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Lower Ball Joint Caution

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by 2uzfe2000, Jun 22, 2022.

  1. Jun 22, 2022 at 11:33 PM
    #1
    2uzfe2000

    2uzfe2000 [OP] New Member

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    I recently replaced my lower ball joints and found something interesting/scary. The Toyota bolts are extremely soft and I wonder if they are causing people to have failures. The service manual states to torque the 8 bolts (4 on each side) to 59 ftlbs. Good luck with that, I ended up snapping the head off of one completely, and I took the rest out and all were severely stretched.

    The bolts are part numbers 9011910933 (these go over dust protector holes) and 9010510505. Having stretched bolts in a critical suspension component is a major safety hazard and a disaster waiting to happen. I couldnt torque them down past 40 ftlb's without them stretching, so that is what I did with a new set of bolts.

    To anyone doing their lower ball joints, watch for stretched bolts.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2022
  2. Jun 22, 2022 at 11:36 PM
    #2
    alb1k

    alb1k Always Coming From Take Me Down

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    Are you sure about the 80 lbs? I think they are more like 56.
     
  3. Jun 22, 2022 at 11:39 PM
    #3
    2uzfe2000

    2uzfe2000 [OP] New Member

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    Sorry youre right. I torqued to 59 ftlbs not 80 I re-read the manual again when I posted and saw 80nm. The bolt head snapped at 56 ftlbs. I made the correction in the original post.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2022
  4. Jun 22, 2022 at 11:43 PM
    #4
    alb1k

    alb1k Always Coming From Take Me Down

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    I'm not right often, I looked it up on an 05-06

    Connect the lower ball joint with lower ball joint dust cover protector to the steering knuckle with the 4 bolts.

    Torque: 65 N·m (662 kgf·cm, 48 ft·lbf)

    We may be talking different years. I only remembered because I did them this year and thought it was low. But I've also learned I tend to over torque if I don't look it up.
     
  5. Jun 22, 2022 at 11:43 PM
    #5
    2uzfe2000

    2uzfe2000 [OP] New Member

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    tvpierce and alb1k like this.
  6. Jun 23, 2022 at 4:18 AM
    #6
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

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    I broke two of mine also. Good times.
     
  7. Jun 23, 2022 at 8:38 AM
    #7
    tvpierce

    tvpierce Formerly New Member

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  8. Jun 23, 2022 at 9:47 AM
    #8
    Jack McCarthy

    Jack McCarthy Truck repair enthusiast; Rust Aficionado

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    Loctite and hand tight with a 16 inch socket wrench is what I do. Although loctite isn’t needed with the natural corrosion my vehicle gets.
     
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  9. Jun 23, 2022 at 10:13 AM
    #9
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    Little niggling detail to point out here, if your copy/pasta from the owner's manual is correct.

    OP is saying he torqued to 56 ft·lb. The manual states they're to be torqued to 65 N·m.

    So yes, it makes sense they would snap or stretch well into the 50s of foot-pounds. 56 foot pounds is nearly 76 Newton meters! Already tighter than OEM spec. [Edit...] 48 foot pounds would put you on target @2uzfe2000

    If so, this is a classic mistake to make. And there are some places - as I think @FirstGenVol found out with his transmission pan bolt(s)? - that Toyota flip-flopped the two, which doesn't help.
     
    Last edited: Jun 23, 2022
  10. Jun 23, 2022 at 7:11 PM
    #10
    2uzfe2000

    2uzfe2000 [OP] New Member

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    The 2000-2003 service manual asks for 80nm.
     
  11. Jun 23, 2022 at 7:37 PM
    #11
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    Is it potentially a part change issue? Or a misprint in the manual?
     
  12. Jun 24, 2022 at 4:31 AM
    #12
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

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    Everyone thinks I broke my trans pan bolts. :notsure:I did not. I just stripped the drain plug. Manglers don't lie. :hattip:
     
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  13. Jun 24, 2022 at 7:23 AM
    #13
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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    Hence the (s) at the end of bolt(s). Drain plug would be "bolt". Pan bolts would be "bolts". "bolt(s)" covers both bases.

    But am I wrong, was the torque value in the manual incorrect?
     
  14. Jun 24, 2022 at 7:46 AM
    #14
    FirstGenVol

    FirstGenVol Brake Czar

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    I don't remember.
     
  15. Jun 27, 2022 at 2:19 AM
    #15
    w666

    w666 D. None of the above

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  16. Jun 27, 2022 at 2:38 AM
    #16
    w666

    w666 D. None of the above

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    Someone at Loctite apparently earned their PhD with the "thesis" attached. Fascinating reading (if you have all day), and way more information than any one human needs.

    https://dm.henkel-dam.com/is/content/henkel/LOCTITE-Threadlocker-Manual

    The Internet suggests that torque should be REDUCED by ~ 20% when using thread locker to prevent the elongation of bolts due to over tightening. Section 6 in the Loctite Manual (pg 30) addresses this.

    That said, however, OEM bolts appear to be factory coated with Loctite (or some such thing), so I'm confident that their torque recommendations reflect this. If you ADD Loctite (or anti-freeze, et al)...beware.
     
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  17. Jun 27, 2022 at 5:42 AM
    #17
    DarkMint

    DarkMint just gettin by

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  18. Jun 27, 2022 at 6:07 AM
    #18
    shifty`

    shifty` The Second Shortcoming of Christ

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  19. Jun 8, 2023 at 9:16 AM
    #19
    metalpete

    metalpete New Member

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    Bringing this up again because I just did the same thing to one of the bolts, glad I kept the other 8 that I replaced (the threads are still good, I was being proactive).

    Wanted to check the torque and "pop", a start to bad evening. Let it be known that I was being a dumba$$ and left it on the ground, so the downward force didn't help. Also, kids, don't do truck stuff when you're sick...no matter how OCD you are feeling. You will no think good.

    Luckily (maybe, hopefully, praying) a decent amount of the threads came off with the head, so I might be able to work it straight through without much trouble.
     
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  20. Jun 8, 2023 at 11:46 PM
    #20
    remington351

    remington351 New Member

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    I hope you are able to remove the broken bolt with little fuss. But why are you rechecking the torque? These aren't lug nuts. If anything I'd liken them to "torque to yield" head bolts. Plus you install them with a gob of red loctite so any additional twisting once cured will break the loctite bond. Yes? No?
     
  21. Jun 9, 2023 at 6:17 AM
    #21
    metalpete

    metalpete New Member

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    Just a habit after replacing/reinstalling parts after X amount of miles. They die hard, you know...

    Bolt came out relatively easy. Used a locking needle nose vice grip, taped the ends to try and save the teeth and worked her back and forth. Got to a point where the cv was in the way, so I cut as much as I could with the Dremel before getting the a bolt cutter in there. Cleaned the hole as best I could, worked the new bolt in gently, and we're good to go.
     

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