Upper and lower ball joints replacement

[Gary Mead]

Evening all, can anyone advise on replacing upper and lower ball joints on a 95 ?
big job ? How much is the bill likely to be ?
thanks

 

[Andysparks]

Evening. I just replaced the lowers on mine. I used genuine Toyota joints and also replaced the 8 fixing bolts. Cost of the parts was £228 and took around an hour each side once I was set up on the drive. I also bout a cheap set of ball joint separators off Amazon for £40 which made the job easier.

 

[MODVRS]

I replaced my lower ball joints for the MOT as the rubber boots had split. I opted for the aftermarket joints from Roughtrax (£37 each) as I'm not doing many miles and don't venture offroad. I too bought a £40 set if ball joint separators from Amazon!

I think it would have been difficult using the big hammer method. Timmy the Toolman does a good how-to video on Youtube

 

[MODVRS]

The only hard part for me was that the split pins were rusted solid; I spun the nuts off with an impact wrench in the end, not great for the threads on the track rod which I used again, but they survived.

 

[MODVRS]

for the how-to video.

 

[diggerdave]

+1 for Modvrs's set of ball joint separators. I have exactly the same kit and it's perfect.

 

[stuzbot]

I also bout a cheap set of ball joint separators off Amazon for £40 which made the job easier.

I too bought a £40 set if ball joint separators from Amazon!

+1 for Modvrs's set of ball joint separators. I have exactly the same kit and it's perfect.

Looks like the same kit I bought too, to do mine. One of those which is available under a dozen different guises, all with exactly the same photos. Just pick the one with the most amusing Chinglish brand name.

And there was me thinking I'd been a wimp, buying a kit, instead of twatting the balljoints with a big hammer, whilst roaring defiance at the heavens!

The only hard part for me was that the split pins were rusted solid; I spun the nuts off with an impact wrench in the end, not great for the threads on the track rod which I used again, but they survived.

I had the exact same problem with one of my split pins. On the castle nut of the LBJ itself. Trying to pull it out, it snapped off at the end, with just enough left sticking out to stop the nut from spinning but just too little to get a grip on it with my needle-nose pliers. After spending about an hour trying to persuade it out with various implements, I ended up spinning the nut off with an impact wrench and 'to hell with the consequences' [of which, thankfully, there weren't any]

Apart from recalcitrant split pins, I'd say an hour each side is a good estimate. And a fair part of that is jacking the motor up and getting wheels on and off.

FWIW: i looked at the Timmy the Toolman tutorial first too. Pretty spot on apart from; being American all the torque measurements are in things like 'Quarts per Hogshead Squared' or whatever the hell dumb units they use.

 

[RichC4]

My take on hammer vs tool is that I'd rather not belt it and cause damage from the shock impact of a hammer. A splitter applies just enough force in the right place.