I just had my lower ball joint fail... and I was curious if these needed to be replaced as well. Thanks.

In this pic we're looking in the middle of the image, to the left of the coilover (that the ball joints are connected to)



Here, I'm looking at the part that comes from the steering rack (which I think might be replaced when I get the new lower ball joint)

 

no, the spindle looks normal (first pic) pic 2 and 3 are your tie rods. they are inexpensive to replace, i would do so on both sides, inner and outer. plus the lower ball joint on the other side.

 

Yeah, the tie rod ends look okay, they're supposed to have that bend in them, but I'd replace them anyways, because although not as common as LBJs they are known to fail.

 

Really? Tie rod ends fail as well? They just look so stout... and metal. Shoot... I guess I might as well spend the rent eh? Thanks for the advice dudes. LINY, I've always been a fan of your outfit.

 

I'm planning on buying OEM for the ball joints and such... What about tie rod ends? Can I go with a "cheaper" variety? This bill is adding up quite fast!

 

OEM inners are ridiculously expensive, especially through a dealer. I paid $177 for the left inner a week ago (totally got bent over), but you can find them for $130 ish online. Lower BJs look to be about $83 on toyotapartszone.com. New bolts, castle nut and cotter pin will bring that up to about $95 for each side.

 

if you are needing them to just be fixed till you can get OEM, go for moog. and yes, tie rod ends go bad, they may look stout, but they will fail just like the ball joint did. inside the boot, the actual joint will get loose and eventually separate. you will notice a difference when you put new ones on, should steer like a new truck.

 

aligment after!

 

It's cheap insurance to have all the parts on hand and replace them all-especially if your ride is approaching 200K miles.

The inner and outer tie rods may be "frozen" in place-or to one another- so expect some cussing and screaming to go on.