fj80 knuckle shiming?

[cjmoon]

just about everywhere i read before i did my rebuild say'd on the 80 just rebuild reuse and be done. wobble is much better but not gone. all new OEM rod ends and rubber bushings. high 40's low 50's occasionally it stars up and ends both accel and decal. tire rotation is my next just to try.

thought i would get some of your personal experiences. thinking about running .005 under to tighten them up since i'm running 35's

Thanks

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

having dealt with death wobble in the past.. it's not fun.. LOTS of things contribute..
Mainly caster.. Your more educated than the normal shadetree so i'll start with the obvious..
I have the SST for centering 40-62 axles.. BUT not 80 axles..
What's the preload on your knuckle now.. without the felt/rubber wipers.. is it within spec or not..
Is there any play in your steering box? and are your wheels/tires round or out of round, AKA bent rim etc..
Most of the time tires are the biggest factor then steering, caster, loose axle bits etc..
have the tires balanced with someone that can do hub centric.. check preload and caster.

 

[cjmoon]

I wouldn't call it death wobble. It was before the rebuild and caster correction. I didn't even test the pull. Every where I read said it really isn't necessary on the 80's.

My tires aren't the best cheap 35 big-o-bigfoot It does get better with a more aggressive toe adjustment.

Rims are lug centric I bought new. Balanced straight. I'm going to play with the tires next to see how it changes and then look at measuring and shimming.

Just looking for local experience. I get tired of hearing from some the 10k post members that I feel are not objective with there maintenance approach. I don't waist time and money on guessing what might wear out. I look for wear observe and replace once it's worn out and used to there full and safe potential

Thank you for helping objectify and reassure my approach.

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

Check your play in the steering box.. I would try to fix your issue without the steering stablilzer.. If possible.. then put the stabilizer back on. you are correct.. more toe will help especially with larger tires..
Also double check your wheelbearing adjustment since you've been in there recently.. Just to rule that out..
Do you have a set of small tires known to be good? Worth trying if you have a chance..

also.. just for safety.. double check the torque on your knucle studs. I had rebuilt an axle(my axle).. and knuckle studs were loose after wobble.. they take a beating..

and another thing i learned the hard way.. double check your lug nuts.. I had a shimmy at speed.. found the lug nuts loose to the point when i jacked it up to check.. wheel fell off.. DOH.. snapped 3 of the lugs as well.. SCARY and my fault..

All of these were different trucks at different times.. But all come into play..

As far as what you read on the ol interweb? take it all with skepticism.. LOTs of wanna be mechanics on here.. I have factory service manuals covering a bunch of decades.. and some manuals from Australia.. I use them all.. On a knuckle.. one set of shims sets height.. one preload.. the fsm has you measure preload for a reason.. I"m not saying i'm a mechanic by any means.. But I've seen MANY knuckle rebuilds done the wrong way.. and I've seen many disk brake swaps done the wrong way as well.. I usually just keep my mouth shut cause it is not my truck and not my problem..

Just curious.. What brand of knuckle bearing did you use? on a 40-62 axle there are 2 that are known to fit.. but only one fits correctly.. I know there are tons of people on the ol interweb that will disagree with me.. and they're welcome to run the other brand / taper of knuckle bearing on their rigs.. but it is VERY difficult to get the specs correct..

My bets are on something loose and a combo of not balanced / round tires.

I hope it's an easy fix..

 

[weejub]

you guys simply amaze me - you are like a couple surgeons comparing notes on a patient!

GLW the shimmy CJ - - i need to copy all this down for someday.

 

[cjmoon]

Believe the bearings where Koyo from cruiser outfitters complete kit. Used OEM axle seals

I have adjusted the steering box it driver great tracks straight tight steering.

Bearings just checked 2 weeks ago right where I left them.

I've been looking for a set of 33" r17 highway tires to rule the tires out of the equation. I have a set of 17"
Rims laying around. But then again those wouldn't be know just new if the issue changes.

I do agree on the steering stabilizer. In theory they shouldn't be needed. And can mask.

This is the first toyota solid axle I've ever messed with. My understanding is that the 80 trunnions are slightly different than the designs prior. I have not been able to confirm the shim thicknesses but there is an after market kit that is a set of 6. I need to make some calls to vendors. From what I have found people with larger tires tighten them above spec using these aftermarket kits

I think shims andtires are my focus. I'm a cheap SOB and haven't bought a new set of tires for one of my non DD's in about 15 years. Maybe the used have finally caught up to me. On my DD trucks it's only one set of new in 15years. With about 6 sets of used. I did draw the line on motorcycle tires and decide new was the only way I should go. And not Waite for them to wear out. I drew the line there even I have a line.

Did I mention I'm addicted to Craigslist it's a bad thing

 

[cjmoon]

Well rotated the tires, through some added torque on the on the knuckle trunnions. And tightened the steering box more (still centers). It seams the wobble is gone. I'm attributing it to tires. We'll see in a few thousand miles when the those tires make it back up front.