What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

On that note, had to take a breather. I've got something in my lungs. Getting winded way too easy and when I'm wheezin it's like popcorn.

 

The ol pop rocks throat breath

 

That sounds terrible. Drink plenty of water.
This morning I removed my dad's Honda civic drivers seat to install seat covers I bought em for father's day. Just doing the driver side had me sweating haha

 

It's deeper in my lungs though, like towards the end of my exhales. If I force my breath at the end of my exhale, it sounds like one of those "bubble gum popper" lawn mower toys Fisher Price make for kids. Never had a sinus infection do this to my lungs. Super weird. Apparently the oldest thinks she ruptured her eardrum on descent into MIA, awesome, won't stop texting every 5 mins asking ENT questions

Anyway, making progress. About to pop pass side UBJ and get the upper in. I really miss having real garage space, but love the garage is climate controlled if doors are closed. Gonna hafta pull the truck out and back into the other garage bay once this side is done just to do the driver's side. Heinous.

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I got bronchitis, ain't nobody got time for that

 

Dunno man. Goddamn if I can't get this f'n balljoint out. The HF 3-in-1 kit I've used on damn near every vehicle I've owned won't bust this bastard loose. (Yes, before anyone asks, tension ring is out)

I'm gonna hack at this bastard for another hour or two, then walk up to the LAPS and see what kits they have on-hand. If I can't get there, I'm picking up a new castle nut for it, buttoning this shit back up to fight it another day.

Did Toyota lock these bastards in with something?

 

The UBJ on mine was probably the worst job I’ve ever done on any vehicle I’ve worked on. It was so miserable that I never did the other side…

 

You got this. You quit now and it's more work later.

 

I picked up mr2 #4 and a lot of parts with it lol

 

It is a 1998 imported RHD mr2. With a 1998 front cut to reassemble it

 

Loaded me grass whackers in mine and pops and I went to take care of some mowing for my my aunt and my uncle.

 

Dude did what toytec kit did you get?! I'm saving for Aluma 2-3, myself.

You already button it up? I've always had success with the $15, 3 jaw puller from Bill O'Reilly.

Edit: sorry, wrong step in my head. I've been outside in the heat wrestling a u joint all day.

Did you take the whole knuckle off to make more room? If you aren't gonna use the bj again, get the press kit on and run a fn impact on it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g

 

I just listened to that song today. It was a trivia question last week and I couldn't remember the name.

 

I’ve heard the song a bunch of times but never realized that was it’s name

 

Toytec Aluma Boss 2.0 (TTLKTUN06-P). Got a killer deal end of last year, waited for a wheel/tire decision to install, got the wheels in several weeks ago, today was the logical day to install the lift, then order tires - no kids, no wife, they're in S.FL, got the house and garage to myself. Came down with a pretty gnarly sinus infection and found a mass in my throat about a week ago, and I'm pretty sick and miserable - Murphy's law. Wasn't about to let it stop me from trying.

Nope, left the whole knuckle in. Wasn't planning to do LBJs or pop out axles, only UCA, coilovers, swaybar links, I wasn't about to fight with all that extra work of pulling the knuckle, else it'd probably be out right now!. Intent was to impact it off, but mounting from top, the press spindle smacked into the top of the fender well. No safe way to tweak the top of the knuckle to make it work. Mounting from bottom, the goddamn cups kept falling out, and I couldn't get a good clean square lock that wouldn't put other stuff at risk (even unfastened brake line clamp for more room). I think I could've pulled it off if I had another pair of hands but nobody within 3 blocks of me is competent enough to help, that's urban life I guess? I've got a 2-jaw and 3-jaw puller, but there wasn't enough lip to grab without snatching the edge of the BJ.

Literally same here. Glad I'm not the only one, thanks for that. I can honestly say, "I've never in my life" been beaten by a BJ (who says you can't beat a BJ?).

I was in a pinch. Truck HAS to be drivable in the next 24-36 hours. I was doing my best not to annihilate the thing, knowing I still had to do the other side, but also knowing I had to be able to drive the truck out of the garage to start the other side. And if I mangled the BJ too badly, I can't button it back up again. I can't just keep borrowing cars.

Had to make a choice. Since I mangled the castle nut whacking the BJ out of the UCA, and there wasn't a fitting spare in my fastener stash, I had to hit the LAPS or stealership. Stealership parts depts are closed tomorrow, all close at 5 today. So 60-90 mins after my last post, I borrowed my neighbor's car and hitting three big LAPS ... only one had a kit, and it was basically same style/size clamp as my HF kit. So I decided I'm not gonna get this done today and need to bail. I made a 50min round trip last-minute to the stealership to get an OEM UBJ castle nut (90171-A0001 if anyone is wondering).

Came back to the house, tried one more 2-arm puller I have, failed, and gave up. Reinstalled strut, bolted up UCA, reinstalled links, torqued everything down to spec. I ripped the bejesus out of the BJ boot in the process of trying to remove, but managed to get it back on well enough to trust driving on it. I'm tempted to test the other side tomorrow, just to see, but I really feel physically like shit. Every time I cough more than 3-4 times I'm getting lightheaded, almost like you get inhaling nitrous or butane.

So lame. I basically was at the peak, and it was all downhill race once that bastard came off. I really didn't walk into this expecting that would be what got me. I've had to pull pitman and idler arms that've been rusted on for 30 freaking years before. Never had a balljoint get me.

Either need to find a kit and try again next weekend, or just have someone else fight with it. One of the local Toyota shops I talked with back in January does overland builds and custom alignments, the guy said I brought it in, they'd cut me a killer deal to install whatever, but also mentioned disliking SPC arms, installing SPC arms etc. I really hate letting other people touch my stuff, too.

Surely there has to be a fool-proof BJ kit out there ...

 

Go to your primary care and get a chest x-ray. That doesn’t even sound slightly normal.

 

It came out my senior year and 50 yrs later last year at FedEx forum with 2 sons/wives, proved some bands age well. It was awesome seeing them in person, even without the condiments we had back in the day

 

New age condiments are even better!

 

I'll have to take your word for it. My heart couldn't take what we did back in the day and sure as hell probably couldn't handle todays new age offers

 

I hear ya brother @shifty` sometimes you just have to button it up and live to fight another day.

And some days you just gotta do the little bit of extra work, like take the knuckle off lol. That's what I realized. Tried everything I could to not take it off, but once I did, I could lay it on the tail gate or wherever and it's so much easier to get the press and cup into place. Saved hours on the passenger side.

I have the HF MA10-1 kit. Let me try to lay it out from memory...

 

My HF kit is old af. I probably got it 20, 25 years ago now. I've used it no less than a couple dozen times, it's never failed. I know HF sells a new one w/3 cups and more xtras, I just never needed it. the C-clamp measures 9" tip to tip so when you factor in the threaded spindle... you need 14"+ space.

I'm open to buying another kit if there's something guaranteed to work. I can justify up to $600 on it, because that's what I'm paying for someone else install the uppers. I'm just sad I'm having a tool failure, this was the last thing I expected.

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Do you have the install/removal slugs total chaos makes for our upper BJ's?

https://www.chaosfab.com/product/2000-2006-Toyota-Tundra-Ball-Joint-Removal-Tool-96005

 

Pretty darn similar kit, also, sorry you aren't feeling well, definitely sounds like bronchitis with that wheezing. Get well.

Ok, so, I feel like this is what finally worked for me. Only ended up using 2 pcs to remove, but installing the camburg uniball took another cap...I think.

 

Once again, something that could've been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!

But seriously, I'm going to buy those just to have. Fuckin brilliant!

 

Nope, what you see is what I got. Didn't think ahead to consider this BJ would be any different from any other I've cracked off.

Part of the issue I'm running into is with the pucks in my kit. They're adding just enough height that it's difficult to wedge into the wheel well. I think it'd still happen with the TC cups.

 

I tried a similar config w/mine. Your clamp definitely looks smaller than mine.

 

Remove the long upper control arm bolt (maybe pop the tie rod off too), hang the caliper, disconnect the abs wire or remove the sensor and tilt the arm and spindle out of the wheel well.

 

Sounds like a nightmare I’d experience. My path is generally as follows:
1. Don’t start on Saturday knowing the dealership parts counter is closed on Sunday.
2. Have a backup plan for transportation (i.e. ride, bus, train, bike or walk)