How-to: rear axle rebuild (1 Viewer)

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CruiseOrlando

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I haven't seen a step-by-step on the rear axle rebuild. Granted, this one isn't nearly as bad as the front, and can be done in just a few hours, depending on the condition of some of your parts.

First things first: it doesn't mention it in the FSM, but if you have lockers, lock the rear axle before you start this project. Then pick a side to start on. All of the following pictures are from the PS, but the process is the same for both.

This writeup is based on a the full-float rear, which is the most common.

The parts you'll need:

IMG_3769.jpg


43422-60040 x2 (gasket for axle to hub)
90311-62002 x2 (inner oil seal)
90310-35001 x2 (outer oil seal)

Other parts to consider:

Bearings:
90368-49087-77 x2
90368-45087-77 x2

If your studs are old, you might consider replacing them as well. If your cone washers don't expand anymore, you might want to replace them. Washers are washers.

90170-08204 x6 (Nuts)
90201-08042 x6 (Washers)
90116-08325 x6 (Stud bolts)
42323-60010 x6 (Cone Washer)

A few obvious steps first. Take the tire off, then remove the two 17mm bolts on the back of the caliper so you can take the brake caliper off. Put the caliper on top of the axle to get it out of the way.

Now you can remove the brake disc hub, and you're left with the axle hub.

IMG_3757.jpg


Note mine is all silvery looking because I painted it. But not for long... if your axle is like mine, you're in for a treat to get thru the next part!

For those of you who have done the front axle already, this is the same thing. Get your brass drift or brass hammer or whatever, and bang the crap out of the studs. Sometimes you can hit on the hub right where the cone washer is, and that helps. For me, nothing helped. They were stuck in there good... so it took me a good bit of PB Blaster, heat and more heat to get mine to move. After a bit of frustration, I got out my stud puller and tried using that. A word to the wise here: if the stud doesn't want to turn, DON'T FORCE IT. It will snap. Just use more PB Blaster and heat until it starts moving. Trust me, it WILL move. Eventually.

Carnage!!!!

IMG_3759.jpg


Once you have all the cone washers out, you'll end up with what might be a familiar sight:

IMG_3758.jpg


Note my paint job doesn't look so good anymore!!

Now, a little tapping around the rim should allow you to get the axle out. I used a chisel-type device - screwdrivers might work too. Note if you've overfilled your crank case or if you have water intrusion in the axle, you'll get a good leak once you separate the axle. You might want a drip pan just in case.

IMG_3760.jpg


Pull the axle and set it somewhere safe. Now, depending on what kind of life your truck has lived will depend on the condition of the inner part. You can see mine was a big gooey mess...

IMG_3761.jpg


Clean some of this up - you're looking for two philips screws. And oh, an impact will be a good thing to have here too. I took my cordless impact and put a 1/4 driver with a philips #3 on it. Once it's cleaned up you'll see the screw heads. Remove these two philips screws and set aside:

IMG_3762.jpg


Once you have them out, now the bearing lock nut can come off. This bearing lock nut will spin counter-clockwise off. Depending on how much preload is on it will depend on how hard it is to get off. Spin it off and put it aside to be cleaned.

IMG_3764.jpg


Once that's off, the whole hub will just come right off. There is still a thrust washer (lock nut plate) and outer bearing in there, but that will come off when you pull the hub off. Once you've got it out, you're left with just the spindle left.

IMG_3765.jpg


You can pull the oil seal out of the end of the spindle since you'll be replacing that as well. Heck, change it now if you want.

IMG_3766.jpg


Clean off the parts and inspect your bearings. Mine were so burned I just replaced them, so I really didn't care about the condition. YMMV.

Clean out the old grease in between the bearings - mine was pretty nasty. Lots of towels!

Now it's time to get that rear oil seal out. This one isn't so easy if you don't have a vise grip on a bench. I put mine on the ground, and placed my oil seal puller in the lip of the seal, then hit the handle of the puller with a handle a few times.

IMG_3770.jpg


Then I worked my way around the seal until it came out.

IMG_3771.jpg


Now the inner bearing can come out. I tossed this one as well since it was trashed, YMMV.

IMG_3772.jpg


More cleaning is probably in order at this point.

Now it's time to get the races out (if you're putting in new bearings). You can see my Harbor Freight SST here:

IMG_3774.jpg


There are two spots designed to allow you get the races out. Bang it a bit - getting them out in the end is a little odd (again, easier if you have a bench vise).

Races out, cleaned up:

IMG_3776.jpg


Now, I've said it before, I'll say it again: this race installation kit from Harbor Freight is one of the best things you can buy for $35. Here's the one for the outer race:

IMG_3777.jpg


Another word to the wise: PUT THE OUTER RACE IN FIRST!!!

But, if you're like me and DON'T do it that way (and then install the oil seal...) you end up with a little bit of a problem. You really don't want to be hammering in a race and smashing your oil seal! Sooo... I started looking around for some kind of a jig... and whadda know, the perfect one came to mine - the tire!

So I installed the hub into the rim, like so:

IMG_3754.jpg


And knocked in the outer bearing race.

But you're going to be smart and not do that - you're going to install the outer race, then the inner race. Now, go pack the inner bearings with fresh grease. If you're reusing the old bearings, make sure you clean them very well before introducing new grease.

Here's another tip: if you don't have a bearing grease packing tool, go get one. They look like this:

IMG_3792.jpg


And they are well-worth the money. They do a great job at making sure grease gets everywhere it needs to be. Once you've got the bearing packed, put the outer bearing back into the race:

IMG_3779.jpg


And now you can install the oil seal. You might note this thing is kinda big and you probably won't have a socket big enough to fit. I just lightly tapped mine with a hammer all around the outside until it seated. Doesn't take much effort or work - just make sure you're seating the oil seal properly (at the same rate all the way around, if that makes sense)

You also need to pack the inside of the hub with grease. Build it up so it's about even with the races - maybe 1/2" thick?

Now go clean off the spindle, inside and out as best you can. Take some grease and put a light coating on the spindle. You know how it should feel...

IMG_3780.jpg


(End part 1)
 
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Now you can put the hub back on the spindle. You can also pack the outer bearing and push that into the hub as well.

IMG_3781.jpg


Note the plate lock nut has a tooth on it. This sits in the spindle groove at the 12 o'clock position. Note there are four holes in it as well - these are important. Note they are are around 2, 5, 7 and 10 o'clock positions.

IMG_3782.jpg


Put the lock plate in, and then spin the nut onto it. Once it gets seated, tap it until it's tight, then back it off again. There's (surprise!) a bit of controversy about the preload settings on this... however, you don't have many choices. Here, the phililps screw has to get into one of those four holes. I use a small tool and put it into the screwholes to find where the nut aligns.

IMG_3786.jpg


Then I set the nut to the highest preload I can without going crazy, then backing it off to the next available screw slot. You'll know if you got it wrong because the philips screw won't go all the way in - they need to seat into the lock plate.

IMG_3787.jpg


If you need to put in new studs, now's the time! Please use a tap and re-tap the holes to clean out the junk that's probably in there.

IMG_3788.jpg


To actually seat the studs, I use the double-nut method. Put two nuts together, then turn until the stud seats. Use locktite if it makes you feel better.

IMG_3789.jpg


Put the cone washers back in, put your washers on top of that, and torque the nuts down per FSM (26 ft-lbs). Put your disc brake hub back on, and properly tighten those bolts. Then it's back on with the tire... rinse, lather and repeat for the other side!
 
Good job.

All this after you painted your hubs so nice and pretty (with your wheels) just a few weeks back... :)
 
Yeah, well... you know... I can always repaint :) This job should have been done a long time ago. Bearings were hard to turn, even after I removed the grease out of one set.

I also talked with an ex-Toyota tech about these jobs, and he said he never saw anyone get a rear axle job done on a truck unless there was some other reason to get in there. As matter of fact, I'm not so sure he's seen the inside of one, and he's worked on a lot of those rigs when he was at Toyota.

So I'd say to everyone reading this, thinking "should I do it?"... some advice:

1) Get a spare set of studs. You might need them.

2) Dig into it, it's not that hard.

3) Check the outer bearing - its condition will tell you a lot about how far you should go.
 
Very nice. I was pointed to this thread while investigating what to look for on getting a FF 80 rear to swap into my 62.

I can add though, based on my maintenance experience (ten years on the flightline), you're dead on with torqueing the preload nut to its maximum (I assume you're going to the maximum allowable torque specified in the manual) and then backing it off as little as possible until the screw holes line up. That's exactly how we do it when we change wheels on our gear, and I've never seen a bearing or race damaged (from use anyway) or prematurely worn.
 
Excellent write-up. This should be tagged in the FAQ sticky.

And spook50, one thing I would suggest when looking for a FF is, if possible and if you plan to use the e-brake, pull the rear disc and inspect under the hat of the rotor. Most folks don't use the e-brake much with the auto trans and they tend to go to pot. Also make sure the backing plates are in good shape, new ones are VERY expensive and finding a good used pair is a bit of a goose chase.
 
Nice job. Better than the one Joele and I did about 7 years ago...

:lol:

:cheers:

Not to mention all the pictures are missing from that one now! I figured it was time for an update. It sure is a lot easier to do these writeups with smartphones.

Thanks to everyone for the kudos - but I do this to give back from all the knowledge I've gained from everyone else!
 
There is supposed to be a SST for rear hub removal, special hub socket with teeth, did you find that unnecessary?
 
You can SST it or make your own. Or hit it with a chisel type device like every other Toyota mechanic does.

Obviously brass is better.
 
Looks like you're missing one of your dowel pins. Did you end up replacing it?

Heh. Actually it came off with the axle for some reason. So when I put it back together it went right back where it came out of.

That's the first time I've seen the pin come out like that tho. Probably due to all the heating I was doing trying to get the stupid studs out!
 
Thanks for this!! Will be referring to this is the very near future... Time to call Dan

:beer:
 
Question: I installed locked axles off of a donor vehicle several years ago and have not gotten around to wiring them up. Is this a problem since I cannot manipulate the lockers before pulling the axle?

Thanks!
 
Question: I installed locked axles off of a donor vehicle several years ago and have not gotten around to wiring them up. Is this a problem since I cannot manipulate the lockers before pulling the axle?

Thanks!

You run a risk if you don't lock before doing this process.

If you need to, I would suggest ONLY doing one side at a time. There are threads on folks having problems with the 3rd after pulling the axle and not locking. Sometimes it works just fine w/o locking. So it seems to be a gamble on where things are in there as to if it's going to be OK or not.
 

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