From a wheel bearing install to a headache. My front passenger wheel bearing was growling. Purchased a knuckle with hub for my husband to install. Easy right? Nope, trouble getting lower ball joint out. Finally got it out and impossibility getting it back in but enough to get it stuck. Ended up having to cut it out. Had to purchase new lower ball joint. Much like with other nuts and bolts the torques are elusive. Really frustrating! Why is it so hard to obtain proper torques? Why don’t the torques come with the parts. Does anyone know the correct torques for the front lower ball joint parts? Actually if anyone has the torques for the other parts going in it would be much appreciated. With all the hunting we found torques for knuckle, axle nut etc. it would be great if we could confirm them. Thanks!

 

The Car Care Nut on YouTube is a Toyota Master Tech. This video may contain the torque settings or there may be other videos on YouTube with that info.
Or this one which is about the ball joints specifically
See these threads at Toyota Nation as the Highlander front suspension is the same as the RX https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...#post-14484909

https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...#post-15007126

 

If any one is serious about DIY, please get subscription to TIS [with short time subscription one can download lot of info] or acquire factory service manual. I wish we had the manual officially downloaded in Club Lexus, but legally we can not [copyrights].

Salim

 

What is TIS? We have looked at endless videos. Most skip over the torque specs and the few giving them contradict. Only two agree at 94ft lbs on lower. The castle pin I see a huge variation on what they are using. It’s really frustrating.

 

Thank you so much. I ran through them and still either none or one that contradicts another. It’s really frustrating because you know it’s simple and shouldn’t be so hard to come by. I can’t even find a repair manual for this car.

 

https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfo...a.com%3A443%2F


Any information here is from Toyoya/Lexus so this should be the one to use, in case of different information.

Salim
PS: Check out rock auto for soft copy <- some one mentioned this. I have not used it.

My personal view on Torques: Yes it is best to use specified torque and critical for sealing mating surfaces [not over and under and in sequence]. For binding force, in absence of spec/or_measuring_equipment, I simply go by size of the socket. 12mm 1/2 mph end of the grip in line with natural position on wrench, 14mm full oomph, 17mm full oomph with the larger drive or wrench <= more than 3/4 of the vehicles in the world are repaired like this.