80 Series Front Axle loose or broken? Need advice! (1 Viewer)

[Rollinn]

Hey guys,

I took apart the front brake assembly on my 97 LX450.. It had a violent wobble/shake in the steering wheel/front end when braking at 35-40mph.. I suspected wheel bearing were the culprit as potentially warped rotors.. When we had it on a lift the right front wheel had a little play in in when moving the tire fore and aft..

When I removed the rotors i notice the axle was loose and has play in it.. I am not familiar with the innards of the assembly.. Any advice here would be appreciated.. Do i need an axle or something to do with birfields or ??

 

[bhsdriller]

Some play is normal, can't tell you if that amount is can't remember last time I had mine apart.
If you want to tear into it there's hundreds of posts on it and great videos on youtube.
Here's a start from the FAQ

Front Axle Rebuild - For FAQ

The following thread is compilation from forum members and other sources Please notify the moderators of additions, errors, tips or clarifications you think would help a novice take this on. The following thread is a culmination of posts and threads from many forum members including Semlin...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[LockedCollector]

Thats normal. I think the only thing keeping the axle from coming out (at your point in tear down) is the spindle then steerin/bearing caps.

 

[Kernal]

What you're grabbing with your fingers in the video is the shaft end of the CV joint often referred to as a "Birf" which is short for Birfield type CV joint.. You'll also want to check the nuts and studs on the bottom of the steering knuckles to ensure they aren't loose.

More important question; when was the last time the front axle (CV joints, Axle seals, etc) were serviced? Now is the time to do the complete front axle service (remove the spindle and pull the CV joint and axles shafts out), you're halfway there already.

Watch this video to get an idea of how it all goes together:



Here's another with an Australian accent:



One more in case you don't speak Australian:

Toyota Solid Front Axle Knuckle Rebuild/Birfield Replacement - 80 Series Land Cruiser FJ80 FZJ80

Today I'm showing how I rebuilt the entire front axle knuckle assembly, replaced the wheel bearings, and also replaced the birfield joint on my imported 1994...

www.youtube.com