Ball joints

Asked by sara Apr 07, 2019 at 07:57 AM about the 2004 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4 Door Extended Cab RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Hello,  while I was driving the front left tire  
buckled under my truck.  I had it towed
home, where I was able to see that the  
knuckle  had detached from the upper ball
joint.  I'm assuming I need to replace that
ball joint,  but do I need to do something
with the part of the knuckle where the ball
joint come and knuckle come together?  I've
never worked on my truck alone,  but the
person I helped work on my truck with
passed away and I'm trying to do this on my
own.  I really can't afford to pay someone
else to do it, so I could really use some help
or a little guidance if it wouldn't be too much
trouble.  Thank you in advance, the Sara

3 Answers

38,905

U-Toob has many videos on a variety of car repair , you'll still need a fair amount of strength to loosen and replace those bolts and a B.F. hammer , cheater bar and such . On things like that I tighten the bolt with the same force it took to remove it , If the spindle is broken off in the knuckle that may present a problem

21,875

Replacing ball joints is difficult. You normally need a press or a mini sledge hammer to get the stud (ball) removed from the spindle. If you have never done this and are not a mechanic, this will be a very difficult task. Also, if one ball joint separated, then all the ball joints and any other worn parts should also be replaced.

21,875

Also forgot to mention, this is a dangerous task as it involves jacking up the truck and working with the springs. You should consult an experienced mechanic or shop.

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