Lower Control Arm Ball Joint - play after 54k miles

[SteveS]

So got an MOT advisory saying that the NSF lower ball joint is worn and will need replacing soon (OSF is OK). I'm getting the work done as I don't want to run the risk of the wheel folding under in the middle of Alaska (or anywhere else for that matter). But, the question is that 54k miles isn't very high mileage.....any thoughts on whether I've been unlucky, something potentially in the set up, it is normal wear and tear, etc?

The truck has had a mainly road life, although did overland for 4 months at full GVW including Iceland last summer.

From what I've seen elsewhere 100k +++ miles is not uncommon. I can't vouch for the vehicle before I got it at 34k miles but I've been through 3 MOTs since and thus my feeling is that it is accumulated wear rather than inherited if you see what I mean

I am replacing with Toyota OEM.....luckily I was sitting down

 

[uHu]

If the rubber gets a hole, or any other cause of water ingress, the ball doesn't last long. With a good seal, the normal life span is 200 k km.

There are other options than the OEM which are considerably cheaper. Particualrly with that low mileage, there is less of a need to change the whole A-arm (LCA).

Btw, on the 100, the hub doesn't fall off that easily, like it does on the Prado/Colorado. The joint is the other way around.

 

[SteveS]

If the rubber gets a hole, or any other cause of water ingress, the ball doesn't last long. With a good seal, the normal life span is 200 k km.

There are other options than the OEM which are considerably cheaper. Particualrly with that low mileage, there is less of a need to change the whole A-arm (LCA).

Btw, on the 100, the hub doesn't fall off that easily, like it does on the Prado/Colorado. The joint is the other way around.

Yes I looked at changing just the ball-joint which has a long post on it in I8MUD.....still have to take the whole arm off though to do it properly it seems. Good to know that the arm won't fall off quite so easily. It galls me to have to spend that sort of money but where we're going is going to need first class mechanicals and we go into a container in a few weeks so we don't have time to faff around....sadly. Hopefully the other side will last a lot longer

 

[t1pper]

The n/s ones always wear quicker as they take a pounding on the drain covers etc on the kerb side of the road.
I fitted a lower ball joint from milners about 30K miles ago, the original did 150K.
I fitted in situ without problems, the Milner one was about $20.

 

[frank rabbets]

A faulty set up will not cause premature failure.