Symptoms
Heavy steering, poor self-centring, vibration or shudder in turns, a torn boot, or simply no record that they've ever been changed. A worn joint can let go without warning.
The fix, step by step
- Support the truck on stands, remove the wheel and take the load off the lower arm.
- Remove the castle nut and split the taper from the lower control arm, then unbolt the four bolts that hold the ball joint to the back of the knuckle and fit the new joint.
- Toyota superseded the original 43340-39325 / 43330-39415 joints to 43340-39465 (left) and 43330-39585 (right).
- One IH8MUD owner's ball-joint bolts worked loose, and he blamed the anti-seize he'd put on the threads, so torque them per the factory manual and use thread-locker, not anti-seize.
- Finish with an alignment.
Tools & part numbers
- Floor jack and stands
- 14/19/24 mm sockets
- ball-joint separator
- torque wrench
- thread-locker
- new cotter pins
- eight knuckle bolts 90105-10406 (per ToyoDIY, quoted on IH8MUD)
Where to buy the parts
555 lower ball joint, LH, 9x Prado/4Runner (SUS39465L)CruiserTeq ↗Amazon ↗
555 lower ball joint, RH, 9x Prado/4Runner (SUS39585R)CruiserTeq ↗Amazon ↗
Toyota lower ball joint LH 43340-39465ToyotaPartsDeal (OEM) ↗Amazon ↗
Toyota lower ball joint RH 43330-39585ToyotaPartsDeal (OEM) ↗Amazon ↗
Hunting a used or discontinued part? Search eBay Motors for Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 90 parts →
Rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, support the truck on stands rather than a jack, and work at your own risk (disclaimer). Some parts links are affiliate links, which pay us a small commission at no cost to you.