Whats up with these stupid cone washers!?!

[Schmeal]

Good morning all,

I figured I would share my experiences with the forum from last night because its pretty noteworthy. I picked up my LX450 last weekend with a bit of brake vibration. I quickly ordered new rotors and pads planning on starting fresh even though po stated the brakes were just replaced (total lie, about to hit wear indicators). I have a chilton manual that somewhat covers the land cruiser and have owned and wrenched on just about every other gen and model of toyota truck (all IFS though). i figured "Ill bust these rotors and pads out in less than an hour, easy as pie". As soon as i get the wheel off i notice the rotor is bolted to the hub like older trucks. I figure "no big deal, hub has to go too". I reach back to remove the caliper and end up with a fist full of grease from the knuckles. I remove this and that still cant get the hub off or its cap plate. I struggle with the dust cover and the stupid snap ring for and hour and then I sit back and think to myself "this thing isn't anything like a normal toyota is it" and "what have i gotten myself into by buying this giant ba$tard". I went on the net covered in grease to find out there are cone washers I have to drift some way and a giant 54mm nut that I am going to have to remove that I have no socket for.

I put the thing back together in denial that I had to back out of a wrench job. Cruiser 1 Schmeal 0.

Also to add insult to injury when I get to work this morning my center cap on wheel I was working on is gone. The truck has the factory wheels chromed with chrome center caps which I think was done aftermarket making it impossible to find a replacement.

[stocknlocked94]

you can find chrome replacement caps on ebay for pretty cheap. what ever you do dont buy them from the dealer. IMO

[IdahoDoug]

Wow, some serious head-banging here. Obviously, you should read the FAQ we have set up for "birfield repack" or "axle repack". The amount of grease indicates to me you might consider doing the whole job since replacing the front rotors is a significant portion of the job - 50% of the time, perhaps?

DougM

[natvet]

take large brass drift and BFH to the hub studs till cone washers pop up.

The answers to most all question can be found here.


FAQ for 80/LX450 - April 26, 2008 - Added leather replacement w/ links to seat heater

look under knuckle rebuild. Sounds like this will also be needed

[mainemike]

Once you see how it is assembled, disassembly will make sense. It's not that difficult once you "see" the teardown order of parts.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...build-faq.html

but you are not in IFS land anymore. Everything on this 'giant bastard' is bigger and far more overbuilt than what you may be used to wrenching.

[FJBen]

Leave the nuts on the stud when you whack on them...

hmmm...

anyways that way the cone washers don't go shooting across the garage floor never to be found again.

[CodyRx7]

brass drift?

Just take a baby sledge hammer.....mine is like 2 or 3lbs or something.

Give it a nice whack on the side near the cone washers (on the hub, not the studs)...and they pop out enough for you to grab them and pull them off.

[Schmeal]

Thanks for the tips guys, I guess I might as well do the whole axle service since the truck has about 83,000 on it. Oh and read the write-ups maybe buy some proper tools before I go tearing into my truck again.

Glad I found this site otherwise I would be sol, or at the dealer getting reamed out.

Thanks again for the help and cheers!

[slow91fj90]

Im with CodyRX, I use a BFH and hit the side, but I stick a towel on the end so the cone washers dont go flying across the room.

[beno]

Cone washers have nothing on a good 2 pound BFH--the best tool for the front axle job.

-o-

[Falco80]

I agree, hit the side of the hub near the cone-washers and leave the nuts on the end of the studs so the bloody things don't fly off and dissapear! I'd imagine a 54mm hub nut scket would be easy to get over in the states? I picked mine up from an ebay store here in aus. Made the job a whole lot easier IMHO than using hammer and chisel....

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by Schmeal

... then I sit back and think to myself "this thing isn't anything like a normal toyota is it" and "what have i gotten myself into by buying this giant ba$tard"

Actually, it is like millions of "normal" Toyotas. The ones with solid front axles that, unfortunately, we can no longer buy here in the USA.

It is a giant ba$tard though.

Pitch the Haynes and get yourself a real FSM (Factory Service Manual) and get yourself a bunch of 1/2" drive sockets (the BIG ones), breaker bars, extensions, and ratchets. Your tiny 1/4" drive stuff won't hack it on a Land Cruiser.

Read the FAQ before you charge off on any wrenching project and you'll find ways to make the job much easier and much quicker.

Good luck.
-B-

[nicholas]

I have read the faq, done many searches and I'm still stuck. I've spent the last 4 hours pounding on my lower passenger side knuckle studs with a brass drift and a BFH and I still can't get 3 of the 4 cone washers off. I've even tried pounding from the top by placing the drift down through the upper trunion hole and directly upon the lower trunion stud. I put a bunch of PB blaster on them and I'm going to go get a propane torch tomorrow to see if that will help. So far the birf pack has been a breeze besides these damn cone washers! Does anyone have any other suggestions? Am I just being a ? I've been pounding pretty hard but I think I might wake up the neighbors so I'm calling it a night.

[CodyRx7]

You really have to hit it hard.

The first time I tackled the cone washers...I was gently tapping for probably 100 times until I got frustrated and gave it a hard WHACK.

2 popped out halfway, and I realized this isn't a job to be delicate with.

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by nicholas

I've spent the last 4 hours pounding on my lower passenger side knuckle studs with a brass drift and a BFH and I still can't get 3 of the 4 cone washers off.

Examine one of the cone washers that you have removed. There is a slit that goes through the cone washer.

Use a thin flat-blade screwdriver (or similar) and tap it into the slit.

-B-

[nicholas]

Originally Posted by Beowulf

Examine one of the cone washers that you have removed. There is a slit that goes through the cone washer.

Use a thin flat-blade screwdriver (or similar) and tap it into the slit.

-B-

I've tried the screwdriver in the slot on other cone washers, but unfortunately these are jammed in so far there isn't very much space in the slot. Has anyone has any luck with heating them with a torch? Thanks for the previous timely responses!

[Grench]

No torch. Once you get one cone washer off, the rest are usually relatively easy. I spent a solid hour getting the first one to come off on my wife's DS.

Something that helps is to pound one side for a bit then switch to the other. Pound on the drive flange right beside the stud using a brass drift, a 2 lb hammer, and a fair swing.

Tell yourself, I'm fixing a tank. Gentle isn't necessary.

That said, I make sure that I call Cruiserdan and order a full birf/wipers/seal/repack kit AND a couple of extra cone washers and studs and fresh bearings and... etc... before I even start one of these jobs. Spend the money to do it right so you don't have to do it again.

Read the FAQ. If you survive this repair, then read up on the 'PHH' and starter contacts before you put the DS wheel on.

Welcome!