Upper Ball Joints

Situation:
I have 81k miles on my 2017 Tundra and just noticed upper ball joint boots have split. I am looking for input on my planned corrective action.
Currently the font suspension is stock upper arms, Bilstein 6112's (no shims; driver side -1.9; passenger side 1.3) Truck is level at just about 1.5" height in front. Rear is stock height with Bilstein 5160's. Wheels are 0 offset. Tires are 33's (Mickey Thompson ATZ/ 295/70/17) and are in need of replacement. I have stock gears.

Tundra is my daily and spends 10% on dirt and the rest on the highway and streets in and around San Diego.

Mission:
On Tuesday have ball joints and tires replaced and an alignment done by The Truck Shop in order to remedy the issue.

Execution:
Replace OEM ball joints with new OEM ball joints.
Install 305/70/17 Toyo ATIII's (34's).

What I don't know:
Should I adjust shocks to 1.9 on passenger side and add a coilover shim (.5") on driver side?
Should I get 33's vs 34's
Are the Toyo ATiii's the way to go?


What I do know:

BMC & pinch weld alteration will need to happen.


I have the following parts in my garage:
Coachbuilder coilover shims (3)
https://shop-coachbuilder.myshopify...oilover-shim-provides-50-of-lift-tundra-99-06

Coach builder +2 shackles (1.25" lift),
https://shop-coachbuilder.myshopify...ilder-2-shackles-provides-1-25-of-actual-lift

Love to hear your input.

Thanks

 

What I don't know:
Should I adjust shocks to 1.9 on passenger side and add a coilover shim (.5") on driver side?

What was the reasoning to have it set to 1.3 on passenger side and 1.9 on driver side? Do you have driver side lean? If it was my truck, I’d want to have suspension same on both side. So yes, you should adjust to 1.9 on passenger side, leave the shim.

Should I get 33's vs 34's

That’s a question only you can answer. Bigger tires = less MPG. Costs more, looks cooler. Lol

Are the Toyo ATiii's the way to go?

Lots of tire reviews on here. What’s the application for your truck?

What I do know:

BMC & pinch weld alteration will need to happen.

Why do you need to have a BMC and a pinch weld mod? Do you know why you would even need to do these two in the first place?

 

Thanks. Nice truck.

From what I understand "The downside to the Bilstein 6112's is their limited adjustability. Shims effectively make the shock longer on compression and extension". I went the route of adjusting preload to mitigate the lean. I believe my current setting are not the culprit for the "issues" and I have experienced no issues driving dirt, street, hauling ass...

Yes, aesthetics are a factor in my tire preference however not the primary - I am off road occasionally and also like peace of mind that they can handle various terrain/situations.
The MPG loss is not a major concern for me - I am more concerned about the rolling resistance and revs and the effects that can have on the truck; shift points /gear hunting, suspension and brake wear...

Yes I am familiar with the purpose of doing a BMC and pinch weld are.

I ended up taking my truck to The Truck Shop- they are one of the best in San Diego for Toyota builds, mods, alignments etc. I showed the owner my truck and explained what I thought... It turns out my ball joints are good however the boots are split- a minor issue (put some grease in). I will be replacing OEM UCAs with aftermarket ones very soon and plan on upgrading coilovers once these Bilsteins are done- FOX or KING?
I was set on Toyo AT3's at 305/70/17. My wheels are 0 offset so I was all good with the chop that would most likely need to happen. In the end I went with 285/75/17 TOYO R/T Trails. I was worried they would be too skinny for my liking but they look pretty good. The tire itself looks like an aggressive AT. They adjusted the caster so I would clear body mount - I removed the flaps. I had the front bumper (metal trimmed). All good so far - no rub yet. Love the smell and ride of new tires!

Keith, https://dirtydeedsindustries.com, is a buddy and imparted his knowledge on me...

https://accutuneoffroad.com , sent this:
"You have the correct approach by adjusting preload with the different grooves.
The downside to the Bilstein 6112's is their limited adjustability.
Installing a spacer or shim between the shock and chassis is not the correct solution.
The shim will effectively make the shock longer on compression and extension.
On compression the shock can to bottom out before the bump stops and cause it to fail.
On extension it can let your suspension extend further that was intended allowing components to extend further than they were designed to.
That can cause them to fail, make noise, or wear out quickly.
The only acceptable place to install a spacer is between the spring and the shock.
The spacer must be touching the spring or it's in the wrong place."

A few more references:

http://sdtruckshop.com

https://dirtkingfabrication.com

https://downsouthmotorsports.com

Im gonna go wash my truck. Have a good one.