93 FZJ knuckle/Truck advice (in Phoenix, Arizona) (1 Viewer)

[PhoenixFZJ80]

Hello Mud/FZJ80/Arizona dudes. First of all sorry for the novel.

As you can probably guess by my few recent posts I have been inspired to get my rig back on the road and potentially get her going as my daily driver for the foreseeable future.

I have a few questions that im hoping some people can weigh in on. Some of the specifically relating to Arizona/Camelback Toyota.

So that being said. The current biggest concern on my plate at the moment:
a little over a year ago I had a trusted friends shop rebuild my leaky passenger knuckle with the Marlin Crawler reseal kit, I paid $600 and i got the truck back dry as a bone. Fast forward about a year and probably 8-10k miles and its leaking again. This is obviously disappointing considering the amount i spent on the initial reseal. I have moved states at this point and need to get this thing redone. So my questions are as follows- 1. Can anyone offer what they paid for their reseal at Camelback Toyota (Ive been told this is the best place for cruiser service). 2. I have to ask if anyone local would be willing to assist in resealing this as i would love to learn but have 0 clue what im doing.

Secondly:

I am looking for some advice from you guys on what to do with the truck as I approach 300,000 miles. I plan on having Camelback Toyota look over the truck for any obvious baseline maintenance and then sorting out what I can do myself and leaving any major work to them. I have a budget of about $5K to spend on this thing and I would like to include a lift or at a minimum an upgrade to 33's.

IS $5k enough to get this thing road worthy for another few years and put on some new rubber and a lift?

Recent Maintenance I can recall doing at the moment:
-Tune up- Plugs, Wires, some hose replacements
-3 accessory replaced with OEM belts
-Diff's Serviced
- New Cats
- new OEM radiator cap

All in all this thing has never let me down and i'd love to see it out for another 100k. Thats like 8 years for me at this point LOL. Any advice would be helpful, anyone local who would want to help me out would be appreciated, i will buy beer, pay cash or whatever else.

Thanks in advance- Keegan

 

[Cass007]

33s will fit with stock suspension, even a worn out one. I've had them on both my trucks and no rubbing.

You could likely do the knuckles yourself using a combo of the OTRAMM threads and youtube.

 

[Laisser aller]

PhoenixFZJ80 OK, losing the second knuckle seal only a year or some number of miles later has occurred to many many mudders and just regular people out on the street. I know tech leaders at the dealers I have worked, they threw new knuckle seals on these 80’s when the unit was still under warranty... we were a sizable dealer in the region though, we saw plenty of deformed gaskets.

$5K; Think Safety Systems: BRAKES/TIRES 1st. Which in your case, because the knuckle seal is leaking and the proximity of the front brake surfaces you need to take seriously.

I do not know the labor rate at the dealer and I no longer have the Toyota labor codes but I am guessing the money sealing up that knuckle is money well spent. If you want to add an after-market gasket or kit, now is the time to do your research and order it so the tech in the shop does not tie up one of his racks for days while you make a decision on the gasket. My suggestion, stick with OEM in this case.

 

[PhoenixFZJ80]

PhoenixFZJ80 OK, losing the second knuckle seal only a year or some number of miles later has occurred to many many mudders and just regular people out on the street. I know tech leaders at the dealers I have worked, they threw new knuckle seals on these 80’s when the unit was still under warranty... we were a sizable dealer in the region though, we saw plenty of deformed gaskets.

$5K; Think Safety Systems: BRAKES/TIRES 1st. Which in your case, because the knuckle seal is leaking and the proximity of the front brake surfaces you need to take seriously.

I do not know the labor rate at the dealer and I no longer have the Toyota labor codes but I am guessing the money sealing up that knuckle is money well spent. If you want to add an after-market gasket or kit, now is the time to do your research and order it so the tech in the shop does not tie up one of his racks for days while you make a decision on the gasket. My suggestion, stick with OEM in this case.

fortunately i have seals already as i only had one side done the first time but bought a full kit. So i will bring the tech a seal ready to go as you implied. In terms of brakes and safety those are things I understand enough to do on my own. Pulling apart the axel seals is out of comfort zone. Thank you for your input/advice though.

 

[Tools R Us]

... knuckle with the Marlin Crawler reseal kit, ...

The marlin seals are known to have short life.

... Fast forward about a year and probably 8-10k miles and its leaking again. ...

If the rest of the stuff is good, changing just the axle seal isn't that big of a deal.

 

[Rifleman]

PhoenixFZJ80, since I'm retired i may be able to help guide you through replacing that axle seal, you'll be the one turning the wrench's, but first a few questions. What part of the valley do you live in, are you allowed to do these type of repairs at you home, do you live in a HOA, and last, do you have more then just a basic set of tools?

 

[PhoenixFZJ80]

PhoenixFZJ80, since I'm retired i may be able to help guide you through replacing that axle seal, you'll be the one turning the wrench's, but first a few questions. What part of the valley do you live in, are you allowed to do these type of repairs at you home, do you live in a HOA, and last, do you have more then just a basic set of tools?

This would be great, it seems like its going to "cool off" over the next week or so. Im off of Highway 51 and Thunderbird. (32nd st and thunderbird more specifically). Define more than a basic tool set haha. I have a Snap On box full of what I would consider to be a decent tool set however i don't own any specialty tools if thats what you're after. I own my house in a non HOA neighborhood.

 

[Rifleman]

it seems like its going to "cool off" over the next week or so

Now, now, that's wishful thinking, I've lived in Arizona over 55 years, and it doesn't really start "cooling off" until late September, early October. PM me, we'll see about setting something up to get your leak fixed.