Easy Querstion (?) Hub leak

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phoenix1055

phoenix1055

Joined
Dec 18, 2004
Threads
66
Messages
319
Location
Maple Grove MN
Website
www.geocities.com
I already asked this question but the leak was very minimal.. now I have more info.

I took the Aisin hub off... just took out the 6 screws.. and took the hub off to throw in a gasket.

A bunch of fluid came out.

Think I have a bad seal? Is that the indicator.. that when you take the hub off a bunch of fluid leaks out?

One of the screws broke too .. the bottom part of the screw is in the socket.. It wasn't very tight at all.. the thing just broke easily...

I'm bumming..

Any advice on both parts?
 
Sounds like an axle seal. Is it gear oil in there?
I just overhauled the wlole thing since the seal is the deepest thing in there.
There are lots of posts on this topic, so you're in the right place.
 
Its probably an axle seal leak. Not a big deal but you might want to read up on rebuilding the front axle. Put the hub back on and check it in a couple weeks. If it s full of oil again, start collecting rags and get a brass punch to knock out the cone washers. If its just a bit gooey, send me a 6 of Bass Ale and call it good.
 
phoenix1055 said:
I already asked this question but the leak was very minimal.. now I have more info.

I took the Aisin hub off... just took out the 6 screws.. and took the hub off to throw in a gasket.

A bunch of fluid came out.

Think I have a bad seal? Is that the indicator.. that when you take the hub off a bunch of fluid leaks out?

One of the screws broke too .. the bottom part of the screw is in the socket.. It wasn't very tight at all.. the thing just broke easily...

I'm bumming..

Any advice on both parts?
Click to expand...

If there's any oil leaking at free wheel hub, it means that the oil was from differential housing.
To figure out, you must change birfield oil seal but to change, you have to strip off almost knuckle out parts.
So, rebuilding whole front axle is recommanded.
If you search this forum, you could find it's not difficult task but time comsuming.

Oh, Min Seok
 
yeah oil seal....oh man, pain in the ass to get to. Not too hard to take all hardware off front axle, just extremely time consuming. Took me roughly four 6 hr days to get everything apart, cleaned, and then replaced. But no oil leak now
 
What about just buying a new axle .. I see there are "Newfields" from Man-a-fre available.

I've never done any significant wrenching and I see I'm in for alot of grief. Maybe just getting a new axle is an option for me.

Anyone done this instead of rebuilding the axle? Would it be easier?

Where should I look if I go this way besides Man-a-fre?
 
Once you do it the first time you can do it in half the time next time, follow the instuctions of the birfield webpage, and post any questions. You will need a basic set of tools, and remeber if those cone washer are being bitchy, get out the 5 lb sledge and hit them as hard as you can, studs are cheap time isn't. When I put everything back together after painting and cleaniong I used alot of anti seize, it will make it alot easier expecially on those darn cone washers
 
I'm still wondering if anyone has just bought an new axle instead of rebuilding the axle. Must save a heck of alot of time and aggravation.

You're right.. time is not cheap and mine isn't either.

I'd need to buy some more tools also if I rebuild. A new axle may save me a bundle of time and $$ in the long run.
 
You can have a pro mechanic do the seal replacement and axle service for 500$ Replacing the whole axle assembly would be way more than that. There might be some confusion in what is called an "axle." There is the "front axle" which generally is the heavy thing clamped to the springs and has wheels on the ends, and there are the "axle shafts" which are the power transmission rods inside the axle housing. The stock one are sometimes replaced with higher performance cro-moly shafts. On the end of the shaft is a CV joint affectionately known as a birfield. The joint is sometimes replaced with a higher performance version called a Longfield, or Smurfield, (or what's the other one called?) For stock or mostly stock Cruisers, the OE axle shaft and birf is adequate and the only component to fail is the axle seal. Many Cruisers have leaking oil seals for years and continue to function just fine. I met a guy the other day who has a '76 FJ40. I'm pretty sure the front hubs have NEVER been disassembled. There is some gooey stuff dripping out of the knuckle joint onto the tires but the thing still works just fine. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big advocate of doing whatever maint' is needed to keep the Cruiser in tip top running condition but leaky axle seals aren't a crisis. Look at it as an opportunity to get more intimate with your rig. Read up on it and collect some tools. Even better is to find a local Cruiserhead with some experience to help you through it. Axle jobs can be very social.
 
phoenix1055 said:
What about just buying a new axle .. I see there are "Newfields" from Man-a-fre available.

I've never done any significant wrenching and I see I'm in for alot of grief. Maybe just getting a new axle is an option for me.

Anyone done this instead of rebuilding the axle? Would it be easier?

Where should I look if I go this way besides Man-a-fre?
Click to expand...

Any used axle you buy will simply need the same rebuild as your current axle. You are in denial. Your axle needs a rebuild. It isn't that hard. The birf and the wheelbearings are likely running in gear oil as well. Since they are designed for grease, you run the risk of screwing them up if you don't get on the repair. THis is very normal Land Cruiser maintanence.
 
What people are calling an axle rebuild is replacing the seals and gaskets that keep the differential oil inside the differential and axle and the hub grease inside the hub and knuckle. The oil seal that needs replacing is circled in blue in the diagram from the FSM below. You essentially have to take the whole hub and axle assembly apart to replace the little seal. And the recommendation is to replace all the seals and bearings while you're in there. It's not a difficult job, but it is really messy and takes some time.
front axle exploded view.webp
 
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Hmmm..

Obviously I have no freakin clue what I'm doing or talking about.. with the exception of what I saw as the problem. I was hoping there was a drop in replacement unit.

Thank god for this forum.

Looks like I need some more tools.

How long can I ride around with the seal gone? It's not a DD ... I drive it 2x a week.. maybe a total of 50 miles per week.
 
phoenix1055 said:
Hmmm..

Obviously I have no freakin clue what I'm doing or talking about.. with the exception of what I saw as the problem. I was hoping there was a drop in replacement unit.

Thank god for this forum.

Looks like I need some more tools.

How long can I ride around with the seal gone? It's not a DD ... I drive it 2x a week.. maybe a total of 50 miles per week.
Click to expand...

Like the other folks said, the $145 axle is NOT a drop in to avoid doing the inner axle seal (the $145 axle is a stronger inner axle than the one you have). It's not a hard job. Pick up the shop manual (OEM preferred) the axle nut socket 54mm or the equivalent imperial and spend a weekend with the front axle. If you're worried the shop can do it too for a mere $600 and up!!

You can drive around with the seal gone for a long time if you keep the oil topped up in the axle. If the oil in the axle disappears (and it will through the blown seal) then eventually you'll wear things out.
 
If your Cruiser isn't a DD then park it and do the job yourself. I had about 350.00 in parts when I did mine. I replaced the knuckle bearings and wheel bearings when I did mine so that was alot of the expense. If you just replace seals it will be quite a bit less. Its really messy and time consuming but it's a true bonding experience for you and your 60. Most of my time went into cleaning and painting the knuckles and backing plates. Cruiser Outfitters had all the seal kits for a reasonable price. As was mentioned before, a 54mm socket ($20.00) and some brass drifts ($17.00) ar ESSENTIAL. Oh yea, you'll need a 5lb. hammer as well. If you found a mechanic who will do the job for $500-600 thats a good deal. In my neck of the woods mechanics are close to $100.00 pr/hr so it was cost prohibitive. The cool thing is that there are two sides, so if you cant figure out how something goes back together you have anpother complete copy on the other side!
 
well.. I really don't want to pay 600 bucks to get it done.. not when I have this forum as a resource and I don't drive it every day.

I've never done any wrenching to speak of.... so it may be a little rough for me but I have the will...... I'll do it myself.

I just want to make sure I have all the tools I need... already got a line on the hub socket.. it's not much $$. Nothing worse than trying to do any job without the right tools.

What kit specifically am I looking for.?

. I'm sure Cruiser Dan, Man-a-Fre.. Cruiser Outfitters...Cool Cruisers...or somebody has it..
 
I would hook up with some local cruiser guys and get their help. Someone will look over your shoulder just for conversation, lunch and a few :beer: . It is very helpful to have someone guide you the first time through the proceedure. I have done this so many times, I can do both sides in 4-5 hours and would offer to help, but you're pretty far away. If this is your only vehicle, I will say right out that you will have to pay someone to do it, as the first time through it's pretty slow.

You need the usual tools plus a brass drift (Harbor Freight) and a 54mm socket. THe Craftsman 2 1/8 socket works great and it's available everywhere. Get the rebuild kit from any of the Cruiser specific vendors. Mudrak, Cruiseroutfitters, Marlin etc all have the same kit and it's pretty good. If you use the kit, order the inner axle seals from Toyota and put the inner seal from the kit in your spares box. If you're an OEM guy then just call Cruiserdan and say you want "everything" and he will hook you up in the usual professional manner. Also get from him the FSM. He got me a Toyota OEM hub socket as well, but I don't know if they are still available.

While it's apart, it's a good time to replace the brake rotors and pads, wheelbearings and short flexible rubber brake lines.

If you are a minimal job/bandaide guy, then just order the inner seals and replace. I'm not reccomending that but you could get back on the road temporarily for $25.
 
I've got the parts down in the shop. I'll get the numbers and post up later. You basically need the seal and gasket kit plus the inner axle seal and you're good to go. You can skip the bearings so long as they are not worn or rusty. If you need bearings you can get all of them aftermarket for much less than Toyota and they are Koyo bearings from Toyota anyways (they just pack them in a nice red box).
 
This is a great job to do yourself. Get a FSM and have at it! The only special tool you really need is a hub socket. If you have a shop do it plan on $500-$1000 if done correctly. There are no special mechanical BS parts to this job. Take it apart, clean it an put it back.
 
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