hey guys- I just bought a 1990 hzj73 and had overheating problems. im still working on that. yesterday, it was raining a lot and the traffic had stopped kind of quick due to a wreck, and I had to hit brakes hard and wound up in the grass on left side of highway so there was no shoulder. traffic started moving and I tried to get back on highway and since all the rain I was stuck. put it in 4wd and wouldn't come out. engaged front and rear lockers and wouldn't come out. there were 2 ruts by rear wheels and cant remember if there were any by front wheels. I don't think so. I have new all terrain tires but I think the tread got gummed up quick so it was kind of like they were slick. didn't feel like the front was doing anything. never ever dreamed this would happen in a 73 with lockers on the side of a highway. been looking at threads here and I found out with it not running, hubs and 4wd unlocked, drshaft wont turn. running, not in 4wd and hubs not locked, drshaft turns. running, in 4wd with hubs unlocked, drshaft wont turn. running, in 4wd with hubs locked, drshaft wont turn. running, with hubs locked but not transfer case, drshaft turns. I think my fj40 would have gotten me out of it easily, don't know why the 73 didn't, even with all terrain tires. hope its not the transfer case but I don't think so. I wish I had a manual to look at and maybe I could fix it. maybe its a magnet broken or a spring is weak or something. I do know before I bought it the front axle was rebuilt, not sure what all was done to it. maybe just replaced the seals and bearings. I may could find out. hope this isn't too confusing, trying to cover all the bases. also, turned the key on and pushed the 4wd button and seems like I heard a click on the passenger side but don't think I did on the driver side. I guess I could block up all the wheels and see what happens when I put it in 4wd. wouldn't be too hard. from some threads I hear the auto lockers are pretty trouble free. can anyone point me in the right direction? sorry, but thanks again guys. maybe I will get all this ironed out.
1990 hzj73-4wd working or not? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter mike phillips
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Does your truck have one of Toyota’s worst ideas, electric hubs? If so, it is possible that one or both are not engaging. My 77 had them when I bought it and one of the hubs was not engaging. I have a set of AVM #463 hubs on it at the moment. Radd Cruisers makes a conversion adapter that allows you to use Aisin hubs or you can convert over at the next axle rebuild with OEM parts (I. Eli eve it will require spindles, outer axles, hubs, locknuts, and locking hubs to all be swapped over).
Confusing post. Is it a manual or vacuum shift on the t/case? The 7* series will walk out of trouble as easily as any 40 if you keep the wheel spin to a minimum.
- Thread starter
- #4
hey there sam. it does have electric hubs. I saw the adapter radd cruisers has and seems like that would be one way to go but I hate to have to buy spindles ,outer axles, hubs and the whole 9 yards to fix it or change it over. lots of $ it seems although it may be better.
- Thread starter
- #5
hey again roscoe. sorry for the confusion. it is a manual shift on the t/case. and im sure it would at least get me off the side of the road anyway. should get me out of any kind of a bind I would think. that's why I got one with lockers. I was thinking I could climb a tree with it if I had to. lots of faith in it. I've rebuilt my 40 hubs before but so far I don't have a decent manual to look at. would like to have a chassis/body and an engine manual cause all this is new to me. like elkaholic said, radd cruisers sells adapters for a conversion to manual hubs but from what ive read up on it may just need brushes or something, which would be cheaper to fix. that was a confusing post. I was just trying to cover all scenarios to try and pinpoint if it was the t/case or the hubs. probably an easier way to do that. im thinking my t/case is ok as when I manually put it in 4wd, it wont turn, motor running or not.
Radd Cruisers kit requires the kit and the hubs ( a little over $200 a pair from Amazon for Austin’s)
The AVMs are the least expensive way. They are available for about $150 a pair and directly bolt on but only line up with 4 studs and the dowel pins.
If you don’t use the adapters from Radd, then it is replace everything.
The AVMs are the least expensive way. They are available for about $150 a pair and directly bolt on but only line up with 4 studs and the dowel pins.
If you don’t use the adapters from Radd, then it is replace everything.
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- #7
thanks sam. I guess I would get radds adaptor and maybe some hubs[aisin] for it. or it may be ok to just try and fix what I have now. I prefer manual for almost everything but if all I had to do was get new brushes or something? also I have to find a chassis/body manual somewhere or some kind of instructions. you're saying that if I used radds adaptor then my spindles would be ok? I would just have to buy new manual lock-outs for it?
I thought these were all manual hubs. Were the front wheels spinning on the wet grass? I would fix what you got for the time being or at least be sure of the problem
Correct. Radd kit plus Aisin hubs is all you need.
Alternatively, AVM 463 hubs will fix you up as well
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- #10
hi roscoe. my 1990 hzj73 has push button electric hub locks that work with springs and wires and brushes and stuff. and yes, I need to be sure of the problem. needs to be started before you push button to lock them in and if I do that with transfer case unlocked the drshaft will turn. if I put t/case in 4wd it wont turn. so im hoping my tr/case is ok and just something wrong with lockers. and I had to brake hard on wet grass and broke through to the dirt so when I tried to get out I was spinning on wet dirt and it just dug in. I don't think the front wheels were engaging. if I can determine its my lockers and not the t/case maybe I can just find brushes or something to fix them. really wish I had a manual. thanks.
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- #11
thanks sam. at least now I know a way to fix it. do you think the AVM with only 4 bolts would be sturdy enough to last for awhile? the other way it will cost me around $440 for adaptor and hubs. I would kind of like to do manual so I don't have to worry about it anymore but some guys say the factory ones are pretty reliable too. im studying on this. do you know where there are kits for what I have or does anyone have any input on the factory electric lockers? also have to make sure its not my t/case but I don't think it is[HOPE].
Short answer, yes. I have been running them for 6 months or so on mine. From an engineering perspective, I believe they are adequate unless you are pounding on the truck. I rarely use the front locker and that is what will stress the hubs.
There is a shop in Ohio with an eBay presence that specializes in military trucks that has the AVM hubs. It is a quick and easy swap out and the hubs come with everything you need including new cone washers.
I wouldnt worry about the tcase, it would be doing all kinds of horrible things at that stage. Your hubs may just need some cleaning and maintenance. Does the T/case feel like its going all the way in and engaging?
Reliable if you keep them clean, muddy conditions are their enemy.
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- #15
thanks sam. that is good to know. not sure what i'll do on this yet. trying to locate a manual or diagram with instructions for fixing what I have or maybe doing the adaptor thing. I just don't want to tear into it without some kind of instruction on it. if it comes to it I may hit you up for more info on the lockers you have if you don't mind. not sure how hard I will be using it but I suspect kind of hard. thanks again.
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- #16
yes rosco, it does. and I can drive it kind of slow and its really low geared so I just took it for granted everything was working ok. and theres no noise at t/case either. someone has at least put new gaskets on it and what else I don't know but it works pretty smooth I guess.
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- #17
I don't know what this rig has been put through. I know the front axle has been rebuilt, don't know why. maybe I can find that out tomorrow. I can call tony, the guy I bought it from in Orlando. I saw it on a lift with its guts out though so im sure new bearings and seals anyway. could be the guy that did it messed up a little when he put the lockers back on. I hate to spend so much money but I kind of like manual stuff anyway[even windows] cause I always thought that was just something else that could go wrong. so I may have to bite the bullet and just do it if I want to have reliable 4wd. would you happen to know where I could pick up a manual kind of reasonable or who may have instructions for doing this. I may go ahead with radds adaptor and new manual hubs. thanks rosco.
Why would muddy conditions be your enemy, grease or oil on the carbons would be there number one downfall.
- Thread starter
- #19
thanks oldblue- trying to follow this but I have never seen an illustration of how these work, trying to find a manual though.
Moisture and corrosion
