Front wheel ABS Sensor Broke and Fallen into Hub!? (1 Viewer)

[OkavangoCruiser]

Hi guys,

I realise the ABS wheel speed sensor's have been discussed before but...this one I think is a little unique and I'd like to ask if anyone can point as to the cause, so I can check the components out properly.
Vehicle: 2006 LC 105 Series (solid front axle) 1HZ 4.2 diesel (non-turbo)

The ABS light came on when I was making a difficult u-turn (on soft ground) using low range yesterday...did the usual searching through my manual and the forums and managed to work out how to read the fault code off the flashing ABS light on the dash: "32" - a big thanks to the dudes who posted that info!!

This indicated a front left ABS wheel speed sensor fault. I removed the wheel and then the sensor in question, bolted in from the top of the swivel hub, whereupon I discovered to my surprise that only part of the sensor came out of its housing, basically a short part of the shaft ending in two small aluminium flat-pins with bits of copper wire hanging off the ends (the inner of the rest of the sensor)! Shining a light into the swivel-hub through the sensor hole I could clearly see strands of thin copper wire (from the innards of the sensor) coating the greasy pulse-ring on the inside of the swivel hub, the remainder of the sensor (smashed?) surely laying somewhere at the bottom of the steering swivel hub or liberally distributed throughout the workings of the cv joint inside!?

Does anyone have any idea how this might have happened? I looks like, from the base of the sensor, the the lower part of it (the shaft which projects down to almost make contact with the pulse-ring and receive the pulses from it) was "sheared off" about 1/2" near the top, closest to the sealing o-ring. Almost as if strong wheel articulation caused the outer axle-hub assembly and it's pulse ring to "flex" and touch the end of the sensor, abruptly tearing it off? But, that shouldn't happen?

I haven't checked play in the wheel (bearings) yet - but by hand with the wheel off it seems tight.

Any clue?

Thanks!

 

[gatormark91]

It just pokes through knuckle and reads the tone ring on the back of the hub. It's not inside anything. If the hole is empty all the way through, the other end is just gone on the road somewhere

 

[OkavangoCruiser]

Negative...my vehicle does not have Independent Front Suspension (IFS), it is a solid front axle...thus 105 series (not 100). I've attached an exploded diagram illustrating what my front axle looks like...the ABS sensor goes in just in front of the swivel-hub (ball-joint) bearing pin (see arrow). The hole is not shown on the diagram, but its just to the outside of the top cap steering knuckle bearing. To the inside of this is the inside of the steering knuckle, which houses the big constant velocity joint.

 

[gatormark91]

Negative...my vehicle does not have Independent Front Suspension (IFS), it is a solid front axle...thus 105 series (not 100). I've attached an exploded diagram illustrating what my front axle looks like...the ABS sensor goes in just in front of the swivel-hub (ball-joint) bearing pin (see arrow). The hole is not shown on the diagram, but its just to the outside of the top cap steering knuckle bearing. To the inside of this is the inside of the steering knuckle, which houses the big constant velocity joint.

View attachment 1993266

Apologies, did not notice where you indicated what model you have. Might try cross-posting in the 80-series forum, since it is an unusual problem for most of the folks here. You'll mostly find IFS 100-series people here, the 80 folks might have had a similar problem to yours.

 

[OkavangoCruiser]

aaaah! Thanks, yes, should have realised that!!
Cheers