Front End Service - A Coiple Of Questions (1 Viewer)

[CHibbard]

All,

Just preparing to aquire any missing tools and supplies for the upcoming front-end service.

What size of socket will I need for the front diff drain and fill plugs?

Any reccomendations for diff oil?

Any reccomendations for berff grease, as well as wheel/trunnion bearings grease?

Thanks,
Craig

 

[Cruiserdrew]

You need a 24mm socket for the drain and fill plugs. Crack open the fill first to avoid draining the oil and then being unable to refill. Use only a 6 sided socket or you will be sorry.

You will also need a hub socket-54mm is the size. There is a Toyota OEM tool that CDan recently got for me, but the Craftsman 2 1/8 socket works very well too.

Any GL-5 gear oil will work, the viscosity spec is 80w-90. I am partial to "Chevron Delo Gear" 80w-90 but they are all good. Synthetic is probably a bit better but it's hard to swallow the almost $10 per quart price. Every gear shop I've ever been in (3) all use Valvoline.

For grease-the birfs and knuckle bearings require grease that contains Moly. I use the Amsoil Moly Grease (purple), 2 tubes per side.

For wheel bearings, I use the Mobil1-one can will do both front wheels with a bit left over. Don't forget to fill the hub cavity.

Enjoy

 

[ryanjl]

You need a 24mm socket for the drain and fill plugs. Crack open the fill first to avoid draining the oil and then being unable to refill. Use only a 6 sided socket or you will be sorry.

If you go to your local Sears, you may at first think they don't have a 6-point 24mm because there will be none in their regular socket section.

Go to the 'impact wrench' socket section, and you will find one.


You'll also need a torque wrench, but I assume you already know that.

 

[fzj80kidpen]

Get some gloves & lots of towel

 

[Heffenoche]

I've been lucky and have always used a 12 point socket without a problem. If you use one hand to hold the socket & wrench on the socket and then tap the end of the wrench with a BFH a few times it should loosen.

Another trick I learned here is to use an impack driver. They are usually used to loosen frozen screws http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00947641000

Put the socket on the end a pound away.

Of course you also can't go wrong with the 6 point either

 

[Lars]

For the birfs I found the brass drift set from Sears to work perfectly for driving out old races.

 

[TX_TLC]

The search button is also very helpful...

 

[elmariachi]

The search button is also very helpful...

Do you know what size socket and which type grease is needed for the search button?

 

[tarbe]

Do you know what size socket and which type grease is needed for the search button?

5-point male extension and ear wax...

 

[TX_TLC]

Do you know what size socket and which type grease is needed for the search button?

I really did mean while he was working on it... but yes all these questions could have been easliy answered with the search and/or FAQ.

 

[JerryLX450]

By the way, The GREASE THE GREASE Guys!!!! The more i look into (search the threads) more im concern about it.. what type grease should use? Or grease just the grease right?nothing special boud it

 

[TX_TLC]

You will use two different types...moly fortified inside the knuckle and regular wheel bearing grease for the...well...wheel bearings.

 

[Riley]

one of the many grease links

but yes specifically speaking moly for the knuckle housing and wheel bearing grease for the bearings.

Note that in the above thread Christo suggests that Amsoil moly is spec'd for wheel bearings too.

 

[bdeakin]

As long as this thread is meandering, I have a question regarding front axle servicing. My '94 80 has 120k. The front axle was rebuilt at 60k. Should I just repack the birfs and bearings, or plan on replacing bearings and such (as well)?

Thanks,
bdeakin

 

[CDN_Cruiser]

When they did the axle rebuild, did they replace the bearings? If so, you are likely fine.

If they didn't, you have to decide if you want to buy the bearings and have them as 'insurance' in case there is a problem or replace them for PM (what I ended up doing) or have the truck sit idle while you wait for parts. They aren't dirt cheap, but I decided to replace everything because I don't want to revisit the job for the next 60,000miles / 5 years! Bewae, that it does add to the time - beating out/in the races takes time.

Cheers, Hugh

 

[Cruiserdrew]

As long as this thread is meandering, I have a question regarding front axle servicing. My '94 80 has 120k. The front axle was rebuilt at 60k. Should I just repack the birfs and bearings, or plan on replacing bearings and such (as well)?

Thanks,
bdeakin

I would do a full service while you are there. It isn't that much more work and then you know you have a good front axle. Birf and wheel bearing service at 30K, knuckle service with birfs/wheelbearings at 60k. Disclaimer: I am paranoid about this stuff, but have 3 Land Cruisers with knuckle service in the last 12 months, and just did the 80 2 weeks ago.

 

[bdeakin]

Whew... just read the receipts from the front axle rebuild the PO did. It was 4/03, when she had 106k. It's just been 15k, so I'm a nother year off from even repacking them. Thanks for your advise. I need to know how to do it anyway, just in case something happens on the trail.

Bdeakin

 

[JAPFPE]

Done !

Thanks to this board and the wealth of information (along with the excellent parts support from C-Dan), I finished a complete knuckle tear-down of my 1997 LX450 this weekend. I figured I had 6 hours into the first side and 4.5 hours on the other side incorporating lessons learned. This included replacing all seals, trunnion bearings and birfield repack as well as new OEM rotors and 100 series pads. It was very satisfying job knowing I complted the work myself and saved a butt-load of $$ (read: beer money). Future front wheel bearing repacks will seems like a walk in thepark after this one !

 

[IdahoDoug]

Bdeakin,

The percent of front axle jobs done by dealers, local mechanics correctly has to be pretty low from what we've learned here. If the receipt actually names all the Toyota (or aftermarket) parts then you're good. But many times they don't replace the inner axle seal, don't pull the axles out and clean the birf, don't replace the trunion bearings, etc. So consider this before you feel confident everything's been handled.

DougM