Front end rebuild cost

[pmccumber]

I bought mine with 131k and bad clicking. There was virtually no grease in the ball. Some days later a heavy box from American Toyota showed up with 2 Birfs, long/short axle (surprisingly cheap), and lots of other stuff.

I intended to keep it for a very long time so the front axle service got very expensive. But for the rest of its life it will be maintained properly. And that is no longer a worry. That is the point of base lining.

I intend to have the best parts (OEM) and absolute best mechs when it is over my head take care of it. I firmly believe the 80 is a classic and intend to treat it that way.

 

[ToddD]

Nice looking rig!
You can handle this repair yourself. It looks like you've already got some local guys willing to help out!
Trying to get parts out of the dealer will be difficult but you've got nothing to lose by trying! Get a parts list to them.
Worst case you repair it on your own with no help. You have access to all the detailed information you'd ever need through the FSM, the awesome FAQ on here and you can post up in here whenever you need.
Enjoy that 80, you got a hold of a nice one! And welcome to it!

 

[TEXASYETI]

Nice looking rig!
You can handle this repair yourself. It looks like you've already got some local guys willing to help out!
Trying to get parts out of the dealer will be difficult but you've got nothing to lose by trying! Get a parts list to them.
Worst case you repair it on your own with no help. You have access to all the detailed information you'd ever need through the FSM, the awesome FAQ on here and you can post up in here whenever you need.
Enjoy that 80, you got a hold of a nice one! And welcome to it! ************

^^^^ That for sure ^^^^

If you decide to dive in on your own definitely get a Factory Service Manual (FSM). I have a PDF of the 1996 FSM if you need it. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you. There are just a few tools needed that most do not have for the front end. Big socket for the axle nuts, circlip / lockring thingies, and a fish scale to check bearing preload. None of these tool are that expensive and can be found on the MArlin Crawler website.

You can always post up questions as they come up. I'm not very helpful with stuff but when I see "RTH" in the title I look there first.

 

[swampfoxSC]

Why not get a low mileage front end from one of the guys in the part out section or local junk yard? Do you have lockers? If not you could get a damn good axle complete for cheap. And you could swap it out in hours instead of days. Mine has 224k on it with no issues other than leaky seal that will be addressed ASAP. You can find em with mid to low 100k pretty easy. If you have lockers you will spend somewhere around $800-1200. And could be good for another 100k/3-5 years or so with some PM.

 

[krzyabncanuck]

Give me a shout.

I might be able to square you away if you want to learn your ride.

 

[k4azy]

Final update for this thread... The dealer agreed to buy the parts. He got the birfs and knuckle rebuild kit (including all seals and gaskets) from cruiserparts.net. I called them up and they said that the birfs are new and manufactured by the same company that supplied the original parts for Toyota. They come with a lifetime warranty.

The dealer also ordered a replacement seat track for the driver's seat. All-in-all that's about $1K in parts so I think it all worked out as well as it could. Now comes the fun part of meeting people, learning from their experiences and working on the truck.

 

[Kernal]

Have you tore into the front axle yet to take a look at the condition of the hard parts?

 

[wagonteeth]

This has been a good thread to read. I'm glad things worked out. There's some kind of bonding that occurs when you stick your hands in the innards of these trucks. This is how vehicle ownership is supposed to be. Years ago, a city living man would ride his horse from place to place and would get back to town and take the horse to the stalls where a farrier would perform maintenance. The rider knew little to nothing about his ride other than how to make it go. The farrier knew the horse. It was like kin. He knew what it liked and what it didn't. He knew when he needed to do more for it and when he could just brush it down and put it up. TLC's are that way too.

 

[Tailman]

Seeking '94 Front Axle - Rebuilt hub to hub

Hey all and thanks for all the info over the years. I am looking for a '94 Cruiser Front axle, rebuilt, hub to hub. no locking diffs, ABS. I have time if someone wants to provide. I am in 12866 zip code (Between Saratoga Springs & Lake George, NY) Yup, we got mountains in this region.
Let me know - (costs etc) - email direct
dennis@McKinleyGriffen.com
(could also use:
a replacement CD/Radio/Cass

Hey, THANKS