HELP! Steering knuckle grease blowout (1 Viewer)

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JROC,

Here's my guess on what happened. You *may* have overfilled the birfield chamber 8 months ago, and when the wheel bearing went while you were driving (never did say how far/long - I'm guessing highway trip?) it generated a great deal of heat throughout the knuckle/hub assembly. At some point, it got so hot the pressure built up enough that a large quantity of knuckle grease was forced out through your properly installed outer triple seal set.

Another less likely scenario may have played out if you have not done the front diff breather mod to remove the little one way flapper valve. In this scenario, the front diff oil got extremely hot (front tires different sizes by chance?) and the breather is plugged. The resulting pressure built up until it rapidly forced a large amount of hot gear oil past the inner seal, which in turn blew a bunch of grease/oil out of the triple outer seal. In this scenario, the front wheel bearing problem is unrelated and you happened to note it when examining things closely.
 
JROC,

Here's my guess on what happened. You *may* have overfilled the birfield chamber 8 months ago, and when the wheel bearing went while you were driving (never did say how far/long - I'm guessing highway trip?) it generated a great deal of heat throughout the knuckle/hub assembly. At some point, it got so hot the pressure built up enough that a large quantity of knuckle grease was forced out through your properly installed outer triple seal set.

Another less likely scenario may have played out if you have not done the front diff breather mod to remove the little one way flapper valve. In this scenario, the front diff oil got extremely hot (front tires different sizes by chance?) and the breather is plugged. The resulting pressure built up until it rapidly forced a large amount of hot gear oil past the inner seal, which in turn blew a bunch of grease/oil out of the triple outer seal. In this scenario, the front wheel bearing problem is unrelated and you happened to note it when examining things closely.

As for greasy nails, try this: Before getting to work, liberally rub your hands with some thick hand creme or lotion - getting it under your nails and in the cuticles. You can also use clean grease. Anyhow, then your pores and nails are already full and very little dirty grease will get embedded.

IdahoDoug
 
OK here's the deal. I tore it all down today and found...........

The inner axle seal was ripped up to the point that the wire ring was flopping on the axle. The grease/diff fluid was a mess. It was nasty. So after I got it down to where I was going to just replace the seal because everything else looked ok I noticed the knuckle being real easy to move side to side as I was playing with that wondering what the deal was I noticed the top knuckle bearing cap with shim was moving a bit. I grabbed one of the bolts on top and it moved.........oh crap! It was loose real loose. Then I noticed the whole outer knuckle housing moved and the bearings inside were loose. I looked under the thing and...... :eek: one stud was gone and the other three were super loose. The steering arm was hanging on by a few threads.

After a brief freak out I took the whole knuckle apart and cleaned all the parts. The bearing are not damaged and other than a new stud,cone washer, lock washer and nut everything seems to be good. I'm real lucky me nor my wife had the damn thing fall off while going down the highway at 75mph. The wabble caused the axle to destroy the inner seal.

Now with this said and with most of you probably saying "geez o' pete, this guy" can any of you suggest what may have happened. I torqued the bolts to spec last time, so I thouht, by going on what the draw weight to move the knuckle should be. This time I am going to get a shim kit and add/remove as needed to torque the bolts/nuts and shim to get the right draw weight. I was going on (I know now this is not good to do) information from a so called "good mechanic". Also a FSM for my LC is in the future. I have one for my T100 but only a Chiltons for the LC and it sucks.

Now can/will someone give the torque specs on the bearing cap/steering arm bolts/nuts?

Thanks. I feel like an idiot! :-[

edit: BTW if you look close to the second pic I posted you will see that the front left stud is missing.
 
I have seen that before. Every time I have seen it was after a knuckle service had been done. What I think happens is when the knuckle is taken apart the studs back out a bit when the nuts are removed. The result is when the steering arm is re-installed the nut/cone washer gets tightened up against a loose stud. Some time down the road the studs back out a bit further and off comes the tire. I know of one that did in fact lose a wheel. (at speed). I have found loose studs on many of the ones I have had apart. I ALWAYS check the studs before re-assembly. I remove and locktight any loose ones. In addition when I am under the vehicle for PMs and oil changes etc, I put a wrench on the nuts just for grins.

The torque for the 4 nuts on the bottom and the 2 bolts on the top is 71 lbft
Knuckle pre-load checked with a spring tension gauge is 5.6 to 9.9 lbs

Dan.
 
Dan you are the man. I had another guy that did a SAS with an early model Toyota axle say that these studs will back out and he checks them after every wheeling trip and since this is a DD I will from now on check them at every oil change/service.

Thanks for your help. I'm glad I'm not as much of an idiot as I thought.
 
Oh,

Be sure to check the knuckle pre-load with the wiper stuff un-bolted from the back side. Your reading will be wrong if you leave the stuff attached.
 
Wow. I'm going to check mine this afternoon!
-B-
 
I'm using a fish scale......a fish weighing scale that is. Is that what is normally done? What about shims? There was not one on this bearing when I did the first rebuild so I assumed that going back without one would be fine but I know that assuming is not good. Get a shim kit?
 
Shims are sold individually.

Put it togther and see what you get. If it's too tight, you will need to shim it. In the 80 series the shims are only under the top cap.

43236-60020 0.10 mm
43233-60030 0.20 mm
43234-60020 0.50 mm
43235-60020 1.00 mm
 
[quote author=cruiserdan link=board=2;threadid=5131;start=msg40915#msg40915 date=1063484501]
Shims are sold individually.

Put it togther and see what you get. If it's too tight, you will need to shim it. In the 80 series the shims are only under the top cap.

43236-60020 0.10 mm
43233-60030 0.20 mm
43234-60020 0.50 mm
43235-60020 1.00 mm
[/quote]

Very good, see I need a FSM. Thanks again. There was one in the top cap.
 
JROC,

I went through the shim thing to see if I could better center the axle within the inner seal so I have a few. The best thing you can start with is to use the shims it came with in the same spot. The shims are there to account for slight variations in a fairly large part - the knuckle housing. Whatever the Toyota assembler finds when your truck is built will likely be the same preload when you stick a new bearing/race set in (you DID put new races in, right?). If you're concerned, a bit of locktite under the bolt heads would prevent the stud from unscrewing after proper torque is applied. Or, you could go full aviation fastener standards on us and drill and wire each bolt head!

If you're going to play with shims, be sure to remove the inner seals, and of course the steering arm to get proper numbers. And yes, I'M going to go check MY knuckle bolts before the kids are back aboard it!!!!!

IdahoDoug
 
Any time I replace bearings I replace races. As for the shims I reused the ones that were there the first time in the same place, this time I want to have some on hand so with everything torqued I can get it all just right if need be. The only thing damaged due to the loss of the stud and the loose knuckle was the inner axle seal. I will locktite all the studs this time also.

On a side note has anyone installed zerks on the tie rod ends?
 
OK I'm back to this project......yep that's right the LC has been on jack stands since Sept 9......anyway got all the parts except I needed 2 of the large cone washers that go on the steering arm/knuckle bearing spindle and I only got 1 so that should only take a few more weeks for the new moron down at the local stealership! ::) I only do business with the parts guys there because I have been getting stuff from them for so long now that they don't ask what the part I want does, they just order it.......

What I need to know now is the torque specs on the 8 bolts that hold the axle spindle/brake sheld on. Thanks in advance.........
 
I stock those washers and the studs and the nuts if you need some. :rolleyes:

Spindle bolt torque, 34 lbft.

D-
 
Jroc,

Your quote "Nope I just used high temp bearing grease." worries me. And from the pic - it may be my monitor - but I see red grease like Valvoline wheel bearing grease? Did you use that in your knuckle??? :eek:
You should only use the grey moly-graphite grease (or one of the exotics :D like it) in the knuckle.

Feel free to use Valvoline "red" for the wheel bearings. That's what I do and recommend :D

Jody.
 
H-

I have seen that done before. One of the lubricant experts can chime in here. It is better than nothing but the properties are probably less than perfect.
 
[quote author=Outback link=board=2;threadid=5131;start=msg46653#msg46653 date=1065040230]
Jroc,

Your quote "Nope I just used high temp bearing grease." worries me. And from the pic - it may be my monitor - but I see red grease like Valvoline wheel bearing grease? Did you use that in your knuckle??? :eek:
You should only use the grey moly-graphite grease (or one of the exotics :D like it) in the knuckle.

Feel free to use Valvoline "red" for the wheel bearings. That's what I do and recommend :D

Jody.
[/quote]

I used moly grey stuff. I called high temp by mistake. This time I went with synthetic.
 

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