Tool Suggestions? Ball Joint Press kit!

Research is leading me in circles, I know some of you amigos have been down this road before and can answer it!

I'm doing a complete front end refresh.

Upper Lower Ball Joints
Inner/outer Tie rods
Upper and Lower control arm replacement
New shocks
new coils?
power steering bushings
tie rods and bushings

I'm quite excited to do it all!!

Is there a Ball Joint Press kit that you've all purchased $100 or less that contains the right press receiver and driver tubes without having to purchase additional add on tubes/adaptors ?

 

More pieces than you need

 

Here's a tacoma survival kit.....it'll do everything but the rear bearings.....

 

To do the rear wheel bearings/seals.....you'll need all this....

 

Osilver…….
Unfortunately, rear bearings are in my near future
Saw some videos that guy made some pipe looking thing to assist (as well as a press)
Are u saying that all u need is a press?
Interested.

 

you always come in clutch!

What ball joint press kit is that?

 

Sorry, I meant ball joint press such as:

 

Timmy has three vids on the rear assault.

2nd vid has that tool you can buy off ebay for a c-note....
but that still needs a shop press or access to one.

 

The tools I wouldnt be without would be 1st

Universal Ball Joint Separator for Removing Arms Tie Rods and Ball Joints | eBay




Dont need the pitman set with these lite weight trucks...

and less chance of damaging the grease boots...

 

Close second would be one of these....

21PC C-PRESS BALL JOINT MASTER SET SERVICE KIT REMOVER INSTALLER 2 4 WD AUTO | eBay

 

A ~$15 Harbor Freight pitman puller has been all I've needed to separate the ball joints and outer tie rods on these.

 

Universal Ball Joint Separator for Removing Arms Tie Rods and Ball Joints | eBay

these make the separation go fast and clean with no damage....

 

I bought that C-clamp tube kit off Amazon for like $45 few years back.....
looks like they're up to high 50's or low $60's now.....

I just tried to buy the one with the most tubes available.....
.....has saved my ass many times..

 

And No.3 behind a line wrench set, would be one of these....



That is if you want to do universals in minutes, instead of hours.

 

All these together would allow access to all the bearings, bushings, and balls on the truck.....

 

Here's how to do the rear seals - all the tools you need, parts, and step-by-step with photos of the process:

Step-by-Step Replacing Rear Axle Seal & Bearing w/ABS (1st gen Tacoma or 3rd gen 4Runner) – ADVENTURETACO

 

Took me an hour to absorb but

Perfect
Thanks!!!!!!!

wonder how many members here have that ‘Shawn’s Tool’ ?

 

Yooo!!! The man himself! I love your tutorials, i just bought some strongflex bushings following your guide.

I know you rock ADS, do you have any suggestions on stock height to a max of 1" lift shock/coil set up?

 

More like "just another dude with a Tacoma," seriously. Happy to hear you've gotten some use out of the tutorials - I owe a lot of my knowledge to the good folks here on TW, so it's always nice to be able to give back a bit. Always happy to answer questions as well, if anyone's got them (and I can answer them).

As for the lift - it all depends on how much weight you have up front. I've been meaning to put together a "front suspension options" guide, sort of like the leaf spring guide, just to round out the front of the truck, but there are so many more options with the front that I've continuously procrastinated.

Really, here's my "summary." And of course, this is all my opinion; I'm sure others will have different opinions

Non-adjustable, non-rebuildable:

1. I don't love OME Nitro shocks (which I ran on my 4Runner) as they seemed too stiff. (not too sprung, but too stiff)
2. I do like Bilstein shocks (which I ran on the Tacoma for a while) as they seemed to give a nicer ride.
3. For front springs - if you're stock weight up front, look at OME 880s - or a spring in the 500-550 range. If you've got a bumper, winch, etc. then look at the 881/2/3s based on the amount of weight.

Adjustable/rebuildable:

If you can afford the initial outlay of rebuildable coilovers, and will drive them for more than 100,000 miles (through a couple of rebuilds), they will be cheaper in the long run (but with more maintenance work necessary). And of course, give a better ride.

1. For a mid-range (price/performance) - I think the Toytec BOSS are a good option.
2. King, ADS, Fox, Icon, and most of the other colors are pretty similar and my sense is that you'll be happy with any of them. If you're going this route, consider a few things, each of which add cost, so you'll need to decide which are for you:
   1. Get a 2.5" shock body for better performance and less shock fade.
   2. Get a resi for less shock fade.
   3. Get adjustable clickers for a more customizable ride.

For all of these, look at a 550-600lbs spring rate, and then dial in the lift using the ride height adjustment ring (most people call this a preload, but it's not really that). You can get any lift you want, from 0-3+" but stick with something under 2" for the best ride.

 

There's ball joint kits on Fleabay for like $70, I put one on watch before doing my front suspension . . . didn't need it. You can rent/buy the extractor/pullers from Autozone or O'Relleys. I say rent/buy because the policy at O'reiley's is you can keep it, just let them know you're keeping it so they can get another one in. You'll need two sizes, one for the TRE's, one for the ball joints.

Probably the most important tool you'll need is this, the infamous BAH. Once you get the puller on the TRE's/ball joints start hammering the knuckle like you're Thor.

Lots of PB Blaster too. Buy two cans, you'll use most of the first one in any suspension work.

Energy suspension has two grades of rack bushings, red and black. (red = 8.10103R) Black is a little stiffer, be sure to pick up ES grease, doesn't come with it, it is silicon based and sticky as hell. Poly bushings are notorious for squeaks.

For the rack I'd just spring for a new OEM rack, it hurts but it's worth it, you'll have to move it back for bushings anyway. I wouldn't recommend cheaping out on ball joints OR an aftermarket rack, go OEM. Best price I found is McGeorge/Ourisman Toyota in Virginia.

Also change out your sway bar bushings, it need to be removed to do the bushings. Sway bar links too if it's in the budget.

For springs/coilovers, you won't find a better price than this set from SuspensionLifts. I don't see a year/model/engine mentioned in this thread so contact/search them for a fit if those do not match yours. They respond pretty quickly. Here is how they arrived.