video here shows. The cups weren't exact fits for my UBJ but I made it work. It did take a big of muscle to torque the clamp but not too difficult.
Taking off the whole knuckle assembly isn't necessary in order to complete this job. I was going to skip this job while doing inner/outer tie rods and LBJ, due to all of the work, but I saw another video where you can just unscrew the upper ball joint and press it out. I appreciate the attention to detail in all of your videos, but I found that all of the extra work you did in this video wasn't necessary. I am currently finishing up the rack bushings and also the inner/outer tie rod, then going to finish with the UBJ. Thanks for all of your detailed 3rd gen maintenance videos!
Stabilizing the knuckle to apply the necessary force with the balljoint press while the knuckle is on the rig is the issue. That's why I chose to remove the knuckle to not fight getting the old balljoint out and the new one. I don't find removing a steering knuckle a big chore. We can choose which battles we want. So, not necessary for you, but necessary for me because I wanted the knuckle stabilized on the bench vice. There's always more than one way to accomplish a job.
Undoubtedly one of the best, most comprehensive tutorials I have ever watched on doing a repair job. Excellent commentary and video work. What camera did you use?
Thanks! We appreciate the nice compliment. Details are what we are about. We want anyone who's willing to take on the challenge of Auto Mechanics to be successful using one of our video tutorials. Having very detailed videos gives people the confidence and ability to tackle intimidating jobs. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Excellent how to video!! Now I'll know what to do if and when my UBJ's need replacing.... Thanks Timmy (My Name Too)!! Have 140K Miles on my '05 PreRunner, and the UBJ's, LBJ's, and boots are still all good....
Hello Tim, Thank you always for everything, my toyota has been healing little by little thanks to you, and I have been learning a lot in the process. I want to make a major maintenance in my Toyota Tacoma 1996 manual 4wd, and I ask for the price at the Toyota dealership, and prices are a bit expensive so... 1. I wanted to ask whether you know of any alternative that sells Toyota Original parts but maybe at a bit lower price, somewhere trustable that you may have experience buying from them hopefully, before getting them directly from Toyota 2. If the clutch disc sounds like if it is rubbing metal against metal time to time, do you think I should buy the flywheel together with the clutch disk, clutch press and clutch neck? 3. If your suspension in general needs maintenance, like all of it, which parts would you focus on first, apart from the lower ball joint?
@jacobliddiard158 Partsouq.com is a very affordable option for Toyota OEM parts. It takes a bit more time to get the parts because they are coming overseas, but the prices are the most affordable you'll probably find. For the clutch, you should replace the clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing. You don't need to replace the clutch fork. I would replace shocks first. If the springs are sagging and tired, replace those as well. If control arm bushings and sway bar bushings are worn out and have play, replace those as well. We have videos that cover all these jobs.
Brings back bad memories... Update: I’m glad I went Oem on that nightmare of a job. I used the same otc adapters but did not take off the knuckle. It barely worked. I forgot to remove the retaining clip for the ubj and pressing it out took an insane amount of force.
Yep, I can understand that. But, with all the right tools, this is a pretty straight forward job. The scary thing for me was how much force was required to break free the upper balljoint spindle for the upper control arm. Frank's rig has over 300k miles and those were the original UBJs so they were really locked in there. It's scary when that puller finally breaks it free.
Hey Tim! Thanks for another excellent video. My son has a 1st Gen Taco and I have a 3rd Gen. Your videos have been a huge help to us. Thanks for the ball joint press numbers. Most press kits don't have the right cup for the 1st Gen UBJ. Just one ask. Wear some eye pro, Brother! Especially when you're breaking stuff free that's under tension. We need you healthy with 2 working eyes!
Another excellent detailed TTT UBJ tutorial and the best on RUclips. My 2002 Tacoma 4x4 UBJs with 168k miles are leaking grease and my tires are showing extreme wear on the inside. I suspect the worn UBJs have caused an extreme misalignment. It look like when I replaced my UBJs I might be prudent for me replace the LBJs and the Outer Tie rod since I will have the knuckles off my Tacoma.
Before you go and replace the UBJs, check them for play. They might be fine and all you need is to buy the affordable boot kits that we link in the video description. LBJs are smart to replace because they are known to fail. If the outer tie rods have play or torn boots, I'd replace them. If the joints seem fine and the boots are intact, I wouldn't replace them. Uneven tire wear seems more like a problem with the alignment toe. I suspect your wheels are toed out too much. I'm trying to get you to avoid spending money on things that don't need replacing and find the real reason why your tires are wearing unevenly. Good luck!
@@TimmyTheToolman I checked the LBJs for play and they have plenty of play. My LBJs have 168k miles on them, look ok but I am told since I go off road it would be prudent to replace them as they are 20 years old with 168K miles . One tie rod is o but the other has play so I will replace both. Thanks Tim for the advice and keep making excellent videos.
Excellent!! Your videos and tips are spot-on! I just bought a '98 4Runner and your series lets me know if I want to tackle it or just pay someone to do it! I've seen a bunch of terrible DIY videos, but yours is *not* one of them - having someone else work the camera, the lighting, the speeding up of the "boring" parts, etc. You clearly know how to do it! Thanks!!! -Daryl in Seattle
Thanks Cruz. When we make videos working on people's rigs, we aren't charging them for our services. We are working for free. But, I would agree that we are very honest and try to give the best information possible in our videos. When we make a mistake, we own it and let people know. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes but you need to learn from it and not hide it. Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it!
That's great to hear you've benefited from several of our videos. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and sharing this with us. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Great video. I’m using this as the guide to replace a ball joint on my ‘19 tundra due to a ripped boot. At 22:57, I think 7248 is the clamp’s part number. The third part you may need is OTC 314392 which is a forcing screw plug for the clamp. With the 7248 clamp, 314392 forcing screw plug, 538591 adapter, and 38354 receiving cup, you should be good to go for this job.
Might be a dumb question but oh well. I'm going to be replacing my stock UCA with JBAs. My question is: Is it possible to drive the UBJ upwards versus downward like how you did. My plan is to loosen the castle nut on top but leave it on. Then, hit it with a hammer. I am not planning on taking the whole knuckle off.
Ahh Pizza Chicago. I miss In n Out burger too. Just did the upper ball joints on my 2000 Tacoma, definitely took the knuckle off. A small tip: you can bolt the knuckle to the wheel and tire assembly using the lug nuts (take the rotor off first) and then you don't need to hold it in a vice to press in/out the new ball joint. I used a big c-clamp and it worked out but it does need some serious torque to get the new one in. I used a large 9" Cresent wrench to turn the nut on the c-clamp. Cleaned up the bore first too with a bit of medium grid sandpaper and the new joint went in a lot easier. Make sure its bottomed completely or the c-clip will not go on.
Thank you so much for these videos. Everyone has helped me do these projects just as you described down to the size socket needed and torque specs to go back together.
Wow great work man. I am doing this and it was a headache. The cam bolt sleeve got seized in the lower control arm, eventually had to sawzaw it off. Putting back the upper ball joints is proving to be challenging. Especially with the wrong b receiving cups. Thanks for the link though.
@@TimmyTheToolman question. If the upper ball joint comes pre greased and ready for install do I have to take apart the ball joint boot to fit thru the knuckle? Seems like a tight squeeze and I wouldn't wanna tear the new boot
jessejaviangel no, the joint stud will fit up into the upper control arm hole & the boot will be below it.. no need to take apart the boot from the upper ball joint. The boot is pretty robust, you would really have to try to rip it installing it back up into the control arm hole.
I was just looking around the garage and thinking "man, this guy has some nice tools." At that exact moment, he swings a set of 10" knipex dikes in front of the camera, and I knew, this is a man of exquisite taste.
Not all my tools are of Knipex quality, but I do own a lot of tools. I'm definitely not buying my tools off a Snap On or Matco Truck. I would have had to take a 2nd mortgage out on my house. Thanks for the comment!
Great video. If the tie rod test checks out and there is no movement but the boot is torn and leaking grease, what's the best way to clean it out before slipping on the new boot? Would it be ok to just wipe off as much as possible and repack with new grease?
You said tie rod but I'm guessing you meant upper balljoint. Yeah, what you said is just fine. Clean it up good with the rags, maybe a little brake cleaner, put the boot on, re-grease and install the new retaining wire.
Thanks MAN. We hope you caught our mistake on where to leave the twisted wire. We mention it in the video at the end. If you’re replacing the entire UCA and not just the joint, refer to this video ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html where we show another method to removing the ball joint itself by cutting off the shaft first to fit the ball joint adapters over easier for the press work. This method can save you from needing the special adapter cups. - Sean
Excellent work. Thanks for the time to create the video!! I'm considering a 4Runner ball joint mod on my 1988 Toyota 4x4 van to help provide some lift, so this was a great introduction to the process. Much appreciated.
Excellent instructions! Question, if I plan to replace upper & lower ball joints at the same time, should I remove the lower before removing the knuckle?
You could remove the knuckle with the lower balljoint still attached if you want by disconnecting the lower balljoint at the lower control arm and outer tie rod. Once you have the knuckle clamped in a bench vise, you could zip off the lower balljoint bolts and remove it from the knuckle.
Thanks for the videos! This is how I'm spending my weekend in Nor Cal. Struts, upper, lower, ball joints, both cv axles, brakes, oil change. Everything Toyota and I have one side to go!!!!
@@TimmyTheToolman its not that bad! i have seen CA rigs with MUCH more rusty crusty than my 27 year old western Iowa Taco has... hose the salt off routinely and do NOT let it sit and rott away lol ... only bad issue is the OE cotter key pins were totally seized but just coat in anti-salt stuff before putting them back in should not have issues on the next episode
Great video ! One question, I’m going to buy everything (OTC) to do this job, my head is spinning trying to figure out what to buy without getting duplicate tools/pieces. For instance I’m not finding the 7248 pin without buying another C clamp? Already ordering the 7249 kit. The 313968 is another kit with a bunch of individual parts that are again, possibly duplicate parts? It’s just seems like a matrix of tools to round up, doesn’t someone just make a master kit with everything? I’m already up to 500 bucks with all these parts. Again thank you for all do!
You could do this job another way, by cutting off the stem of the ball joint with an angle grinder and using a socket to push the balljoint out. That will save you at least the one special tool to drive the old balljoint out of the knuckle. Take a look at this video Sean did with his buddy Chris installing JBA upper control arms on a 3rd Gen and maybe you'll see what tools you can get away with not purchasing. Maybe a basic balljoint kit will be sufficient. ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html
The piece on the bottom pushing the ball joint into place looks like it was on that inner lip on the ball joint is that correct? Is that raised part of ball joint strong enough to put pressure on? I was thinking the outer edge of bottom of ball joint was what you wanted to be pressing?
Any part of the bottom of that balljoint is ok to press on. The steel is thick and won't be damaged from the force necessary to press the balljoint into the steering knuckle.
Would it have been easier to use the 20 ton press to remove and install the UBJ? I was going to order the additional OTC adapters and then I realized that with the knuckle off I might be able to do it on my press and not have the space limitations that comes with using the C shaped press in the BJ kit. It seems the space limitations are the source of most of the complications. With the knuckle off it seems like the 20 ton press may alleviate the space limitations and may be easier. What do you think?
You might be able to do it on the press but the shape of the knuckle might cause issues of you getting it in the necessary position on the press cross member. If you're successful doing it, let me know.
Timmy! These videos are awesome. So informative. One friendly request: not to be *that guy*, but could you make sure you wear eye protection when you're doing stuff like this? The world needs you and your ability to see.
Hey David, glad you like what Sean and I are doing. Yeah, just the Christmas Story movie, "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" No patches on my eyes just yet but you do bring up a valid safety point. Happy Wrenching!
Hey Timmy. I find that removing the Rotor from knuckle after a bit of rust weld is best screwing in a bolt into on of the threaded holes of the Rotor to "push" it off from the hub. I have heard that either 8 × 1.25 mm thread bolt or something close can fit in these threaded holes and makes for removing old rotors much safer and easier. I have heard snacking a hammer on old rotors can cause warping damage. This is only my opinion. Thanks for all the work and info you share. My 2001 sRunner loves it and you. Cheers m8
Yeah, I've heard the bolt trick works well. The bolt size you stated is correct, M8 x 1.25. I've just never had to use it personally. Hitting the rotor with the plastic mallet has worked pretty much every time for me. But, no freaking way are you going to warp a rotor hitting it with a plastic mallet. Now, if you're hitting if with a decent size sledge hammer, then you might be able to warp it.
@@2old666 Yeah, the warping story doesn't add up. If you hit the rotor with a metal hammer, you'd damage the breaking surface, which obviously wouldn't be good. I'm sure people who live in the rust belts of the country must have to battle pretty hard to get rotors off. Maybe they are placing a towel on the rotor surface and then smacking it with a metal hammer to break it free from the hub or axle face.
Appreciate your video, thank you. I have to replace my lower ball joints. There isn't any play in my UBJs and given what they take to replace, I'd like to keep them at the moment. If installing a new boot kit, do you know if the grease is available separately please?
I didn't know there was a boot kit for the lowers as well. I don't know if grease is available separately. But, I bet any quality chassis grease would work.
@@TimmyTheToolman I apologize for not wording it clearly. I'm replacing my lower ball joints, but looking to only re-boot my upper ball joints since the ubj's don't have any play. I have SuperLube 41150 synthetic white lithium grease in my grease gun now, think that would suffice?
@@studegator Check out our lower balljoint video. In the description there's two different torque values depending on the year you have. ruclips.net/video/bfLvtEnX9qk/видео.html
Great video, thanks for posting OTC adapter list, except NOW the prices on everything have more than doubled if you can even find them in stock anywhere. The only way to get them from OTC seems to be buying entire kits, just not practical unless you can tell everyone which kit includes the required adapters/cups/etc.
Timmy I have a 2002 4 runner Limited . I have been working on the ABS brake system for long time. I have replaced all parts front and rear and sensors. When the car comes to a stop the master cylinder makes a noise then the dash lights come on. The ABS, TRC , VSC Timmy if you can help
I'm sorry but I haven't had to diagnose a problem like this yet on one of these rigs so I don't have personal experience I can pull from to help you out. A Toyota forum like T4R.org might be your best bet to ask this question and hopefully somebody can help you out. Good luck!
Thanks for the compliment, and yes, the right tools really can make all the difference.on how well a job goes for you. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Hi Timmy, really appreciate your videos, I recently used several of them when I fully rebuilt my 04 Gen 1 Taco. Pulled the cab and bed off the frame, derusted and painted it, plus did a lift, etc. Your videos were invaluable. I have a question. I've put about 1500 miles on the truck since I did the UCAs and UBJs. I installed the Mevotech UBJs and Moog UCAs. I noticed awhile ago that the boots on the UBJs were folded inward on one side of each. Today I finally had a chance to look at the boots closer. It is possible the boots have been like that since I had the alignment done. Do you think that this could cause a problem? Should I find I way to get the boot folded outward? I can't find a way to post photos here, do you have a contact I can send them?
Great video however I don't understand why you bought the 7249 kit when it seems this kit doesn't have anything in it needed for the Toyota ball joint replacements. You bought all of the receivers separately to remove and install along with a 7248 c frame. I don't get it. What good is that kit if you have to buy all of the cups and the 7248 frame?
I could have bought the C-Press separately but I bought the kit because I was thinking of potential future projects that the cups that the kit comes with might come in handy. Sometimes you don't know you need a tool until you need it. Glad you like the video.
Timmy...!! Question! So I didn't have a torque wrench at the moment. I only tightened it with a breaker bar and came to buy one with everything on already. I have a huge amount of thread left over where the cutter pin is way up and not securing the castle nut. Should I remove the upper ball joint and reinstall it without any weight sitting on it or am I fine?
Something isn't right. Did you install an OEM balljoint? It sounds like either the taper of the balljoint shaft is wrong or the hole on your upper control arm has gotten widened out. If the old OEM balljoint shaft you removed wasn't sitting like that in the upper control arm, this tells you that there is something wrong with balljoint you got unless you just grossly overtightened it with the breaker bar and you're strong like Lou Ferrigno.
Excellent detailed video Timmy. Question for you. I am looking to buy a quality made bench vise under $250. I am considering three bench vises. A Tekton rotating bench vise with 8” jaws, or a Fireball rotating bench vise with 5” jaws or a Capri Rotating Base and Rotating Head Bench Vise, with 6” jaws. These are all strong bench vises and which do you recommend for vehicle repair and general home use. I will be using the bench vise to replace the upper ball joints on my 2002 Tacoma 4x4 and using your video as my guide.
I'm not familiar with any of the bench vices that you mentioned. I would go with a 6 inch vice that gets good reviews. I usually let the reviews drive my decisions to purchase tools and it usually works out well. If a tool gets mostly positive reviews, I'll go for it.
So can I go with your ball joint Service kit to get these in and out of the knuckle? I carefully managed to get the joints out with with the knuckle on their My 2500 ft lb impact was my persuasion tool. The driver side was not budging. My sledgehammer said otherwise. But that bore is wide. I'm installing SPC UCAs and am going to have to get the overside knuckle inserts they sell I'm guessing this kit should work to get it in? I suppose it's hard to say. But I'm willing to spend the money on the tools to do it right and make it easy.
Just saw your post on forum's explaining the parts. Just wanted to share that i rented my ball joint puller from O'Rileys. There were two kits from O Riley's that I had to get or got just to be safe. I got the standard ball joint removal kit, plus the 4WD removal kit. (I also have a 2WD.) If you go my route, you will have to get an angle grinder, or die grinder and cut the ball joint down the nub. Basically remove the threads from joint then install the clamp. I forgot what order I had to put it in but it worked. I was able to do this with the knuckle on the car. We gotta find an easy breezy kit to get those out.... It's a legit pain. But yes as you can see above. My experience was based on the ball joint currently installed. One was easy to get out and the other side was insanely difficulty. Which led me going postal on it with a hammer. To anyone reading this. ALWAYS GO OEM AND DONT LET SHOPS TELL YOU OTHERWISE. All the stuff the PO did to this car is aftermarket junk
@@cameronp5728 Thanks for sharing your experience Cameron. All the adapters I purchased from OTC for this job made the job very straightforward. I know it sounds like so much additional work to remove the knuckles from the vehicle to do the pressing out and back in of the balljoints but I've wrestled with doing it on the vehicle and that experience was enough for me to decide to just pull the knuckles off to ultimately make the job easier for myself.
@@TimmyTheToolman yeah I would opt for taking them out next time if I had to replace OEM UBJs. I found SPC recommends a ball joint remover and installer. SPC 72509. Im going to order this and report back my findings. If this works then you this will give you a kit that works for dealing with OEM ball joints and also have the option of pressing the SPC UCA steering knuckle insert in as well
Awesome video Timmy! I am about to try this on my 2000 tacoma 4wd. However, my upper ball joint still seems good, per your suggested test. If I can find and replace just the boot, do you know what grease I would need to apply? I was going to check with the dealer but expect they only supply the boot - if even that! Thanks for such a detailed video.
We provide a link in the video description to the Toyota OEM reboot kit which includes the boot, the grease and a new wire. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
We're glad you like the video. With the right tools, it's fairly straight forward. Having all those specific balljoint adapters probably made it easier for me instead of having to do the best with what the kit I bought or rented came with. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
is there any specific reason you removed the castle bolt on the lbj instead removing the 4 bolts and leaving it attached to the lower control arm? I put on new lbjs 10k ago and don't wanna mess those up
It's personal choice. You can do it the way you're saying. I'd just rather re-torque one fastener instead of 4. Also, a lot of people use loctite on those bolt threads so you'd have to clean them up and reapply loctite. Finally, I don't think this is common, but those 4 bolts have failed on people. Maybe they over-torqued them, but torquing and then re-torquing causes extra stress on the bolts.
Thank you for the great video. Got a question : I just need to replace the boot of my upper ball joint because it is torn and the ball joint was replaced recently. Do I need to remove the whole nuckle or I can just disconnect the ball joint from the upper control arm, replace the boot, and call it done?
hey Timmy, loving your videos. binge watching everything you've done on the 3rd gen 4runners. question for you, if im buying control arms with the Ball Joints already pressed in by the factory, what do you recommend to do in order to get the UBJ into the knuckle?
I recommend you watch our balljoint replacement video and it will show you how to install the balljoint into the knuckle. ruclips.net/video/-sY2azyLBuI/видео.html
Hey Tim, thanks for the videos, they have helped me rebuild my 99 limited almost entirely. I will be installing jba upper control arms soon once my new lift springs arrive, and I was wondering if you think it is possible for me to press the ubj out, and in with my harbor freight 20 ton press (I bought the press thanks to your rear control arm poly bushing video, man it's a life saver) I would need to secure the knuckle before it is pressed, but I am hoping that this is possible.
Hey Tyler, I don't know if it's possible because I've never tried it. I have a feeling it would be very difficult to properly balance and support the knuckle on the press.
@@TimmyTheToolman I took your advice, and went ahead and bought the C clamp style press. Pushed the ball joint out like butter! I'm picking up 2 more press plates this weekend so I can start the press work. One last question, what is a good indication that the abs ring might need to be replaced? The tacoma knuckles that I will be using already has ABS which is a plus! So I'm converting the tacoma ADD knuckle to a manual knuckle.
You did it right.. I tried to get this done with the spindle in place and it was impossible.. checked the upper ball joint and it was still within spec so I will tackle this job when I'm doing front bearings
We're glad you think so. Thanks. Yeah, like I said in the video, it can be done with the knuckle still on the rig but it makes it much harder. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
I did it with the knuckle in place, using a small stool and scrap of romex wire to hold it in place. Was able to use the rental tools from Autozone and wasn't too bad. If I did it again, I would only go this way if I have a helper. If not I'd do it the TTT way.
Can a bad UBJ cause the top of the spindle to make contact with the coils? I'm running OME 880 coils with Bilstein 5100's and only the drivers side is doing it.
Nothing really keeps it in. The main grease is within the boot. I think that grease is just to lubricate the top of the boot a little to keep it from binding on the balljoint shaft. At least that's all I can come up with as a reason why they have us lubricate the top of the boot. Yes, there's only one cable per boot.
I can't remember if it was lifted. But yes, stock arms will work with a 2.5-3" lift. When people move to aftermarket control arms, it's usually to fit wider tires without having to run spacers. Adjustable UCAs like SPCs allow for more adjustment for a better alignment.
Thanks for the video.. i'm going to do this to my 2008 Tundra tomorrow but I'll be using MOOG brand parts. I hope they don't have the step you showed of 2 types of grease. I think Moog has serviceable grease fittings so Im hoping i can just grease them after installation! Anyway, thanks again
this would have been great 2 days ago when I did mine... I just winged it... it got done but I had no idea what I was doing I did the job without taking either calipers or cv shafts off, auto zone loaner tools a grinder/cut off wheel
Tim, Have you thought of moving to Texas?😊 Thinking about doing this on my 2002 Toyota Tundra with 160k miles. Since I have all taken apart, would you consider replacing the CV axle?
Hi Tim, Thanks so much for the great video! As always, your videos are very detailed and specific to high standards. I have replaced my lower ball joint as preventive maintenance on my 3rd Gen 99 4runner 210K miles. The upper ball joints look great and the rubber bushings are not torn, however I notice the passenger side has a small tiny hole in it but no major grease leak. . I was going to just stick a needle and just shoot some grease in there and seal the hole. . Can I just use a multipurpose Lithium NLGI 2 grease?
You're welcome and we're glad you hear you think so highly of our videos. The grease Toyota uses for those upper balljoints has a different consistency and color compared to a multipurpose Lithium grease. With that said, I think the multipurpose grease will work fine. The whole idea is you want the joint lubricated and you also want to keep contaminants out. The question I have is how are you going to seal the boot? With some silicone? I don't know if you caught it in the video description but Toyota does make a reboot kit for the upper balljoints. All you would have to do is break free the balljoint connection with the upper control arm with a puller, cut the wire, remove the boot and put a new boot on with the provided replacement grease and a new wire. Here's a link to the boot kit: parts.camelbacktoyota.com/parts/index.cfm?searchText=%2343324-39015&make=Toyota&action=oePartSearch&siteid=214329 Since this is a fairly inexpensive part, buying online might not save you anything due to the shipping cost. But, with a online seller like Camelback Toyota, if you can get your order up to $150 by buying things you know you'll eventually use like oil filters, air filters and maybe some other things you were planning on replacing as preventative maintenance, the shipping becomes free. Then, they will only charge you a small handling fee, $3. I generally buy all my parts from Camelback unless it's something I need quick and then I just visit my local dealer. So, since the shipping could be equivalent to the cost of the part, you just might be better off visiting your local dealer for the reboot kit.
Thanks so much for the info......Yes I had some Permatex Ultra black gasket sealant and was going to just seal the hole for now. I will keep the great info you provided and periodically inspect the rubber dust seal to make sure it's not leaking and then either use Camelback toyota or the local dealer here in Dallas to buy those parts and eventually replace them, Thanks again!
Thanks for the video. My 98 taco would be falling apart around me without all of your videos. I'm actually installing new OEM upper ball joints (directly from my local Toyota parts dep (#43310-39016)) in my taco right now, but they don't fit in the top of the knuckle. Toyota and the internet says I have the correct UBJs, but the new ones are both .005" larger than both of my old ones. I only found the difference after attempting to press one in. It was going in straight, but taking more pressure than anticipated, so I stopped and pushed it back out. The metal on the UBJ was noticeably sheared / deformed by the knuckle around the entire perimeter. Both of my knuckles were the same size too, but with the larger UBJ's, there was a .010" interference between the parts. In my experience, that's way too much. I've gone on to buy 2 more UBJ's from Toyota, and from 2 aftermarket manufacturers, and they're all the same size. I'm going to try heating/cooling the parts before pressing, but just find it very strange that none of the new parts match the original parts.
That's bizarre that the UBJs have a larger diameter than before. I do remember it taking a decent amount of force to drive it in with the balljoint press.
Actually I just read your pinned comment,. I was thinking to myself, "why can't I just impact the ball joints out with the knuckle still on the truck?" Haha
It's not totally necessary. I decided to pull it off so I could secure it in the bench vice to hold it steady because you have to apply quite a bit of force with the balljoint c-press to drive it out of the knuckle. With someone helping you by steadying the knuckle while you apply force with the c-press, you could probably do it. If you have an impact gun that you could attach to the c-press bar screw, that would make it much easier.
We provide a complete list of all tools used with links either in the video description or a pinned comment (1st comment you see) for all our videos so people can get the tools they need for the job. To save you time, here's a link to the snap ring pliers I used for this job. amzn.to/2ZZyZEB
Quick question. On the special otc parts that you need to press out the ball joint. #314392 plug. I don't recall you using this in the video. Am I mistaken or did I just miss it? Where do you use this "plug" in the application? Thanks
That plug is a lower profile plug than the one that comes with the c-press. This lower profile plug allows more room to fit all the components together to do the press work. I did use it for this job.
@@TimmyTheToolman ok. I got you. Im doing research on those cups and I have a 01 Tacoma prerunner. Im wondering if Im going to need those same install and receiving cups as your 4x4 4 runner but I cant find and hard info on it. I don't want to buy the wrong cups
The Pittsburgh master set has four of the five press cups you need for this job and it’s 75$. The other cup you need, is the upper cup for removing. You can rent a C-press from any auto parts store. The other cup is 40ish$ though. And yes, use an impact…..
That's an old Craftsman floor jack I bought at Sears a long time ago. I now like the low-profile jacks that Harbor Freight sells. My Harbor Freight jack is my go-to jack for all my jobs now.
Hey Ryan, No, the kit doesn't have everything. Look at the video description because I list all the additional tools needed to go along with the 7249 kit. There's also a link to the OTC pdf file showing all the necessary tools needed. It's a decent investment buying all these tools but it definitely makes the job really easy because they are the perfect fit for this application. Others have made due with what they have in their personal tool arsenal or can rent for free from an auto parts store.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for the quick reply! Does anything in this kit work on the steering stabilizer bushings or the upper/lower control arm bushings?
@@ryant5469 A balljoint c-press doesn't work well for control arm bushings. It's better with a regular hydraulic press and a bearing splitter. The main issue is you need some type of way to get a receiver cup in place and there isn't anything for the receiver cup to rest against and allow the bushing to push put. Also, bushings need to be pressed from the inside out on the front control arms so there's limited room to get the big c-press between the control arms. If you watch the video we've made for doing front control arm bushings and rear control arm bushings, you'll understand why a c-press isn't the right tool for the job.
tim i did the same job without taking the spindle apart i also found the receiving cup and the part to push it out on ebay that somebody had already used and sold it.
Timmy, do you know if the Pittsburgh Automotive ball joint puller sold at Harbor Freight will pull the upper ball joint? It is the tool that looks like (2) fingers with a threaded bolt at one end of the fingers. The bolt is used to apply separating force to the (2) fingers. I can't tell if that tool would fit into (slip under) the upper control arm. If you've never tried one, I get it.
Hey Tim, I've never tried a Harbor Freight 2 Jaw Puller so I can't say for sure but I imagine it probably would if it looks anything like the one I used from my OTC Kit.
@@turnah8242 My pleasure Tim. Sean and I started this channel to help empower people to handle their own automotive work and part of that is answering people's questions. We don't always know the answer and some questions squeak by us, but for the most part, we answer all questions to the best of our ability and we also try to acknowledge everyone's comment. We like hearing back from people sharing their success story using one of our videos. That's the best reward we get from running this channel. Happy Wrenching Tim!
I don't usually do side jobs, but I might be willing to help you out for a donation to our channel. Send me an email and we'll discuss it. tim@timmythetoolman.com
I don't know what they cost. Check the video description for the part number. I buy most of my Toyota parts from Camelback Toyota in Arizona. Their prices are competitive, they ship quickly and they ship for free if the order is $150 or more. I would never advise people to go with an aftermarket balljoint, especially for the lowers.
Timmy and Sean, Did you guys still like the OTC front end service kit after you used it? They are more than double the price now. Awesome vid you guys ROCK. Viewers pls send Timmy and Sean a Super Thanks $1 to keep these vids coming.Russ in Minnesota
Hey Russell, yes, I really like that OTC front end service kit. I've used pullers from that kit for many jobs. That sucks it's doubled in price. You can buy similar pullers separately at affordable places like Harbor Freight and from Amazon and Ebay sellers.
@@TimmyTheToolman sorry I wasn't clear.... I'm referring to the castle nut on the control arm. I see where you torqued it to spec. I was asking what would be the consequence(s) of tightening the nut way more than the recommended ft/lb? What effect would it have on steering and handling in general?
@@scorpio_9810 Ok, gotcha. The balljoint attachment to the upper control arm is a tapered fit. If you over-tightened the castle nut, you could have possibly drawn the UBJ shaft further into the UCA but I don't think it would do any damage per say to the UBJ or make a difference with your steering. You could get an alignment to make yourself feel better. How tight do you think you got it?
@@TimmyTheToolman iirc I torqued it to around 85 ft/lb, but I have some doubts that it might have been more. The paranoia stems from me putting some lowering springs on my 2016 gs350 f sport. After I was done, I went for a test drive and immediately the steering wheel was very noticeably harder to turn to the left than to the right. That resulted in the steering wheel always slight cocked to the right when driving. I took it for an alignment but the issue was still there after. I reinstalled the stock springs, after a week of driving, to see if that would fix the issue. Went for an alignment after but issue remained. Started researching and I read somewhere that if the ball joint was tightened too much, it could cause steering wheel to be harder to turn in one direction than the next. Read up on caster which carried similar symptoms, but it was within specs after the alignment, so I haved reservedly ruled it out. I'm kinda at my wits end with the issue. This as I have a bit of OCD and thus I love when things works as they are meant to.
@@scorpio_9810 Hmmm, well I would be concerned too. I would think if the alignment shop could get your alignment within spec you would be ok. I don't really have any other further advice other than maybe pulling the balljoint off and either reinstalling it to the proper spec or install a new one. You know the problem wasn't there before you did the work so safe to say you did something to cause the problem.
*PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT AND THE VIDEO DESCRIPTION FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION*
**Important Safety Message**: That 2 jaw puller I used from the OTC kit to break the UBJ free of the UCA can fly off from it's purchase when the connection finally breaks free. Be careful when using this type of puller. Possibly putting something solid between the puller in you while tightening down the screw would be prudent so the puller can't go flying into you.
**12/13/19 - Brian Kiesel commented sharing that he used an impact gun in combination with his balljoint press to press the upper balljoint out of the knuckle. This enabled him to keep the knuckle on the vehicle because the impact generates a lot of force without any need to properly stabilizing the knuckle like we show doing by removing the whole knuckle off the vehicle and securing it in a bench vice. With conventional ratchets and breaker bars, it's hard to generate the force required to drive the balljoint out and the new one back in with the knuckle not stable. So, if you have an impact gun, this could be an option for you if you don't want to take the additional steps to pull the whole knuckle off the vehicle and secure it in bench vice for the press work like we did. One thing I would watch out for when using an impact for this job is pressing the new balljoint in. You want to make sure the balljoint is driving in really straight because things can happen very fast when using an impact as opposed to conventional tools. You'd probably want to put your gun on a low setting like Brian did and use very quick bursts with the impact to see the balljoint is going in straight, and then once it is, you could be more aggressive and drive it the rest of the way. Another thing to consider is if the balljoint press you have is rated for impact use - I did a quick search online and appears plenty of people use impact guns with their balljoint presses. A common comment is to make sure the screw bar threads are lubricated really well so there won't be any undo wear to the threads.
I wonder if you got a heavy rubber band and put it over the puller before you put it on, if that would help keep it from flying back?
@@toastrecon That's not a bad idea but maybe something more sturdy than a rubber band. I'm thinking a section of a rubber bicycle tube that I could wrap around the tines on the puller really tight so when the connection breaks free the arms can fling out and cause the puller to launch and become a projectile. Thanks for the idea.
Why would anybody use that piece of shit puller that doesn't come with the right size shit?
@@TimmyTheToolman I watched every video you have in RUclips, every video is very helpful, Mr. You are the master. Thanks for everything you share with us. 👍👍👍👍
@@luisabrahancoreas.3506 Thanks for taking the time to comment Luis. We appreciate your kind words. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching.
This video helped me immensely. I did all my important bushings: rear control arms (upper and lower), panhard bar, lbj’s, and upper and lower control arms for the front. destroyed my upper ball joints in the process, but seeing your video pop up gave me a huge boost of confidence through the frustration. finished up the job today, and hopefully i won’t have to do it again for a while. thank you for your clear and efficient videos! helped me get my ‘99 back to a respectable condition.
@herculesc130. It's nice to know our videos helped you out. You're very welcome. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your success story with us. Happy Wrenching!
I'm glad to see this done with so much attention to detail. Thank you Tim, for all your hard work and enthusiasm! This is great work! 👍
Glad you appreciate the detail we offer. You're very welcome and thanks for the nice compliment. Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman I very much appreciate the attention to detail you provide as well
@@efil4kizum Thanks for saying so. We do our best to give enough detail and instruction that a beginner can do it. Happy Wrenching!
I'm about to start this same project. I was looking for some more info, and man did I find it. This is the best "how to" video I've seen for work like this. You did a great job explaining each step, and the camera work is stellar. But the fifth star is extra time you took at the end of the video to show the specific cups needed to press the UBJ out. Great job. You may have saved me hours of time running around while my truck is on jack stands looking for stuff you cannot easily buy at Autozone. I have two buddies with Tacomas, and I will direct them to this video.
That’s great to hear Mark! We hope you caught our mistake on where to leave the twisted wire. We mention it in the video at the end. For those of your friends who are replacing their entire UCA and not just the joint, refer to this video ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html where we show another method to removing the ball joint itself by cutting off the shaft first to fit the ball joint adapters over easier for the press work.
- Sean
This is by far the best video I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. I’ll be doing my upper and lowers for my first time and this video has given me a lot more confidence in tackling this job.
Thanks for the nice compliment Doug. You're very welcome and good luck with the job.
I have found that it is always a good idea to put anti-seize on the threads of any threaded puller, press, or compressor tool so the threads don't jam or strip under extreme pressure. I have tried grease and it doesn't do the job. Anti-seize is the way to go. Great video.
Thanks for the tip.
Thank you for all the great videos and knowledge. It has really helped a lot over the years.
@@gwdeals It's our pleasure to supply people with quality DIY videos to use and benefit from. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Excellent coverage and tooling without damaging any boots brother Tim! Really like OTC's products. When I change my brakes, I have been washing all boot material with soap/water, then spraying Silicone over boots. I've noticed less cracking of the rubber! Another fine video my brother!!
Hey Brother Jake, glad you like the video. Yeah, that OTC front end service kit has been awesome. I've gotten a ton of use out of it.
Aloha~ Thank you for your attention to detail! Seem to work on clients’ cars as if they were your own. Good for you! And good for your clients.
One alternative to the locking washer would be to have a big washer with the axle hole size then end over two sides towards the nut and one or both of the other sides the other way and drill a hole or grind a notch for the cotter pin.
Glad you appreciate the detail we offer in the video. Thanks for the comment and suggestion.
I pray for God to reward you for sharing this. Thanks so much. Please continue to do great work
@bassamabdelnabi3117 I hope there's Sic Toyotas Trucks and SUVs in the afterlife, and God hooks me up with one. You're very welcome. Sean and I do plan on continuing to produce content to help people. Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it!
Absolutely, God is generous and he will give all those who end up in paradise the things they enjoy doing including sick Toyotas 😁. Thanks so much again and best wishes for you.
@bassamabdelnabi3117 Yes, God is going to hook me up in Heaven. You're welcome, and best wishes to you too.
Great video, like how everything is well lit when you're filming, easy to see all the parts properly, and good speed of taking it apart, good pace, good instruction, you're a pro!
Hey Jim, Thanks for the nice compliment. We appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Thanks for making these videos. You have saved me thousands of dollars.
I just did this job yesterday. I found it wasn't neccessary to remove the whole knuckle from the vehicle. Also, I couldn't get the snap ring out so I press the ring out with the ball joint. It took more chugga chugga with the impact but it worked...Thanks again for the videos..
You're very welcome Brian. Great to hear you've saved lots of money using our videos. That puts a smile on our faces every time. That's great you were able to do the UBJ swap keeping the knuckle on the vehicle and I suppose using the impact with your balljoint press made that a whole lot easier to do. I didn't consider using an impact with the balljoint press but now I know it's an option, so thanks. Did you also use the impact to drive the new balljoint into the knuckle?
Without an impact, it's hard to generate the force required with standard ratchets or breaker bars to force the UBJ out because the knuckle isn't stable like it was for me in the bench vice. So, for anyone without an impact gun, it's good we shared the way we did it with pulling the knuckle completely off the vehicle. I'm going to add a note in the comment I pinned sharing your impact gun technique. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share this with us. Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman Yes, I used the Impact to press the ball joint in. I turned it down to low and went slow. Making sure it was seating in the knuckle straight. I agree doing it this way on the vehicle without an impact would be very difficult, because the knuckle sways around on the lower ball joint.
@@briankiesel2742 Thanks Brian. I added your technique to the comment I pinned. Check it out and let me know what you think how I worded it.
@@TimmyTheToolman Looks good. Hope it helps some folks out...
Do you have a Toyota Tacoma 4x4? How did you secure the knuckle to remove the old UBJ and install the new UBJ? I have a 1/2 " Makita impact wrench, so if it saves me time and frustration to press out the old UBJ and press in the new UBJ, I am very interested in your technique.
Having problems installing with a ball joint installer I borrowed from advance Auto. You're diagram on proper placement saved my ass. Work perfectly! thank you so much!
Solid! Thanks for stopping by the comments section. #sicmods
Thanks for the video, I just finished changing out both my upper and lower following your video. Also change the brake pads in the process but they were cake. Didn't have all the right cups but improvised with impact sockets that fit. Also followed your lower ball joint video. Nice that you included all the torque settings for each nut and bolt.
Great job doing the work yourself. You saved a bunch of money and learned a lot. I'm glad our videos helped you with both jobs. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
I don't have a vice. I found it relatively easy to get the UBJ pressed in with the knuckle on the truck. 05' sequoia.
Good job!
what tool did you use to press that on vehicle?
@efil4kizum A rented Autozone ball joint installer tool. Looks like a C- clamp that comes with some cups to received BJ and assist in pressing the BJ up and evenly as the video here shows. The cups weren't exact fits for my UBJ but I made it work. It did take a big of muscle to torque the clamp but not too difficult.
Taking off the whole knuckle assembly isn't necessary in order to complete this job. I was going to skip this job while doing inner/outer tie rods and LBJ, due to all of the work, but I saw another video where you can just unscrew the upper ball joint and press it out. I appreciate the attention to detail in all of your videos, but I found that all of the extra work you did in this video wasn't necessary. I am currently finishing up the rack bushings and also the inner/outer tie rod, then going to finish with the UBJ. Thanks for all of your detailed 3rd gen maintenance videos!
Stabilizing the knuckle to apply the necessary force with the balljoint press while the knuckle is on the rig is the issue. That's why I chose to remove the knuckle to not fight getting the old balljoint out and the new one. I don't find removing a steering knuckle a big chore. We can choose which battles we want. So, not necessary for you, but necessary for me because I wanted the knuckle stabilized on the bench vice. There's always more than one way to accomplish a job.
Not a chance on my 23 year old original BJ... no way were they coming out in place.. had to remove the knuckle
Undoubtedly one of the best, most comprehensive tutorials I have ever watched on doing a repair job. Excellent commentary and video work. What camera did you use?
Thanks for the very nice compliment. We appreciate it. We were using a GoPro Hero 5 with an external mic.
Honestly you are a great mechanic!! Thanks for all the details!👍🏾
Thanks! We appreciate the nice compliment. Details are what we are about. We want anyone who's willing to take on the challenge of Auto Mechanics to be successful using one of our video tutorials. Having very detailed videos gives people the confidence and ability to tackle intimidating jobs. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Excellent how to video!! Now I'll know what to do if and when my UBJ's need replacing.... Thanks Timmy (My Name Too)!! Have 140K Miles on my '05 PreRunner, and the UBJ's, LBJ's, and boots are still all good....
Thanks for the compliment Tim. We appreciate it!
Hello Tim,
Thank you always for everything, my toyota has been healing little by little thanks to you, and I have been learning a lot in the process.
I want to make a major maintenance in my Toyota Tacoma 1996 manual 4wd, and I ask for the price at the Toyota dealership, and prices are a bit expensive so...
1. I wanted to ask whether you know of any alternative that sells Toyota Original parts but maybe at a bit lower price, somewhere trustable that you may have experience buying from them hopefully, before getting them directly from Toyota
2. If the clutch disc sounds like if it is rubbing metal against metal time to time, do you think I should buy the flywheel together with the clutch disk, clutch press and clutch neck?
3. If your suspension in general needs maintenance, like all of it, which parts would you focus on first, apart from the lower ball joint?
@jacobliddiard158 Partsouq.com is a very affordable option for Toyota OEM parts. It takes a bit more time to get the parts because they are coming overseas, but the prices are the most affordable you'll probably find.
For the clutch, you should replace the clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and pilot bearing. You don't need to replace the clutch fork.
I would replace shocks first. If the springs are sagging and tired, replace those as well. If control arm bushings and sway bar bushings are worn out and have play, replace those as well. We have videos that cover all these jobs.
Brings back bad memories...
Update: I’m glad I went Oem on that nightmare of a job. I used the same otc adapters but did not take off the knuckle. It barely worked. I forgot to remove the retaining clip for the ubj and pressing it out took an insane amount of force.
Oh na na take heart Christmas sweater time is just around the corner.
Yep, I can understand that. But, with all the right tools, this is a pretty straight forward job. The scary thing for me was how much force was required to break free the upper balljoint spindle for the upper control arm. Frank's rig has over 300k miles and those were the original UBJs so they were really locked in there. It's scary when that puller finally breaks it free.
@@TimmyTheToolman Tim. I hammer it out. For me it was a couple strong wack. That was it! my 4runner had 195K miles
@@genxiong2695 That's pretty lucky it came out with a couple hammer strikes. They are usually in there really tight.
hello thanks very good i learn a lot. can you tell me where to buy those pullers
Check out the video description.
amzn.to/2LuisQc
- Sean
Hey Tim! Thanks for another excellent video. My son has a 1st Gen Taco and I have a 3rd Gen. Your videos have been a huge help to us. Thanks for the ball joint press numbers. Most press kits don't have the right cup for the 1st Gen UBJ. Just one ask. Wear some eye pro, Brother! Especially when you're breaking stuff free that's under tension. We need you healthy with 2 working eyes!
You're welcome. I'm glad our videos are helping you out.
Another excellent detailed TTT UBJ tutorial and the best on RUclips. My 2002 Tacoma 4x4 UBJs with 168k miles are leaking grease and my tires are showing extreme wear on the inside. I suspect the worn UBJs have caused an extreme misalignment. It look like when I replaced my UBJs I might be prudent for me replace the LBJs and the Outer Tie rod since I will have the knuckles off my Tacoma.
Before you go and replace the UBJs, check them for play. They might be fine and all you need is to buy the affordable boot kits that we link in the video description. LBJs are smart to replace because they are known to fail. If the outer tie rods have play or torn boots, I'd replace them. If the joints seem fine and the boots are intact, I wouldn't replace them. Uneven tire wear seems more like a problem with the alignment toe. I suspect your wheels are toed out too much. I'm trying to get you to avoid spending money on things that don't need replacing and find the real reason why your tires are wearing unevenly. Good luck!
@@TimmyTheToolman I checked the LBJs for play and they have plenty of play. My LBJs have 168k miles on them, look ok but I am told since I go off road it would be prudent to replace them as they are 20 years old with 168K miles . One tie rod is o but the other has play so I will replace both. Thanks Tim for the advice and keep making excellent videos.
@@thedetective8150 Ok Brandon, good luck with the work.
@@TimmyTheToolman With your videos guiding me it should be easy peasy. 😀
Excellent!! Your videos and tips are spot-on! I just bought a '98 4Runner and your series lets me know if I want to tackle it or just pay someone to do it! I've seen a bunch of terrible DIY videos, but yours is *not* one of them - having someone else work the camera, the lighting, the speeding up of the "boring" parts, etc. You clearly know how to do it! Thanks!!! -Daryl in Seattle
Thanks Daryl. Sean and I are glad you approve of the videos we've been making. We appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Thanks so much for this! Super detailed and easy to follow with tons of info!
You're very welcome. Glad you found our video helpful.
You work with the same style as me, you’re a honest mechanic, I can just tell!
Thanks Cruz. When we make videos working on people's rigs, we aren't charging them for our services. We are working for free. But, I would agree that we are very honest and try to give the best information possible in our videos. When we make a mistake, we own it and let people know. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes but you need to learn from it and not hide it. Thanks for the comment. We appreciate it!
@@TimmyTheToolman where are you guys located,
@@Cruz0604 We're in San Jose, California.
Hey Tim, love the videos sir. got my lower ball joints, front wheel bearing, front rotors and brakes replaced due to your videos. Thanks a bunch.
That's great to hear you've benefited from several of our videos. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and sharing this with us. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Great video. I’m using this as the guide to replace a ball joint on my ‘19 tundra due to a ripped boot.
At 22:57, I think 7248 is the clamp’s part number. The third part you may need is OTC 314392 which is a forcing screw plug for the clamp. With the 7248 clamp, 314392 forcing screw plug, 538591 adapter, and 38354 receiving cup, you should be good to go for this job.
Hope the replacement went smooth for you.
Might be a dumb question but oh well. I'm going to be replacing my stock UCA with JBAs. My question is: Is it possible to drive the UBJ upwards versus downward like how you did. My plan is to loosen the castle nut on top but leave it on. Then, hit it with a hammer. I am not planning on taking the whole knuckle off.
You have to drive the UBJ downward out of the knuckle. It goes in from the bottom up and goes out from the top down.
Ahh Pizza Chicago. I miss In n Out burger too. Just did the upper ball joints on my 2000 Tacoma, definitely took the knuckle off. A small tip: you can bolt the knuckle to the wheel and tire assembly using the lug nuts (take the rotor off first) and then you don't need to hold it in a vice to press in/out the new ball joint. I used a big c-clamp and it worked out but it does need some serious torque to get the new one in. I used a large 9" Cresent wrench to turn the nut on the c-clamp. Cleaned up the bore first too with a bit of medium grid sandpaper and the new joint went in a lot easier. Make sure its bottomed completely or the c-clip will not go on.
Good tips. Thanks for stopping by the comments. We appreciate it greatly
Thank you so much for these videos. Everyone has helped me do these projects just as you described down to the size socket needed and torque specs to go back together.
Kenneth Fike Sicmods Ken! 💪🏼
Excellent vid. I'm replacing most of my front end suspension components on my 05 Tundra this weekend and I'll use this vid as my guide.
We're glad you like it. Good luck with all the work.
Wow great work man. I am doing this and it was a headache. The cam bolt sleeve got seized in the lower control arm, eventually had to sawzaw it off. Putting back the upper ball joints is proving to be challenging. Especially with the wrong b receiving cups. Thanks for the link though.
Thanks Jesse. It's pretty common to have a seized cam bolt. Good luck finishing up the upper balljoint replacement.
@@TimmyTheToolman question. If the upper ball joint comes pre greased and ready for install do I have to take apart the ball joint boot to fit thru the knuckle? Seems like a tight squeeze and I wouldn't wanna tear the new boot
jessejaviangel no, the joint stud will fit up into the upper control arm hole & the boot will be below it.. no need to take apart the boot from the upper ball joint. The boot is pretty robust, you would really have to try to rip it installing it back up into the control arm hole.
I was just looking around the garage and thinking "man, this guy has some nice tools." At that exact moment, he swings a set of 10" knipex dikes in front of the camera, and I knew, this is a man of exquisite taste.
Not all my tools are of Knipex quality, but I do own a lot of tools. I'm definitely not buying my tools off a Snap On or Matco Truck. I would have had to take a 2nd mortgage out on my house. Thanks for the comment!
Great video. If the tie rod test checks out and there is no movement but the boot is torn and leaking grease, what's the best way to clean it out before slipping on the new boot? Would it be ok to just wipe off as much as possible and repack with new grease?
You said tie rod but I'm guessing you meant upper balljoint. Yeah, what you said is just fine. Clean it up good with the rags, maybe a little brake cleaner, put the boot on, re-grease and install the new retaining wire.
@@TimmyTheToolman haha yeah, upper ball joint. Lots of suspension components to replace. Thanks for the feedback.
@@dlim1984 You're welcome.
Best tutorial video there’s out there mr 👍🤝👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Thanks MAN. We hope you caught our mistake on where to leave the twisted wire. We mention it in the video at the end. If you’re replacing the entire UCA and not just the joint, refer to this video ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html where we show another method to removing the ball joint itself by cutting off the shaft first to fit the ball joint adapters over easier for the press work. This method can save you from needing the special adapter cups.
- Sean
Thank you so much for the info
You got a new subscriber 👍
Keep up the great work 👌
And I’ll see you in the next one!
You're very welcome. Thanks for subscribing.
Excellent work. Thanks for the time to create the video!!
I'm considering a 4Runner ball joint mod on my 1988 Toyota 4x4 van to help provide some lift, so this was a great introduction to the process. Much appreciated.
Sounds interesting. I've never heard of this mod.
Excellent instructions! Question, if I plan to replace upper & lower ball joints at the same time, should I remove the lower before removing the knuckle?
You could remove the knuckle with the lower balljoint still attached if you want by disconnecting the lower balljoint at the lower control arm and outer tie rod. Once you have the knuckle clamped in a bench vise, you could zip off the lower balljoint bolts and remove it from the knuckle.
Thanks for the videos! This is how I'm spending my weekend in Nor Cal. Struts, upper, lower, ball joints, both cv axles, brakes, oil change. Everything Toyota and I have one side to go!!!!
You're welcome. Hope the rest of the job went smooth for you.
Awsome video! This helped out tremendously!!..makes it easy to do upper and lower thanks Timmy!
Thanks Chris. Great to hear our video helped you out. You're very welcome and thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
In the rust belt you leave the wheel speed sensor in and remove it with the knuckle !
The rust belt isn't a fun place for DIY Auto Mechanics.
@@TimmyTheToolman its not that bad! i have seen CA rigs with MUCH more rusty crusty than my 27 year old western Iowa Taco has... hose the salt off routinely and do NOT let it sit and rott away lol ... only bad issue is the OE cotter key pins were totally seized but just coat in anti-salt stuff before putting them back in should not have issues on the next episode
Great video !
One question, I’m going to buy everything (OTC) to do this job, my head is spinning trying to figure out what to buy without getting duplicate tools/pieces. For instance I’m not finding the 7248 pin without buying another C clamp? Already ordering the 7249 kit. The 313968 is another kit with a bunch of individual parts that are again, possibly duplicate parts?
It’s just seems like a matrix of tools to round up, doesn’t someone just make a master kit with everything? I’m already up to 500 bucks with all these parts.
Again thank you for all do!
You could do this job another way, by cutting off the stem of the ball joint with an angle grinder and using a socket to push the balljoint out. That will save you at least the one special tool to drive the old balljoint out of the knuckle. Take a look at this video Sean did with his buddy Chris installing JBA upper control arms on a 3rd Gen and maybe you'll see what tools you can get away with not purchasing. Maybe a basic balljoint kit will be sufficient. ruclips.net/video/noBts3Qf5rw/видео.html
Good info video!! Anyway where to download the service manuel book?
Don't know where to download from but you could most likely find the physical books for sale on Ebay.
The piece on the bottom pushing the ball joint into place looks like it was on that inner lip on the ball joint is that correct? Is that raised part of ball joint strong enough to put pressure on? I was thinking the outer edge of bottom of ball joint was what you wanted to be pressing?
Any part of the bottom of that balljoint is ok to press on. The steel is thick and won't be damaged from the force necessary to press the balljoint into the steering knuckle.
Would it have been easier to use the 20 ton press to remove and install the UBJ? I was going to order the additional OTC adapters and then I realized that with the knuckle off I might be able to do it on my press and not have the space limitations that comes with using the C shaped press in the BJ kit. It seems the space limitations are the source of most of the complications. With the knuckle off it seems like the 20 ton press may alleviate the space limitations and may be easier. What do you think?
You might be able to do it on the press but the shape of the knuckle might cause issues of you getting it in the necessary position on the press cross member. If you're successful doing it, let me know.
Instructional video at it's finest.
Thanks. We're glad you think so.
Timmy! These videos are awesome. So informative. One friendly request: not to be *that guy*, but could you make sure you wear eye protection when you're doing stuff like this? The world needs you and your ability to see.
Hey David, glad you like what Sean and I are doing. Yeah, just the Christmas Story movie, "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" No patches on my eyes just yet but you do bring up a valid safety point. Happy Wrenching!
Hey Timmy.
I find that removing the Rotor from knuckle after a bit of rust weld is best screwing in a bolt into on of the threaded holes of the Rotor to "push" it off from the hub. I have heard that either 8 × 1.25 mm thread bolt or something close can fit in these threaded holes and makes for removing old rotors much safer and easier.
I have heard snacking a hammer on old rotors can cause warping damage. This is only my opinion. Thanks for all the work and info you share. My 2001 sRunner loves it and you. Cheers m8
Yeah, I've heard the bolt trick works well. The bolt size you stated is correct, M8 x 1.25. I've just never had to use it personally. Hitting the rotor with the plastic mallet has worked pretty much every time for me. But, no freaking way are you going to warp a rotor hitting it with a plastic mallet. Now, if you're hitting if with a decent size sledge hammer, then you might be able to warp it.
I agree, I imagine the stories come from a combo of warm rotors and/or too hard of an impact , or too strong of a hammer. Thanks for the insight.
@@2old666 Yeah, the warping story doesn't add up. If you hit the rotor with a metal hammer, you'd damage the breaking surface, which obviously wouldn't be good. I'm sure people who live in the rust belts of the country must have to battle pretty hard to get rotors off. Maybe they are placing a towel on the rotor surface and then smacking it with a metal hammer to break it free from the hub or axle face.
Appreciate your video, thank you. I have to replace my lower ball joints. There isn't any play in my UBJs and given what they take to replace, I'd like to keep them at the moment. If installing a new boot kit, do you know if the grease is available separately please?
I didn't know there was a boot kit for the lowers as well. I don't know if grease is available separately. But, I bet any quality chassis grease would work.
@@TimmyTheToolman I apologize for not wording it clearly. I'm replacing my lower ball joints, but looking to only re-boot my upper ball joints since the ubj's don't have any play. I have SuperLube 41150 synthetic white lithium grease in my grease gun now, think that would suffice?
@@andresadoff6762 The Toyota UBJ re-boot kit we link in the video description comes with grease. What reboot kit are you using?
@@TimmyTheToolman The toyota 43324-39015 pn boot kit? Didn't realize it came with grease, I'll just buy that one thank you
Can a bad UBJ cause the spindle to make contact with the coil spring? I'm running ome 880's w/bilstein 5100's.
It's pretty common that the spindle can rub the coil spring a little. I don't necessarily think it's a bad u-joint if it happens.
what is the torque setting for the 4 lower ball joint mounting bolts? great video!
All the torque values are listed in the video description.
I see the castle nut torque but not the 4 mounting bolts to the bottom ball joint ?
@@studegator Check out our lower balljoint video. In the description there's two different torque values depending on the year you have. ruclips.net/video/bfLvtEnX9qk/видео.html
Great video, thanks for posting OTC adapter list, except NOW the prices on everything have more than doubled if you can even find them in stock anywhere. The only way to get them from OTC seems to be buying entire kits, just not practical unless you can tell everyone which kit includes the required adapters/cups/etc.
Check out our SPC Upper Control Arm install video. Sean and Chris show a different way to go about removing the UBJ from the knuckle.
Timmy I have a 2002 4 runner Limited . I have been working on the ABS brake system for long time. I have replaced all parts front and rear and sensors. When the car comes to a stop the master cylinder makes a noise then the dash lights come on. The ABS, TRC , VSC Timmy if you can help
I'm sorry but I haven't had to diagnose a problem like this yet on one of these rigs so I don't have personal experience I can pull from to help you out. A Toyota forum like T4R.org might be your best bet to ask this question and hopefully somebody can help you out. Good luck!
Great info and a spectacular job well done. The investment of having all the tools really pays off. Thank you timmy 👌🏽💯
Thanks for the compliment, and yes, the right tools really can make all the difference.on how well a job goes for you. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Excelent tutorial Timmy you are so professional
Thanks Piedad. We appreciate the nice compliment.
Hi Timmy, really appreciate your videos, I recently used several of them when I fully rebuilt my 04 Gen 1 Taco. Pulled the cab and bed off the frame, derusted and painted it, plus did a lift, etc. Your videos were invaluable. I have a question. I've put about 1500 miles on the truck since I did the UCAs and UBJs. I installed the Mevotech UBJs and Moog UCAs. I noticed awhile ago that the boots on the UBJs were folded inward on one side of each. Today I finally had a chance to look at the boots closer. It is possible the boots have been like that since I had the alignment done. Do you think that this could cause a problem? Should I find I way to get the boot folded outward? I can't find a way to post photos here, do you have a contact I can send them?
I'm happy to know our videos have helped you with your 1st Gen Tacoma. Send me the pics: tim@timmythetoolman.com, and I'll let you know what I think.
soooo jealous at the amount of rust on that rig!
Or, the lack of rust. It's one of the good things about living in California.
Great video however I don't understand why you bought the 7249 kit when it seems this kit doesn't have anything in it needed for the Toyota ball joint replacements. You bought all of the receivers separately to remove and install along with a 7248 c frame. I don't get it. What good is that kit if you have to buy all of the cups and the 7248 frame?
I could have bought the C-Press separately but I bought the kit because I was thinking of potential future projects that the cups that the kit comes with might come in handy. Sometimes you don't know you need a tool until you need it. Glad you like the video.
Timmy...!!
Question! So I didn't have a torque wrench at the moment. I only tightened it with a breaker bar and came to buy one with everything on already. I have a huge amount of thread left over where the cutter pin is way up and not securing the castle nut. Should I remove the upper ball joint and reinstall it without any weight sitting on it or am I fine?
Something isn't right. Did you install an OEM balljoint? It sounds like either the taper of the balljoint shaft is wrong or the hole on your upper control arm has gotten widened out. If the old OEM balljoint shaft you removed wasn't sitting like that in the upper control arm, this tells you that there is something wrong with balljoint you got unless you just grossly overtightened it with the breaker bar and you're strong like Lou Ferrigno.
Excellent detailed video Timmy. Question for you. I am looking to buy a quality made bench vise under $250. I am considering three bench vises. A Tekton rotating bench vise with 8” jaws, or a Fireball rotating bench vise with 5” jaws or a Capri Rotating Base and Rotating Head Bench Vise, with 6” jaws. These are all strong bench vises and which do you recommend for vehicle repair and general home use. I will be using the bench vise to replace the upper ball joints on my 2002 Tacoma 4x4 and using your video as my guide.
I'm not familiar with any of the bench vices that you mentioned. I would go with a 6 inch vice that gets good reviews. I usually let the reviews drive my decisions to purchase tools and it usually works out well. If a tool gets mostly positive reviews, I'll go for it.
So can I go with your ball joint Service kit to get these in and out of the knuckle?
I carefully managed to get the joints out with with the knuckle on their
My 2500 ft lb impact was my persuasion tool. The driver side was not budging. My sledgehammer said otherwise.
But that bore is wide. I'm installing SPC UCAs and am going to have to get the overside knuckle inserts they sell
I'm guessing this kit should work to get it in? I suppose it's hard to say.
But I'm willing to spend the money on the tools to do it right and make it easy.
Just saw your post on forum's explaining the parts.
Just wanted to share that i rented my ball joint puller from O'Rileys. There were two kits from O Riley's that I had to get or got just to be safe. I got the standard ball joint removal kit, plus the 4WD removal kit. (I also have a 2WD.)
If you go my route, you will have to get an angle grinder, or die grinder and cut the ball joint down the nub. Basically remove the threads from joint then install the clamp. I forgot what order I had to put it in but it worked.
I was able to do this with the knuckle on the car.
We gotta find an easy breezy kit to get those out.... It's a legit pain.
But yes as you can see above. My experience was based on the ball joint currently installed. One was easy to get out and the other side was insanely difficulty. Which led me going postal on it with a hammer.
To anyone reading this. ALWAYS GO OEM AND DONT LET SHOPS TELL YOU OTHERWISE. All the stuff the PO did to this car is aftermarket junk
@@cameronp5728 Thanks for sharing your experience Cameron. All the adapters I purchased from OTC for this job made the job very straightforward. I know it sounds like so much additional work to remove the knuckles from the vehicle to do the pressing out and back in of the balljoints but I've wrestled with doing it on the vehicle and that experience was enough for me to decide to just pull the knuckles off to ultimately make the job easier for myself.
@@TimmyTheToolman yeah I would opt for taking them out next time if I had to replace OEM UBJs.
I found SPC recommends a ball joint remover and installer. SPC 72509. Im going to order this and report back my findings. If this works then you this will give you a kit that works for dealing with OEM ball joints and also have the option of pressing the SPC UCA steering knuckle insert in as well
Awesome video Timmy! I am about to try this on my 2000 tacoma 4wd. However, my upper ball joint still seems good, per your suggested test. If I can find and replace just the boot, do you know what grease I would need to apply? I was going to check with the dealer but expect they only supply the boot - if even that! Thanks for such a detailed video.
We provide a link in the video description to the Toyota OEM reboot kit which includes the boot, the grease and a new wire. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Fantastic video as always! Great to see how "easy" it can be- it was a beast when I did it!
We're glad you like the video. With the right tools, it's fairly straight forward. Having all those specific balljoint adapters probably made it easier for me instead of having to do the best with what the kit I bought or rented came with. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
is there any specific reason you removed the castle bolt on the lbj instead removing the 4 bolts and leaving it attached to the lower control arm? I put on new lbjs 10k ago and don't wanna mess those up
It's personal choice. You can do it the way you're saying. I'd just rather re-torque one fastener instead of 4. Also, a lot of people use loctite on those bolt threads so you'd have to clean them up and reapply loctite. Finally, I don't think this is common, but those 4 bolts have failed on people. Maybe they over-torqued them, but torquing and then re-torquing causes extra stress on the bolts.
This is a great educational video. Outstanding!
Thanks for the nice compliment. We appreciate it!
Thank you for the great video. Got a question : I just need to replace the boot of my upper ball joint because it is torn and the ball joint was replaced recently. Do I need to remove the whole nuckle or I can just disconnect the ball joint from the upper control arm, replace the boot, and call it done?
You could just remove the balljoint from the upper control arm and replace the boot. We provide a link to the reboot kit in the video description.
@@TimmyTheToolman thank you. The link to ebay is no longer valid. Just FYI. But I find other sellers for the same boot.
@@ruigooal Yeah, I saw that. I updated the link to Toyota Parts Deal which is an online Toyota parts seller with pretty competitive prices.
hey Timmy, loving your videos. binge watching everything you've done on the 3rd gen 4runners.
question for you, if im buying control arms with the Ball Joints already pressed in by the factory, what do you recommend to do in order to get the UBJ into the knuckle?
I recommend you watch our balljoint replacement video and it will show you how to install the balljoint into the knuckle. ruclips.net/video/-sY2azyLBuI/видео.html
Hey Tim, thanks for the videos, they have helped me rebuild my 99 limited almost entirely. I will be installing jba upper control arms soon once my new lift springs arrive, and I was wondering if you think it is possible for me to press the ubj out, and in with my harbor freight 20 ton press (I bought the press thanks to your rear control arm poly bushing video, man it's a life saver)
I would need to secure the knuckle before it is pressed, but I am hoping that this is possible.
Hey Tyler, I don't know if it's possible because I've never tried it. I have a feeling it would be very difficult to properly balance and support the knuckle on the press.
@@TimmyTheToolman I took your advice, and went ahead and bought the C clamp style press. Pushed the ball joint out like butter! I'm picking up 2 more press plates this weekend so I can start the press work. One last question, what is a good indication that the abs ring might need to be replaced? The tacoma knuckles that I will be using already has ABS which is a plus! So I'm converting the tacoma ADD knuckle to a manual knuckle.
You did it right.. I tried to get this done with the spindle in place and it was impossible.. checked the upper ball joint and it was still within spec so I will tackle this job when I'm doing front bearings
We're glad you think so. Thanks. Yeah, like I said in the video, it can be done with the knuckle still on the rig but it makes it much harder. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
I did it with the knuckle in place, using a small stool and scrap of romex wire to hold it in place. Was able to use the rental tools from Autozone and wasn't too bad. If I did it again, I would only go this way if I have a helper. If not I'd do it the TTT way.
Can a bad UBJ cause the top of the spindle to make contact with the coils? I'm running OME 880 coils with Bilstein 5100's and only the drivers side is doing it.
Check the answer I gave you for your other post. You asked it twice.
@@TimmyTheToolman oops, sorry......
Tim, thanks again for taking the time and fixing my UBJ's. Video turned out great. & sorry for not being able to make it to the bbq!
My pleasure Frank. Thanks for trusting me with your rig. Hopefully you and Daniel can make it to our next party.
When you were putting on the 2nd grease package to the top of the upper ball joint, what keeps it in without it comming out from top? Only one cable?
Nothing really keeps it in. The main grease is within the boot. I think that grease is just to lubricate the top of the boot a little to keep it from binding on the balljoint shaft. At least that's all I can come up with as a reason why they have us lubricate the top of the boot. Yes, there's only one cable per boot.
is this car lifted ? or stock ? just wondering if stock upper control arms will be okay after lifting 2.5-3 inches?
I can't remember if it was lifted. But yes, stock arms will work with a 2.5-3" lift. When people move to aftermarket control arms, it's usually to fit wider tires without having to run spacers. Adjustable UCAs like SPCs allow for more adjustment for a better alignment.
Do you know if these instructions would apply to the 1st gen tundras?
They wouldn't be exact but it would certainly help get you there. I haven't worked on a 1st Gen Tundra so I can't say for sure how similar they are.
I love your videos man. You are appreciated 🤙🏼
Thanks Luis.
excellent video , very informative . the best i've seen
Thanks Jeffrey! We appreciate the nice compliment of our work.
Thanks for the video.. i'm going to do this to my 2008 Tundra tomorrow but I'll be using MOOG brand parts. I hope they don't have the step you showed of 2 types of grease. I think Moog has serviceable grease fittings so Im hoping i can just grease them after installation! Anyway, thanks again
You're welcome and good luck with the job. The Moogs probably only take one type of grease.
Hey Tim, is a front wheel alignment needed after this job?
Typically you wouldn’t need an alignment unless your ball joint was super wasted.
this would have been great 2 days ago when I did mine... I just winged it... it got done but I had no idea what I was doing
I did the job without taking either calipers or cv shafts off, auto zone loaner tools a grinder/cut off wheel
Well, you got it done and that's what counts. There's always more than one way to get a job done.
Tim, Have you thought of moving to Texas?😊 Thinking about doing this on my 2002 Toyota Tundra with 160k miles. Since I have all taken apart, would you consider replacing the CV axle?
I don't think Texas would be my bag. I like mountains. I'd only replace the CV axle if it was bad.
Hi Tim, Thanks so much for the great video! As always, your videos are very detailed and specific to high standards. I have replaced my lower ball joint as preventive maintenance on my 3rd Gen 99 4runner 210K miles. The upper ball joints look great and the rubber bushings are not torn, however I notice the passenger side has a small tiny hole in it but no major grease leak. . I was going to just stick a needle and just shoot some grease in there and seal the hole. . Can I just use a multipurpose Lithium NLGI 2 grease?
You're welcome and we're glad you hear you think so highly of our videos. The grease Toyota uses for those upper balljoints has a different consistency and color compared to a multipurpose Lithium grease. With that said, I think the multipurpose grease will work fine. The whole idea is you want the joint lubricated and you also want to keep contaminants out. The question I have is how are you going to seal the boot? With some silicone?
I don't know if you caught it in the video description but Toyota does make a reboot kit for the upper balljoints. All you would have to do is break free the balljoint connection with the upper control arm with a puller, cut the wire, remove the boot and put a new boot on with the provided replacement grease and a new wire. Here's a link to the boot kit: parts.camelbacktoyota.com/parts/index.cfm?searchText=%2343324-39015&make=Toyota&action=oePartSearch&siteid=214329 Since this is a fairly inexpensive part, buying online might not save you anything due to the shipping cost. But, with a online seller like Camelback Toyota, if you can get your order up to $150 by buying things you know you'll eventually use like oil filters, air filters and maybe some other things you were planning on replacing as preventative maintenance, the shipping becomes free. Then, they will only charge you a small handling fee, $3. I generally buy all my parts from Camelback unless it's something I need quick and then I just visit my local dealer. So, since the shipping could be equivalent to the cost of the part, you just might be better off visiting your local dealer for the reboot kit.
Thanks so much for the info......Yes I had some Permatex Ultra black gasket sealant and was going to just seal the hole for now. I will keep the great info you provided and periodically inspect the rubber dust seal to make sure it's not leaking and then either use Camelback toyota or the local dealer here in Dallas to buy those parts and eventually replace them, Thanks again!
@@amh1499 Yeah very welcome.
Thanks for mentioning torque espcs. ‘Cuase not everyone does it
You're welcome. We try to give people everything they need to be successful doing their own automotive work.
Thanks for the video. My 98 taco would be falling apart around me without all of your videos.
I'm actually installing new OEM upper ball joints (directly from my local Toyota parts dep (#43310-39016)) in my taco right now, but they don't fit in the top of the knuckle. Toyota and the internet says I have the correct UBJs, but the new ones are both .005" larger than both of my old ones. I only found the difference after attempting to press one in. It was going in straight, but taking more pressure than anticipated, so I stopped and pushed it back out. The metal on the UBJ was noticeably sheared / deformed by the knuckle around the entire perimeter. Both of my knuckles were the same size too, but with the larger UBJ's, there was a .010" interference between the parts. In my experience, that's way too much. I've gone on to buy 2 more UBJ's from Toyota, and from 2 aftermarket manufacturers, and they're all the same size. I'm going to try heating/cooling the parts before pressing, but just find it very strange that none of the new parts match the original parts.
That's bizarre that the UBJs have a larger diameter than before. I do remember it taking a decent amount of force to drive it in with the balljoint press.
Hey Timmy, is it really necessary to remove the whole knuckle? Why can't the ball joints be removed while on the vehicle?
Actually I just read your pinned comment,. I was thinking to myself, "why can't I just impact the ball joints out with the knuckle still on the truck?" Haha
It's not totally necessary. I decided to pull it off so I could secure it in the bench vice to hold it steady because you have to apply quite a bit of force with the balljoint c-press to drive it out of the knuckle. With someone helping you by steadying the knuckle while you apply force with the c-press, you could probably do it. If you have an impact gun that you could attach to the c-press bar screw, that would make it much easier.
what is the part number of the snap ring pliers you used, i bought a set at o'reilly and they don't work?
We provide a complete list of all tools used with links either in the video description or a pinned comment (1st comment you see) for all our videos so people can get the tools they need for the job.
To save you time, here's a link to the snap ring pliers I used for this job.
amzn.to/2ZZyZEB
mine have some play but my lower ball joint is new so is it possible that the upper ball joint might fails
If the joint actually has play (the ball pops in the socket), you should replace it. UBJs will fail.
Hi Tim, would the receivers and adapters on the c-press work for upper ball joints of 2001 toyota tundra? Thanks.
Yes, they would.
@@TimmyTheToolman thank you sir.
@@kramidanalub You're welcome.
Very well done video. It is has been extremely helpful for me!
Thanks for the comment. We're glad you found our video helpful.
Quick question. On the special otc parts that you need to press out the ball joint. #314392 plug. I don't recall you using this in the video. Am I mistaken or did I just miss it? Where do you use this "plug" in the application? Thanks
That plug is a lower profile plug than the one that comes with the c-press. This lower profile plug allows more room to fit all the components together to do the press work. I did use it for this job.
@@TimmyTheToolman ok. I got you. Im doing research on those cups and I have a 01 Tacoma prerunner. Im wondering if Im going to need those same install and receiving cups as your 4x4 4 runner but I cant find and hard info on it. I don't want to buy the wrong cups
@@619steelo Yeah, I'm not sure about the Prerunner. If you had a 4wd model, they'd be the same.
Great video! Im doing this in 105* Las Vegas heat.
Thanks and we're glad you like the video. I've wrenched in some hot weather but not quite that hot. Hope the job went smooth for you.
The Pittsburgh master set has four of the five press cups you need for this job and it’s 75$. The other cup you need, is the upper cup for removing.
You can rent a C-press from any auto parts store.
The other cup is 40ish$ though.
And yes, use an impact…..
Thanks for sharing. Could you provide a link to this set?
What black floor jack are you using there?
That's an old Craftsman floor jack I bought at Sears a long time ago. I now like the low-profile jacks that Harbor Freight sells. My Harbor Freight jack is my go-to jack for all my jobs now.
Just double checking, does the OTC-7249 kit contain everything you needed for this job?
Hey Ryan, No, the kit doesn't have everything. Look at the video description because I list all the additional tools needed to go along with the 7249 kit. There's also a link to the OTC pdf file showing all the necessary tools needed. It's a decent investment buying all these tools but it definitely makes the job really easy because they are the perfect fit for this application. Others have made due with what they have in their personal tool arsenal or can rent for free from an auto parts store.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for the quick reply! Does anything in this kit work on the steering stabilizer bushings or the upper/lower control arm bushings?
@@ryant5469 A balljoint c-press doesn't work well for control arm bushings. It's better with a regular hydraulic press and a bearing splitter. The main issue is you need some type of way to get a receiver cup in place and there isn't anything for the receiver cup to rest against and allow the bushing to push put. Also, bushings need to be pressed from the inside out on the front control arms so there's limited room to get the big c-press between the control arms. If you watch the video we've made for doing front control arm bushings and rear control arm bushings, you'll understand why a c-press isn't the right tool for the job.
tim i did the same job without taking the spindle apart i also found the receiving cup and the part to push it out on ebay that somebody had already used and sold it.
Good job Larry.
Timmy, do you know if the Pittsburgh Automotive ball joint puller sold at Harbor Freight will pull the upper ball joint? It is the tool that looks like (2) fingers with a threaded bolt at one end of the fingers. The bolt is used to apply separating force to the (2) fingers. I can't tell if that tool would fit into (slip under) the upper control arm. If you've never tried one, I get it.
Hey Tim, I've never tried a Harbor Freight 2 Jaw Puller so I can't say for sure but I imagine it probably would if it looks anything like the one I used from my OTC Kit.
@@TimmyTheToolman Thanks for always supporting your followers.
@@turnah8242 My pleasure Tim. Sean and I started this channel to help empower people to handle their own automotive work and part of that is answering people's questions. We don't always know the answer and some questions squeak by us, but for the most part, we answer all questions to the best of our ability and we also try to acknowledge everyone's comment. We like hearing back from people sharing their success story using one of our videos. That's the best reward we get from running this channel. Happy Wrenching Tim!
Let me borrow that press Tim I’m in Santa Cruz lol. 2000 tundra needs some love.
I don't usually do side jobs, but I might be willing to help you out for a donation to our channel. Send me an email and we'll discuss it. tim@timmythetoolman.com
How much did it cost you the oem ball joint I have to do my ball joints and inner and outer tie rods for my Tacoma is the brand Ac Delco any good
I don't know what they cost. Check the video description for the part number. I buy most of my Toyota parts from Camelback Toyota in Arizona. Their prices are competitive, they ship quickly and they ship for free if the order is $150 or more. I would never advise people to go with an aftermarket balljoint, especially for the lowers.
Timmy and Sean, Did you guys still like the OTC front end service kit after you used it? They are more than double the price now. Awesome vid you guys ROCK. Viewers pls send Timmy and Sean a Super Thanks $1 to keep these vids coming.Russ in Minnesota
Hey Russell, yes, I really like that OTC front end service kit. I've used pullers from that kit for many jobs. That sucks it's doubled in price. You can buy similar pullers separately at affordable places like Harbor Freight and from Amazon and Ebay sellers.
What might be some of the negative effects of over-tightning the upper ball joint especially?
I don't follow what you're asking Josh? Over tightening what exactly? The nut that secures it to the upper control arm?
@@TimmyTheToolman sorry I wasn't clear.... I'm referring to the castle nut on the control arm. I see where you torqued it to spec. I was asking what would be the consequence(s) of tightening the nut way more than the recommended ft/lb? What effect would it have on steering and handling in general?
@@scorpio_9810 Ok, gotcha. The balljoint attachment to the upper control arm is a tapered fit. If you over-tightened the castle nut, you could have possibly drawn the UBJ shaft further into the UCA but I don't think it would do any damage per say to the UBJ or make a difference with your steering. You could get an alignment to make yourself feel better. How tight do you think you got it?
@@TimmyTheToolman iirc I torqued it to around 85 ft/lb, but I have some doubts that it might have been more. The paranoia stems from me putting some lowering springs on my 2016 gs350 f sport. After I was done, I went for a test drive and immediately the steering wheel was very noticeably harder to turn to the left than to the right. That resulted in the steering wheel always slight cocked to the right when driving. I took it for an alignment but the issue was still there after.
I reinstalled the stock springs, after a week of driving, to see if that would fix the issue. Went for an alignment after but issue remained. Started researching and I read somewhere that if the ball joint was tightened too much, it could cause steering wheel to be harder to turn in one direction than the next. Read up on caster which carried similar symptoms, but it was within specs after the alignment, so I haved reservedly ruled it out. I'm kinda at my wits end with the issue. This as I have a bit of OCD and thus I love when things works as they are meant to.
@@scorpio_9810 Hmmm, well I would be concerned too. I would think if the alignment shop could get your alignment within spec you would be ok. I don't really have any other further advice other than maybe pulling the balljoint off and either reinstalling it to the proper spec or install a new one. You know the problem wasn't there before you did the work so safe to say you did something to cause the problem.