Ball joint Maintenance

Hey all...Im at 214K on the truck. Is there some basic TLC for the Ball joints I should be doing? Seems like a common failure point for first gen Tundras. Is it lower or upper I should worried about...both?

 

Lower, as they take all the weight of the truck, not the uppers. No maintenance required as the OEM don’t have grease zerks. Yearly state inspections for safety typically require ball joint checks for play. You can do that yourself if inspections aren’t required. Since they can fail in a relatively short period of time, most owners have been proactive about replacing them after 100k miles. I, myself, have replaced them when the grease starts to leak out of the small boot.

It yours are original, I would strongly recommend replacing them.

 

Just to add, replace them with OEM only. Don't let the fact that they do not have grease zerks steer you towards another brand. Also remember to replace the bolts, castle nuts and cotter pins on each side. My OEM ball joints came with a replacement castle nut and cotter pin. Had to get the bolts separately.
Finally, make sure you get the correct bolts. It varies by year.

 

Just to add to that add, LBJs are a "wear item", i.e. you need to be replacing those proactively, not going 200k+ miles waiting for one to break, and cause hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages.

A good, sane schedule is to replace the LBJs with OEM parts, and fresh OEM bolts, every 125k miles. I wouldn't trust OEM to last more than 150k miles. Sure, yours might've lasted that long, but I wouldn't trust them to last that long. I'll be doing mine every 100k, along with my timing belt, water pump, and radiator. Especially after I've now lifted the truck.

And adding to that add of an add, important to note: When Toyota tells you, "This is the lifespan of XYZ part" (like, they recommend 90k miles or 9yrs on the timing belt) that number is ONLY valid if you use OEM PARTS. Toyota has zero control over part quality/longevity on the aftermarket. Aftermarket parts DO NOT have the same tolerances or requirements as OEM parts. They DO NOT last as long. I've seen people on Facebook groups who've gotten less than 5,000 miles out of an aftermarket LBJ (major name brands!), and they bought it because it cost $65/ea instead of OEM at $100/ea. Trying to save $70/pair cost them more than a thousand dollars in repairs. On something you only need to change every 5-10 years at the earliest for most drivers. It's fucking insane to me

 

I just replaced mine with OEM LBJ and went ARB bolts for replacement there’s a sticky thread with all the info you need to figure it all out. Up front cost is a bit steep but like @shifty` said compared to the thousands in damage it’s cheap insurance.