80 series Front Axle rebuild

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I used Marlin seals because the sealing surface of my axles were grooved and the Marlin seals ride in a different spot. 20,000 miles later and they are still fine with no leaks. It is not hard to screw up a seal when installing an axle no matter what style it is. It is a seal; not the space shuttle.

YMMV
 
watch the video several times.
get a FSM for your year 80 (you may be able to find one here on this site ;) )
make sure you have all your parts, tools, supplies, etc.
set aside a good weekend. start early, work through the day. relax, take your time, don't freak out. do both axles. be done with it for a good while.
 
Dirty Koala said:
what's wrong with a little gas to clean nuts and bolts. I assume the PO doesn't have a solvent parts washer.
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Nothing in theory, but it burns like hell if you have one slip up, it works really well though. For a teenager doing his first time work like this it is a recipe for disaster. I have a friend who's back skin was removed and put on his legs after a cleaning with gas mis-step so I always advise against it. Diesel works ok, and so do many other cleaners.
 
I've also had good luck with Marlin seals but that seems much less likely than with OEMs.
 
jeffro109 said:
Nothing in theory, but it burns like hell if you have one slip up, it works really well though. For a teenager doing his first time work like this it is a recipe for disaster. I have a friend who's back skin was removed and put on his legs after a cleaning with gas mis-step so I always advise against it. Diesel works ok, and so do many other cleaners.
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Fair point. When playing with gasoline, common sense must be applied.
 
Please think of your safety when doing this job. Yes, Gasoline works great for cleaning oil and grease, but one little slip and that s*** explodes on you. If you MUST use a solvent, use something safe, like parts cleaner solution available at Tractor Supply. PSC 1000 is awesome stuff and has a really high flash point and is actually pretty difficult to ignite. Cuts grease quickly and safely. There are several water-soluable cleaners available at Lowes as well.
 
Sorry to hijack, but how does one know it is time to rebuild the axles?
 
The youtube video posted above has a lot of good info for the step by step. They don't mention greasing the spindle bushings though. Make sure you do this on reinstallation of each side in addition to adding grease to the knuckle and the birf. Its not a difficult job overall. Like others have mentioned it is dirty, but pretty straight forward.
 
Hornd said:



10 Piece Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set

Get 4 Tubes Valvoline Pallidum and 1 Can Mobil 1 Red Synthetic Bearing Grease.

Plan on throwing away your clothes when your done.

Lotsa Brake Cleaner, Lotsa Paper Towels, Lotsa Nitrile Gloves

Great feeling of accomplishment when you put eyeball seals on and wrap up.
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What size bear race driver will i need? My friends dad runs a shop and I'm sure a could barrow the tool for a weekend.
 
Golgo13 said:
Please think of your safety when doing this job. Yes, Gasoline works great for cleaning oil and grease, but one little slip and that s*** explodes on you. If you MUST use a solvent, use something safe, like parts cleaner solution available at Tractor Supply. PSC 1000 is awesome stuff and has a really high flash point and is actually pretty difficult to ignite. Cuts grease quickly and safely. There are several water-soluable cleaners available at Lowes as well.
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Absolutely. I have a 5 gallon bucket with Diesel in it, it cleans just as well and won't blow up in your face.
 
I usually use gasoline to clean my parts while smoking a cigarette and using a propane torch to heat up the rusted parts.
 
CraigMartynn: Harbor Frieght has a set of race/seal installers, sells for around $30, it's a worthwhile set to have.
 
Kernal said:
CraigMartynn: Harbor Freight has a set of race/seal installers, sells for around $30, it's a worthwhile set to have.
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Unless you friend's dad owns a shop, and you can borrow what you need. That would be even less than the $30 set. (...but I don't know which size is needed.)
 
Thanks for the good info, I will be working on this maybe this weekend depending if I can get some seals from my local Toyota Dealer...I bought the Marlin Crawler Kit. After metal deliberation, I don't want to have to redo any work just in case.
 
I just watched the vid attached and realized what the parts were I found in my garage a few months back.....it appears I have much of what I need to service my front axles...? I bought a 96 LC a few years ago and these box of parts were thrown in the back....I since sold that and now have a 97 LX450.... I want to try and tackle this job after watching the video and doing some reading. I have access to a lift and time....🤞

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Don't get frustrated with the first side. The first time you rebuild, it will take you a substantial amount of time, and then you'll finish the second side in about an hour. For me, this was about 4-6 hours on the drivers side, and then 60-90 minutes on the passenger side.

Now, periodic maintenance and checking seals and torque takes me 30-45 minutes total. I venture the next time I need to perform a rebuild, it'll take me 2-3 hours, tops.
 
Thanks Steve. I am picking a long weekend to do it....sometime this month before it gets too hot. I was happy to see that the mystery parts appear to be just what I need. will update when complete
 
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