Check your LBJ's!

[snipecatcher]

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1066258&posted=1#post1066258

Two problems within the last couple months. Not good. Luckily in both cases they were going slow. Had it happened on the freeway, the results could be quite different. I'm dd_sr5 on there, by the way.
-Dan

[Nuclear Redneck]

LBJs? we should check our presidents? :confused:

[snipecatcher]

Check your JFK's and GWB's while you're at it. :D Yeah, I should have explained a bit better. Lower ball joints. The bolts are shearing off, which causes other problems, such as your wheel falling off, which is not a good thing at all. Read the link.
-Dan

[Nuclear Redneck]

Thanks for the clarification.

[SAR_Squid79]

I carry 2 LBJ spares with me in the toolbox!

[snipecatcher]

Love your truck, Jamie. Hope to make mine as capable some day. I think long travel would solve the ball joint worries. One of these years...

[Grim Reaper]

I carry 2 LBJ spares with me in the toolbox!
But do you carry the spare knuckle when you cant get the broken bolts out?


I suspect these trucks are lifted. I am betting the lift is causing them to go beyond designed travel.

If you look at the pictures in the links there was no wear marks indicating that the part was loose for any extended period of time. Now One of the bolts has been broken for a while and one had started cracking. You can see how they are rusted where 2 were clean and one only a little rusted.

This comes down to something bottoming out.

The other possibility is somebody getting a little overboard with a impact and over tightening the bolts.

[Nuclear Redneck]

Contrary to what the yahoos down at the local tire shop think, an impact wrench is for lossening bolts not tightening them. Get a torque wrench and do the job right.

Cheers,

[ntsqd]

Contrary to what the yahoos down at the local tire shop think, an impact wrench is for lossening bolts not tightening them. Get a torque wrench and do the job right.

Cheers,
So my friend using an impact to install sparkplugs wasn't doing it right?

[SAR_Squid79]

But do you carry the spare knuckle when you cant get the broken bolts out?

The other possibility is somebody getting a little overboard with a impact and over tightening the bolts.

lol - no - you got me there.

But I know They're not overtightened, either, and haven't ever given me any sign of trouble. The LBJ's are actually something that I always look at any time I have my truck on the lift.

[p1michaud]

One interesting note is that the lower ball joint bolts are on Toyota's recommended maintenance menu...

"Inspect ball joints and dust covers, driveshaft and steering rack boots, chassis nuts & bolts for looseness or damage"

For those of us who do most of our own maintenance, it would be a good idea to check these mounting bolts on a regular interval. A good test would be to use your torque wrench set at 45 ft-lb and check the bolts to make sure they are tight . The actual torque for these is 59 ft-lb but since these bolts have thread locker on them you don't want to check the torque at 59 ft-lb because you may break the thread locker loose creating a potential problem down the road.

Cheers :beer:,
P

[ntsqd]

Is there a suspicion that the bolts are loosening, or are they stretching?
For loosening I'd either do the paint dab visual indicator of relative motion or safety wire them.
Stretching is tougher.

First, I'd also suggest what someone earlier posted, Check that you can not put them in a bind. If you can it's time to either modify the stops or the LBJ's.

[SEREvince]

I've been a victim of missing/ loose bolts on the lower ball joints. Luckily I caught them before any real damage was caused. It's a little unsettling to look down and see the bolts that hold your entire tire/hub assembly on missing!

I recommend replacing the retaining bolts if you have had them on and off more than once or twice, carry the old ones as trail spares. After having mine on and off repeatedly for various reasons, I started having issues. It's very cheap insurance.

I always use Loctite Blue or equivalent! Some knuckleheads will say if torqued properly it's not required. Do not listen to them. Toyota uses threadlocker from the factory for a reason.

After replacing the bolts and using threadlocker I have not had any issues.

[HelaJames]

You do know there is a recall on the Tacoma lower ball joints, they replaced mine when I got my oil changed a couple of months ago.