Beautiful LJ78 Bad Hubs (1 Viewer)

[RHD Toyota's]

Hey all, first time posting, just picked up a Prado and it is immaculate condition and everything works except the electric hub locks. The push button 4 wheel drive works because the drive shaft moves, as I found out from blocking the vehicle up in the air.

Any tips on how to fix this or is it easier just to replace the hubs with say Warn hubs. Does anyone know where or which hubs I require as I live in BC Canada.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[roscoFJ73]

Hey all, first time posting, just picked up a Prado and it is immaculate condition and everything works except the electric hub locks. The push button 4 wheel drive works because the drive shaft moves, as I found out from blocking the vehicle up in the air.

Any tips on how to fix this or is it easier just to replace the hubs with say Warn hubs. Does anyone know where or which hubs I require as I live in BC Canada.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Some Aisan hubs off an earleir model but maybe someone can help you get these working for the time being.Get some use out of them ttill they die permanently

 

[beanz2]

Electric locked wheel hubs are missing two studs present in the manual wheel hubs. It will bolt on with only four studs, but for strength, swap the wheel hubs from a local market cruiser.

Dave

 

[2rivers]

Never had em apart but high likleihood they have never been engaged until you tried and maybe just stuck. Start by having a look at a FSM diagram see what your up against, might be really simple. ?

Seems like a few Prados have surfaced on the board in the last few days. Welcome!

Johnny

 

[nickw]

Hello and welcome.

Where about in BC are you?
And who did you buy the cruiser from?
If you bought it from an importer I would go back and ask them to fix it.

Cheers,
Nick

 

[Jim_Hbar]

RHD T:

I had one of the electric hubs apart on my HZJ73 - a fairly simple system actually, there is power going through to the spindle assembly and a couple of brushes right in the hub. The power is only sent to the hub motor for about 10 seconds after the button is pushed. I'm assuming the Prado has the same hubs as the heavy duty Cruiser. If not, just ignore me.

In my case, the brushes were not making contact with the slip ring surface - just a little bit of bending of the brushes to make contact and I was back in action... Have somebody engage and dis-engage the hubs while you listen - you can definately hear the little motors winding the hub lock in and out when they are working. If the motors aren't whiring, then check for voltage at a few of the wiring connections, as the button is cycled. I'd start checking for voltage at the connector closest to the hub next time.

BTW, Toyota has drilled a small hole in the hub, so that the brushes can be held retracted (with a small wire) until it is in position, then pull the wire out and the brushes make contact. I suspect my hubs had been put back on the spindles without the brushes being held off the slip rings, resulting in a little bending action on the brushes.

If you need more specific directions, please ask.

Jim

 

[RHD Toyota's]

I just want to say thanks to everyone, you've been very helpful.

It looks like I will have to take them apart and see if there fixable. I was hoping it would be a simple replacable hub from warn, oh well I'll get to the bottom of it soon.

To answer Nicks question, I live in Fernie and I actually import anything RHD.

So I discovered this problem as I was doing my routine inspection, which I do with any new arrivals.

Anyways thanks again everyone,

Ryan

 

[BJ-44]

The electric hubs going bad are a common problem with the prados. The brushes in the hubs are usually the problem but even when replaced they aren't the most reliable design. If you want to go with a manual hub the whole hub, locking hub, and spindle will have to be swapped with a 40, 60, or 70. The spindle is shorter or longer (can't remember at the moment) so just the hub will not fit. Retrofitted one so trust me you need the whole set up.

 

[beanz2]

BJ44, thanks for the correction. Have you looked at possibly drilling and tapping the electrical holes to allow insertion of a stud there?

Dave

 

[clintnz]

The electric hubs going bad are a common problem with the prados. The brushes in the hubs are usually the problem but even when replaced they aren't the most reliable design. If you want to go with a manual hub the whole hub, locking hub, and spindle will have to be swapped with a 40, 60, or 70. The spindle is shorter or longer (can't remember at the moment) so just the hub will not fit. Retrofitted one so trust me you need the whole set up.

Yep, that's what I've been told too. Hilux hub assemblies will also fit on - I picked up a whole front hilux diff cheap the other day to use, when I do the swap/rebuild I'll take some pics & write it up.

Cheers
Clint

 

[BJ-44]

The locking hub won't fit with the design of the axle nut on the prado. So even if you put the extra studs it won't seat. I'll have to take some pics to show what the difference is.

 

[Tapage]

go with manuals . ?

 

[RHD Toyota's]

Pics of hubs

Thanks BJ-44, if you could take those pics that would be great, to bad that it has to be a whole changover, sounds costly. Hopefully I can just get the electric ones to work. Does anyone have any pics or tips on how to clean and fix the electric ones.

 

[crushers]

hummm,
so i am wheeling with the PZJ70 the other weekend and i come to a bit of water crossing, the same section where i hydrolocked the engine in a past post... go figure...and when the hood went under i throttled up and tore out the bank on the otherside. now i am not sure if i broke the part then or during the next pass but the 4wheel drive suddenly did not work so i needed a tug out. (yah, some people live and learn and some just live) to make a long story short, i have had busted hubs in the past and i have had busted birfs as well, this does not feel like either. i suspect the center unit itself is grenaded. the hub light still shows engagement and disengagement. there is no grindage what so ever so a birfield is out of the question and there is NO load when turning the pinion. if the hubs can stand up to this abuse and the carrier can't i am impressed with the hubs.
the hubs on the wife's bush LJ78 have been subjected to extensive sub zero water submergence, abuse, heat and neglect with no hick-ups what so ever...

but then i seem to defend the underdog when it comes to these discusions...

just my view and experience so far with elec hubs...

 

[RHD Toyota's]

Still have no idea

Thanks Wayne for your input, but the odometer reads 58,000 km, and after a through under body inspection, it still stands that this thing was just left sat there, never off-roaded and barely even driven. It's so clean and unused inside and out, I still think its just the Hubs, but still haven't taken them apart to see for sure.

I can distinctly hear something click just after depressing the hub lock switch, maybe just one side engages, and the fact that this thing has an open diff front end, well then the likely hood of that engaged hub being the one that has drive power to it is 50/50. So it seems that maybe it's just one or both, but what I really need is a little guidance to start taking apart this hub, and fixing the 4WD situation.

Any pics or extra advice would be of great help.

Cheers,
Ryan

 

[crushers]

sorry to mislead, i wasn't trying to say your truck might have a snapped front diff just that mine seems to be that way and it occured shortly after this thread was started... bad luck and piss poor driving caused this breakage...

 

[RHD Toyota's]

Well there's no more problems with the hubs, just fiddled with them so more when I put a set of 33/12.5, and there has been no let downs to date.

 

[oldblue]

In NZ there is a conversion kit which means that you can fit after markett freewheel hubs on to the stock Prado or Landcruiser hub .
The kit comes with a 15mm thick ring , plus cap screws to give you 6 bolts or colits the same as the none electric hubs