Please Help!!! Wheel Alignment and Braking Issues (1 Viewer)

[Riley]

This might be a little off topic but with all this wheel bearing talk.....

I'm getting ready to do the front knuckle job on 95 (70K miles). Because of the detailed info I've learned here (and the stories I've heard) I'm going to write up a detailed list of things to check. Hopefully the dealer won't be offended. Anyway I was planning on just replacing (on spec) all the front wheel bearings.

I thought there was 2 per side: wheel and knuckle????

but now i here about trunion and sometimes kingpin???

any recommendations?

Once I get my Factory service manual from Dan, I probably won't need to ask this.

of course other stuff like birfields, axle grooves and spindles will be checked.

In short can people advise which bearings should be replaced on spec during this service? It seems silly to tear it down to the axle seals (at a cost of $1000) and not replace $200 worth of bearings.

Thanks

By the way - I might post my "rebuild instructions"' and get some reviews/comments before I insult the toyota dealer.

 

[Beowulf]

Riley,

At 70k miles the wheel bearings should be in great shape if properly maintained.

On each side of the axle you have:
* Inner and outer wheel bearings.
* Upper and lower knuckle bearings (aka kingpin; aka trunion bearings.)

All 4 knuckle bearings are the same part number. The inner and outer wheel bearings carry different part numbers.

I would always replace the knuckle bearings. I would inspect and clean the wheel bearings; replacing only if necessary. You don't have to tear into the knuckle to replace the wheel bearings; you do have to for the knuckle bearings.

Put the $200 for wheel bearings into the Super Charger acquisition fund.
-B-

 

[Rich]

[quote author=LX450 link=board=2;threadid=4751;start=msg35981#msg35981 date=1062092642]
...Also, another annoying problem I noticed is, when I brake on a complete stop, I feel a small thump when the car comes to a complete stop and sometimes when the brakes are released. The thump feels like the truck stops in a forward motion and then tilts back and that's when I noticed it. This does not happen everytime I stop and go but occasionally it will appear. :'(...

I expect that the "small thump" on stop and startup can be eliminated by greasing the slip joints on the front and rear drive shafts. While there are grease fittings for the slip joints, I strongly recommend that the shafts be removed and the splines of the slip joints be greased directly. Mark the ends of the slip joint and also the drive flange and u joint so that you can reinstall exactly as it was originally. This will enable you to maintain the phase of the ujoints and the balance of the driveshaft. Without adequate grease the splined slip joints can bind up and then slip, resulting in the "thumping" that you are feeling. It's more like a "groaning slip" than a thump, right?



[/quote]

 

[LX450]

Once again, thanks for all the great infoemation.

Bill - Thanks for the detailed information on lossening the tie rods. When it comes to removing or intsalling parts on a car, about the only installtion I know how to do is replace the air filters. I take your suggestion and spray some PB blaster on the tie rods and use some of your steps to loosen the rods before taking to a mechanic for an alignment.

Rich - It's really not like a soft groaning sound but more like a small thump, like I said before, the thump happens sometimes right after I apply the brakes and sometimes when the car comes to a complete stop. Beowulf mentioned a tranny cable adjustment and it does sound like the tranny or engine comes to a rest after a complete stop or when I release the brakes. It's really hard to describe because I cannot reproduce the problem everytime I step and release the brakes.

Kurt - The steering seems to be fine with the exception of a slight drifting to the right.

Landtank - You mentioned the Axle service, what is covered in an axle service and does toyota or lexus offer this service?


Also - Since I have quite a few mechanical problems to take care of does any one know of a good mechanic in the New York City metro area I can have my LX450 check out.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Desertmaster]

Jeff,

I also own a 97 LX 450, owned it since 55K, currently 94K, and I had similar issues as yours, all I have done is listened to what the guys on this site recommended:

-Front Axle Rebuilt., Solved 90% of my alignment problem and other issues that I was encountering at the time.

-Swapped Tires, front to back and aligned the truck and my alignment problem was solved 100%

-Checked the brake calipers for stickiness as well.

-As far as the thumb in the drive train at full stop, I also have that specially in a bumper to bumper traffic, comes and goes, Have not had the chance to do the throttle cable yet (so busy, I barley can keep up with my household needs).

-Although I am religious on fluid interval changes, I find what Beowulf stated is very interesting, I change the tranny fluid every 15K with Dix. III, but never solved the problem, I will have to seek someone who can perform the same procedure as Beowulf stated.

-I believe that a dealer or a specialized shop can perform all the above specially on the front axle job, if you take it to a dealer just make sure they have a Master Tech. in the shop that had performed the job more than 5 times at least to avoid long term issues.

My $0.02

Thanks

Al

 

[Photoman]

Jeff,
Oops! ** Caution ** I got so caught up in the details of removal that I forgot one of the most important things - count the tie rod end turns carefully as you take it off or loose. Screw the new one or the old one back in the same amount of turns to preserve your toe in. Sorry! :-[
Bill

 

[landtoy80]

Did you have the alingment chacked? If so was there adjustments needed?
If you are going to have a shop do the work I would think it would be cheaper to get the 2 rods from Sleeoffroad. That would be $198 plus new ends what ever they cost maybe $130iish and have a shop do the work. That way you get Toyota quality ends a heavy duty rods. You don't want cheap ends that a non Toyota shop will give you. This way you will save labor as they will just cut of the old rods.
Make sure they put Anti-Sieze on the threads of the rods so they wont rust again.
You still should have the front axle serviced as it is very $$ to replace the birfields when they could of been just packed with grease.
kurt

 

[landtank]

LX450,
When I was talking about the axle service it was the 60k deal of repacking the birfs and bearings with new seals and Trunion bearings that's all. This should be done reguardless if it will solve your problem or not. So I'd start there and if it does solve everything your done.

 

[Imagery]

Mine also wants to steer right when steering wheel is let go. It is slight but needlsee to say, it should go straight. I wonder if this could be a cause for this at least in my situation. .... If when the stock caster bushings were replaced with the OME adjustables, what if the installer did not first mark verticle position of stock bushing with refrence to and the OME bushinge were installed slightly off from one another? If say the right side/passenger side is rotated slightly out of sync with the left, thus throwing off the axle alignment, putting the right front wheel closer to the right rear wheel. Wouldn't this make it pull right slightly???

 

[landtank]

I don't thick so because that type of situation would require twisting the axle somewhat which I can't see those bushings doing.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Another source for trucks pulling is front brake calipers that is hanging slightly. We see a lot of those with high miles that need rebuilding.