Longfield rear axleshaft seal???? HELP (1 Viewer)

[Chris Wilcox]

I ordered a custom longfield axle shaft and flange for my 97 fj80 rear axle that I shortened and put under my 78' HJ40 (2H diesel swap). It has the long spline for the elocker.

My main question is this: What do you do about the axle shaft seal?

The custom shaft is one diameter the whole way roughly 32mm. The seal surface on the original axle is 35mm and therefore the new seals I have are not even close to touching the shaft.
I'm not too happy because I provided them with a proper drawing identifying the length and seal surface required (which was present on a front shaft I bought years ago). Also I expected the flange to be press on the spines at the outer end based on phone conversation a few years ago with the late Bobby Long. Also the little circlip they provide to keep the flange in place is a lot smaller than the machined groove so it is really loose. And one more thing, it is about 1/4" longer than my drawing. If not for the extra spline length I requested it would not have fit. Now I will have to cut 1/4" off the inner end with a zip disk.
Guidance and sanity check needed!
Chris

 

[Chris Wilcox]

How about if I machine a sleeve and heat it and push it on the shaft. Maybe some red locktite. Then machine that down precisely for a speedisleeve. Install that onto my spacer sleeve and I have a proper sized and proper surface-finish seal surface. I have a lathe and stuff available to me. Sound like my best plan? Chris

 

[Mace]

You ask them about it yet?

 

[Chris Wilcox]

No not yet it is the weekend. I have my parts shipped to the border. It sat there for a few weeks before I could go across the border and pick it up. This may cause me problems who knows. Chris

 

[71-CRUISER]

When I asked Bobby about making custom shafts with drive flanges for my 40 series FF he said it wasn't possible because he had no way to increase the shaft diameter for the seal surface. You could look into a custom inner axle seal but the FF spindle is an odd ball size.

I never found a good solution to upgraded shafts in a rear Toyota FF. I looked at a 32 spline 100 series carrier and custom shafts and 32 spline flanges but Bobby couldn't broach a 32 spline flange so that was shot down as well.


Hence I went to a 14 bolt.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

OK, thanks for the info.
I'll make this work and post the results.
Chris

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I used the nitro cut to length shaft for this exact reason now, I'm not hard core or even really all that core, but I do carry payloads and I haven't had any leaks or loose nuts as of yet(about 8K miles so far...)knock on wood, eh? Just an FYI...

 

[Fast Eddy]

When I asked Bobby about making custom shafts with drive flanges for my 40 series FF he said it wasn't possible because he had no way to increase the shaft diameter for the seal surface.

That's funny/weird. He made this exact part for me. I believe he welded a collar to the axle in the right place and turned it down to the right size. I don't have a picture.

I sent him an OEM fzj80 shaft and had him copy it, but 5.5" shorter.

 

[71-CRUISER]

In all fairness. At the time I was looking Bobby was already ill and not doing much of the machining. I was going back and forth with his son in law who couldn't get it figured out.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

Thanks everybody for the thoughts. I just ordered a speedi sleeve P/N 99138. Going to make the intermediate sleeve tonight for the speedi sleeve to sit on. Speedi Sleeve is expected Oct 7-10.
Chris

 

[Fast Eddy]

Would love to see pictures of the completed axle shaft with the sleeve on it.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

Finally made it back to the 40 after some house renovation work.

I used an SKF Speedi-sleeve 99138 which ends up about 0.018" larger than the original axle shaft seal. I am thinking it will work.

Pictures explain it.
1. Press cold rolled steel sleeve onto the longfield custom axle shaft. I made this about 1.5 thou interference I think. Can't recall, but it pressed pretty hard for what it is. I left 10 thou on the OD for finish machining down to the speedi-sleeve required dimension. I also used green loctite while pressing it.
2. Speedi-Sleeve 99138
3. You can see the cup skf supplies to press it on but it wasn't deep enough. I had a scrap piece of anodized aluminum in the bin that just needed a quick cut from the ID in order to work as a press.
4. Parts ready to push on.
5. Speedi Sleeve starting on my sleeve. At this point I added some green loctite (even though they say to put on dry I want to make sure it is oil sealed.)

It was a fair push using the tailstock and I'm glad my sleeve disn't slip during the process. Doing it again I'd backup the intermediate sleeve against the chuck to ensure I didn't move it.

I will try to post pics of the finished shaft soon.
Chris

 

[Chris Wilcox]

Following pictures show the final steps. Now all I need to do is make the custom retaining ring to hold the drive flange on the axle.

6. removing sleeve flange. I cut a slit in it with the dremel and then used pliers to peel it away. Along the shaft axis as the instructions say.
7, 8. Two pictures showing new seal surface of longfield vs OEM Toyota.

 

[Dieseler]

Just curious why you did not use the lathe to machine the flange off instead of using a dremel.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

The speedisleeve has a scribe line so the flange peels off. The instructions say to use side cutters to cut down to the scribe line. I tried but found it difficult to cut so I just used one of those mini dremel zip disks to cut down to the scribe line. After that it just peeled off with pliers.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Now all I need to do is make the custom retaining ring to hold the drive flange on the axle.

Mine came with the retaining ring and a cap. The cap was a giant PITA because it was substantially too small to fit over the flange. I ground on it for a long time before it finally went on. It's been on there ever since.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

I received a very loose fitting ring and properly sized cap.
I can't use the ring as the E-Locker could pull the shaft out of the drive flange and into the center of the diff. I don't want that possibility.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Bah. The e-locker collar is bathed in 90 wt. and is only connected to the motor with a spring. If you bend the ring so that it fits marginally tight, I'd say you're golden.

Great job on the sealing surface, BTW. Too bad Bobby wasn't here to do it for you. RIP mi amigo.

 

[Chris Wilcox]

I ended up machining a rectangular section ring that was custom fit to the shaft groove. I then cut the ring into two pieces with a small bandsaw blade and slipped it into the groove to hold on the drive flange. I then tacked the two ring pieces together at both the bandsaw cuts. Therefor the ring removed all looseness and will not fall out. I didn't weld the ring to anything but itself. Overall this was a success.
Chris

 

[Fast Eddy]

No cap to keep moisture and crap out of the inside of the hub?