96-04 Lower ball joint failure ?SOLUTION?

I want to know if there is a way to go around the weak lower ball joints . the design has the lower ball joint below the spindle and the lower control arm pulls it downward constantly. I have done research and people say moog is good,and with lifetime warranty you can just exchange them for new ones once a year,but i dont want a band aid. Do moog ball joints separate bad like oem ones? People also say to replace the control arms with long travel. One of my trucks has long travel from total chaos fab. and it has stock lower ball joints, this does not stop the lower ball joints from seprerating. Is the any kit or interchangeable part that can move the upper control arm above the ball joint like a fail safe version. I know i can inspect it but i want a way to COMPLETELY remove the weakness.
My experience so far is,just about a week ago my lower ball joint fell apart. It had less than 500 miles on it,really rough miles though,i treat the truck like it is 4wd. Had to ratchet strap the control arms together so i could get the truck out the street,i just dont want any ball joint separation while i am way out on a trail Joshua tree national park

 

Sell it and buy a 2nd Gen Tacoma. Or a 4th/5th Gen 4Runner. The only way to get rid of the garbage design aside from going Long Travel with a Uniball lower.

 

Not helpful.

 

Was the ball joint that fell apart OEM? If it was, I find it hard to believe that it fell apart on you. In my opinion, OEM is the only way to go for lower ball joints. Many guys on here treat their trucks really rough and don't have a problem. I think lower ball joints need to be a maintenance item and just replace every 100,000 miles.

 

Sorry you feel that way, the truth hurts. You have something more "helpful" than what I told the OP?

 

Yes, go spend $15k on a new truck you dont even want instead of fixing a ball joint. Yea youre really sorry.

 

I had a built 3rd Gen 4Runner which shares the same LBJ design as the 1st Gen Tacoma, after seeing so many failures online and in person I never felt truly comfortable on the tough trails or on shelf roads where a failure would have cost me my life. My solution may not be his solution, but, it is a solution that completely gets rid of the aforementioned issue.


Did you read the OP? He asked for a solution which you haven't done, go kick rocks grumpy.

 

Insults, again not helpful. Youre forgetting youre just a civilian here.

 

Your reading comprehension is incredible.

 

Ive read mixed results on MOOG. The warranty does help with piece of mind at least, and its not terribly difficult or time consuming to change these since the whole carrier gets replaced. Though as with most products, if they sell ten thousand, youre only going to hear about the one or two with issues. Being said, OEM is still your best bet. What your describing is very rare, i would attribute it to that one in ten thousand that failed.

 

OEM is superior. Don't know of a way to avoid using them but the link below goes into detail about BJs

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/moog-quality-and-some-other-info-on-ball-joints.299811/

EDIT: Not the thread I thought it was. There is one out there that goes more into detail on how they are made. Something about OEM having a bushing inside and moogs are just metal on metal. If I find it I'll link it.

 

Time out ... go to your rooms

On the original issue, I also have a 1st gen 4wd and am concerned about it, as well. So, when I had my truck in the shop for a valve adjustment, I had them check the LBJ's, and they said they were solid. I assume they gradually loosen up over time, before separating.

However, my understanding is that the ball-joint issue is primarily focused on the 2001-2004 models (there is a TSB concerning it). Those owners should definitely get there LBJ's replaced right away, if it hasn't already been done (with OEM, not MOOG).

For the 95-2000 trucks (like mine and the OP), even though they have the same design, they do not have the same manufacturing flaw that led to the issuing of the TSB.

I noticed the OP is 2wd. Would they have the same LBJ's as the 4WD ?

 

Would ACDelco or Beck/arnley as OEM suppliers be the same quality as the Toyota branded ones?

 

I replaced the ball joints myself in april. All 4,upper and lower on both sides. I bought OEM from the shop i work at,our cost was just under a hundred dollars for the set of 4. I have taken the truck through a few places where suspension bottoms out and fully extends. Not interested in buying new truck yet,motor and trans are strong.

 

I assume not. On RockAuto, Beck/Arnley just claims to be a direct replacement for OEM.

 

Even at wholesale, that seems awfully cheap for OEM. Did they come in the usual Toyota OEM packaging ?

 

Judging by your avatar picture you have a 5 lug Tacoma which suspension setup is vastly different from what the Pre-Runner, 4x4 and 4-Runner use.

Only way to fix it would be have a fab shop modify the lower control arm and and spindle to accept a uni-ball or heim joint.

 

Well plain brown boxes,parts were stamped 555,i didnt take much time inspecting them as i assumed they where good. I will inspect all future ones before installing them. Bought the "OEM" ones through napa. I turned in my broken one and now i am waiting for the new one to come in the mail. The broken one was SEALED (no zerk fitting),torqued to proper spec. It just fell apart,ring came off and that's it,bolts where all tight. It looked like it had very little grease in it.

 

Yes it is a 5 lug. So what do you think i would ask a fabrication shop? My long travel truck has uniball uppers but also has the stock lower ball joint stamped 555

 

In the link the poster above above:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/moog-quality-and-some-other-info-on-ball-joints.299811/

The video in there showed a comparison of some different balljoints from MOOG and others. The 555 stamped parts are generic Chinese knock offs that are rebranded by Autozone and Pepboys.