Spiker Engineering Lower Ball Joint Bolt Test (1st Gen)

Wow, that's awful, @tokolosh. Good to know you didn't get hurt. Honestly, a LBJ failure on my way through remote Alaska has been my biggest fear. And whaddaya know... a few days ago, my passenger LBJ failed just as I got to the slow (unpaved and pure hell) section of the 60mi road into town. (I joined Tundras.com because I need a support group. lol) So... this thread has been the most enlightening thing I've read since trying to figure out how to make my Tundra more durable. The roads out here are brutal and for me to call my truck a "daily driver" is laughable. Anyway, fortunately I was only doing about 25mph when the LBJ failed. It was the bolts - 2 had backed out completely, 1 was hanging on by a thread - literally, and the other 1 was about a quarter inch out. I had to order a complete replacement spindle because a tab was cracked and bent, and ordered a complete set of Siberian bushings, 2 LBJ assemblies, and a bunch of hardware.

So after reading this thread, I'm more confused than ever. The one bolt that wasn't bent or lost is that one in the photo. Is that even the correct one? The previous owner of the truck (he owns a body shop) worked on it for 2.5 years and told me he had "replaced the entire front end". I even took it to other shops in CA and had the alignment done, a rear axle bearing, inspections, etc. I have so many questions now. lol

Anyways, I'm glad I found this forum and thread!!

 

That bolt looks like it's sheared off. Otherwise it appears short (ie:wrong), compared to some pics on the 1st page.

 

Definitely. Threads look a pretty mushed too. Might have been reused a few times and the condition of the threads is huge.

Personally, I have reused bolts before, as I'm not just going to throw away bolts after one use and if they haven't been wheeled on, but it all depends on the thread condition.

In a perfect world, I have plenty of spare bolts and I chase the knuckles to remove any thread locker left behind.

 

Im still rockin the oem hardware from 06 and have unbolted the lbj’s a handful of times in the last 2 years alone. I might get some new hardware but I have faith in my work. I’ll update in a month when I get a failure.

 

I feel ya. I don't always work on things in a logical order, so I would have replaced all 8 bolts about 4 times in the last 3 month if these were one and done lol.

 

It was a few months ago now, I was a little banged up, but not bad

 

Yeah, it was really weird, was going about 55 when the front right corner just dipped down and dug in. Truck spun clockwise and slammed into the wall on the passenger side. Actually, a good thing it was a little wet out because otherwise it might’ve been a roll instead of a spin. No warning, noise that I heard, but there was a bit of a vibration as if I gone over the reflectors in the road or something.
All four bolts were still there, but sheared off

I didn’t get to take any photos of the truck in the yard that it got towed to. That’s the only photo I took on the freeway.

I would love to get another one, but I’m not sure if it’s in the cards for me right now

 

Everything was still attached at the spin out, I think it was hitting the wall that finally separated the wheel from the hub. Until then it was along for the ride.

 

This thread is confusing. I read the first few pages again and we can't seem to agree on a proper torque spec for my 2002. I have whatever bolts Toyota sells and they are black in color. People in this thread are saying either 37ft lbs or 59(which is what the service manual says).

 

I have this nagging voice in the back of my head telling me the LBJ spec in one of the manuals wasn't correct, but maybe I'm thinking of something else. Or there was an incorrect value floating around, like someone reversed nm/ftlb or something.

 

According to this thread, that seems to be the case. But it also depends on who you ask. There are conflicting opinions. Maybe @NickB_01TRD can clarify.

 

IIRC black OEM bolts only requires 37 and all the others require 59. Here’s a chart of preload vs torque for various bolts

 

Is the "service manual" you're referring to the 2003 FSM that gets linked to from the 1st Gen Forum ?

If so, the Install Instructions and Component layout drawing of the 2003 FSM, states 37ftlb.

This spreasheet info is a compilation from TIS Install and Component LBJ pages of each MY 1st Gen Tundra....



Note for those interested....
While on TIS this AM, I downloaded the 1st Gen Tundra LBJ Component and Install pages and attached as two single pdf's

 

The bolts at toyota parts deal dont match description/part number to the part numbers given. Like the black p/n comes up as green...nothing matches.

 

These are what I have.

9011910933

Now I'm questioning what I tried to torque these at. Maybe I'll order some of the fancy bolts on here but even those part numbers aren't clear. This thread has a lot going on.

 

Do you have the rubber protectors? Seems like 4 long & 4 short are needed.

 

Yes I do and all the bolts I bought are the same length.

 

Looking at that chart, it changed from 59 ft lb for 2000 models to 37 ft lb for my 2002. I guess the rubber boot is the difference? Maybe they changed the bolts too.

 

59ftlb in 2006...

​

 

I'll give mine 4 ugga duggas, then after a tank of fuel 2 more ugga duggas while jacked up off the ground.

 

Bro! I'm re-re-re-reading this. LOL. I thought the 59ft lbs was wrong. I'm trying to figure out if I bought the red bolts last time I got paranoid and now you come throw 59 in there?! I thought the torque was bolt dependent ? I swear its somewhere in there. I did 59 originally and am gonna go 48 ftlbs this time and get new bolts if I can't figure out which color they are....I think they are red and can be reused to get me to the dealer to pick up new

 

I believe it is? That's just what Toyota calls for if you're using the OEM bolt for your specific VIN, i.e. a direct replacement part. Not an aftermarket part. But I may be wrong.

 

Personally, Toyota throws curve balls and expects us to hash it out but little do they know.
Take for instance the pic posted above showing pg SA-79 Front Upper Ball Joint/Components....in the same FSM on pgs SA-84 and SA-89 Front Lower Ball Joint/Components, you see the below. TIS has the same in that MY FSM. They also throw a semi curve ball in the SAFETY RECALL (SPECIAL SERVICE CAMPAIGN) – 70B (FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS) shown in bottom section of below pic....14mm vs 17mm. Personally, TGIF, drink em if ya want em, smoke em if you got em and apply 2/3 ugga's, call it a day

 

I'm unsure what color OEM are at this point, I gave them my VIN and they are not black, I believe they are red, maybe Zinc but unsure how to tell the difference

 

37ft/Lbs for 2002

 

I will say 48 ft lbs doesn't feel like much after reinstall. I hate that we have this design and these scary ass things happen. Ive got 2 torque wrenches and am comparing them maybe that'll give me piece of mind til I get new bolts along with the red loctite.
That shit above is so scary glad everyone is ok

 

I ordered 8 new bolts since I apparently over torqued mine. Cheap insurance.

 

@Tundra2 this is what i was talking about, figure out how to flip the lbj. Its dumb for a ball & socket to be in tension.

 

<==== Guilty as charged.

 

There's only one bolt that goes to the low 37ft/lbs and it's the longer black ones. Post up a pic of them when they come in.