Builds g-man's land cruiser story (1 Viewer)

[60Works]

g-man, if you've got gold flakes in the birf, they are probably brass from the bushing. Softer than the steel in the birf but still something to remove the best you can. With the axle out and standing on end with the birf up, wipe the excess grease off the birf while you angle it at full travel (bend). This will squeeze out most of the internal grease. From there you can see half of each ball and the cage. If any of the balls are rough, deformed, or pitted - bad news. If they looks smooth and shiny - good news. If you're still seeing gold flakes, put it in a parts washer or spray it out with brake clean until you decide its clean enough. If its not damaged, I wouldn't disassemble the birf, cage, and balls. Repack the birf completely like you would a wheel bearing. Impossible to get too much. Do this if you change grease types (I recommend it even with a different brand). BTW - moly grease should be opaque. If its slightly translucent, it probably doesn't have much moly in it.

As far as lubing the bushing, the knuckle housing should be 3/4's full of grease. This will lube the bushing face. Put some grease in the spindle, not too much but enough for corrosion protection. Put lots on the inside and face of the bushing during assembly. Pretty much everything will be smeared with grease when assembling the knuckles, impossible for it not to be. The inside of the spindle is machined quite rough. It's probably not damaged, they come that way. Sometimes the burs are sharp enough to cut your hands.

Try sliding the spindle on the axle before putting the axle in the housing. If the spindle resists going on the last 1/2", the bushing needs honed. If it grabs, the bushing needs honed. If you are doing both sides, use the non-damaged spindle to compare to the one you replaced the bushing on. After assembly, with the opposite tire blocked and its hub locked, with the transfer case in 2WD, try to spin the drive shaft. It should spin with only the minimal resistance of the diff and the new grease in the knuckle. If it grabs, its probably the new spindle bushing.

Hold the axle up off the inner axle seal when inserting it. This is really hard with greasy hands, especially on the long side. Use a couple of dry rags to get a good grip on first the axle then, as it goes in, the birf with one hand the the stub axle with the other. If you can't support the weight with your wrists, STOP sliding the axle. Let it rest on the seal a moment if you absolutely must but do not drag it in or out. This is a pure wrist strength move and there's no good way to brace the birf when it goes into the knuckle. It might be possible to put a long bolt in the end of the stub axle to get better leverage. Haven't tried that yet. Or maybe a plastic pipe on the stub end. Hmmm.

HTH

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

You’ll also find on the long side (driver if I remember right), it won’t go in easily, I held it w/ my left hand and leaned inward and under and had to turn the driveshaft w/ my right for it to pop in fully. Not f-ing easy when your as short as me. And I most definitely wasn’t as light leaning on the seal as G ^^^ said above.

 

[g-man]

Good info here. I cleaned up the birf joint w/brake clean and checked it out. Shiny on the balls. The cage is good too but has some scratches in between the balls ...I have a feeling this is normal wear from bumping the outer birf. Repacked and ready to go back in.
I used valvoline moly grease for ford-lincoln-mercury. Its dark but I chatted valvoline and they said it was at least 2 percent molybdenum because that was a ford spec.

Napa high temp wheel bearing grease went in the wheel bearings and wheel hub. It's repacked and new seal on.

Got the Vinca caliper tool in today. This one:
Amazon product ASIN B01HNDAF2E
I'll take the measurements in metric mm that way easier to subtract the 3mm for the lower shim measurement. No converting.

Picked up some brass drifts at Advance store. Plenty more paper towels, gloves, grease and couple cans of brake clean.

Just waiting on the centering tool.

I haven't done any welding on the axle housing under the race. Still debating on whether this will cause me more headaches or really do much good.

 

[Jaric00n]

That Caliper has an unhappy face....not sur it will work

 

[g-man]

I prob did this wrong but step 11B says install gasket, dust cover and dust seal. I put them on in that order. Now looking at the schematic it shows the gasket after the dust cover.

It seems the loop in the gasket corresponded with the notch in the bottom of the outer spindle.

Probably not worth wasting another tab washer and opening my new snap ring to go back. It all sits stationary anyway.

 

[g-man]

I did use the centering tool. It took me three times before I measured correctly. The first two times my scribe marks were almost touching each other. Finally I realized that I misunderstood this:

I thought that meant put the rod in from the top in the knuckle and the outer axle. But it means keep the slant the same way so you have to put the top of the rod in the bottom of the knuckle to keep the slant the same. (edit) remember the scribe point is coming at it from the spindle side reversing the slant from the normal axle orientation.

Here were my numbers to give you an idea of what your looking for. I took all measurements in millimeters (mm) Less chance to get off from doing conversions.

A.) Distance from flat small shoulder in the tool to other flat small shoulder at proper preload 167.15 mm My first measurement here was 177mm made measurement C 12mm. After realizing this is way off, I correctly put the caliper on the lower shoulder that is a flat section and not the rounded shoulder (incorrectly) at the very outer ends of the tool. It takes a bit of fidgeting with the tool to get the two flat sides facing the same way while you try to snug the tool up at the same time to get the preload right.

B.) distance from flat on knuckle to other flat (cleaned surfaces) 165mm

C.) A-B=2.15

D.) Distance between the scribe marks 4.08mm

E.) Corrected lower shim thickness D-3mm= 1.08

F.) C -E upper shim thickness 2.15-1.08 = 1.07

My original shims cleaned up lightly sanded were upper 1.15 and lower 1.05 so I left them in and called it close enough.

 

[g-man]

That Caliper has an unhappy face....not sur it will work

I turned that frown upside down.

 

[g-man]

All back together. it's pouring rain now. I'll test drive it later this evening. Still felt the birf outer joint is just slightly touching some of the high spots in the axle housing. I could feel it when I spun the birf. barely rubbing ...I'll let it work itself out.

Haven't tested the spindle bushing or tried to turn the front drive shaft.

I tightened up a bit more on the first hub nut. Did the preload on the wheel hub. With the 1st hub nut torqued to spec it was around 6 lbs on the tension spring. Then all the way loose about 2.25 lbs. Then snugged the nut back to about 10 lbs. again about 6 or 7 lbs on the spring tension. tab washer in and put the other nut on with 58#s per torque specs. Still spins at around 6 or 7 lbs.

Preload on the knuckle was about 6lbs. before snugging up the grease wipers in the back.

The bolt in the tie rod end was spinning round and round. I grabbed it with a large set of channel locks biting the bottom of the tie rod and the top next to the nut to keep it from spinning.
and snugged the king nut down. Then torqued it. Prob means my tie rod end is worn out. The grease boot is ripped too. That stuff is all rusty and original so prob all needs replacing but one step at a time here. It drives straight and tight so I'll put that off.

 

[g-man]

The first time I rebuilt my knuckles I wrung the fitting to the metal brake line where it attaches to the small elbow on the back of the brake dust cover. I just by-passed the elbow and used a NAPA longer brake hose. That means it is no longer tied to the back of the brake dust cover and you don't need to break the lines, remove brake hoses, bleed etc. Just hang the caliper from the shock tower with a bungie leaving the hose connected.

 

[g-man]

I prob did this wrong but step 11B says install gasket, dust cover and dust seal. I put them on in that order. Now looking at the schematic it shows the gasket after the dust cover.

View attachment 1986670
It seems the loop in the gasket corresponded with the notch in the bottom of the outer spindle.

View attachment 1986667

Probably not worth wasting another tab washer and opening my new snap ring to go back. It all sits stationary anyway.

Cruiser Outfitters also shows in there catalog that it goes between the spindle and the dust cover. So maybe I did it correctly?

HG60010 Shown​

Brake Backing Plate Gasket- $5.50 each Between brake backing plate and spindle One required per side, 2 per axle (Fits 69-9/75' FJ40/55) Part# HG60010 Brake Backing Plate Gasket - $5.50 each Between brake backing plate and spindle One required per side, 2 per axle (Fits 9/75'-97' FJ40/55/60/62/80) Part# HG60011

 

[g-man]

Driver's side knuckle done today. Glad I did it ..it too had a damaged lower trunnion bearing. Not as bad as the other side but starting to come apart at the cage.

 

[g-man]

Hold the axle up off the inner axle seal when inserting it. This is really hard with greasy hands, especially on the long side. Use a couple of dry rags to get a good grip on first the axle then, as it goes in, the birf with one hand the the stub axle with the other. If you can't support the weight with your wrists, STOP sliding the axle. Let it rest on the seal a moment if you absolutely must but do not drag it in or out

I tried this but it is nearly impossible when you get close to having the birf joint go in the knuckle. I had to slide it the last 4 inches without my hand inside the knuckle for support. And I had to leverage down on the outer birf to get the axle in the diff. I did put a bit of pressure on the seal. The axle was teetering on the seal. but I didn't feel the seal move or pop out of place and not enough pressure to deform the seal.

 

[g-man]

Happiness is a correctly done knuckle job

 

[g-man]

My old bent up toyota p/s pump pulley got turned into a 3 legged gear puller. Made a puller for the bearing carrier in my Evinrude gear case.

My home made puller tool consisting of eye bolts that I cut into hooks and fit into the pulley. The original Evinrude puller legs are NLA and the puller base is about 85.00 yikes!

 

[joebattle1]

@g-man it never stops does it? I put brakes on 18k miles ago and they were virtually cooked yesterday when I put the new calipers and pads on. Big wheels and tires just wears sh:t out hard and fast.

You are neck deep in it. Keep it up. That things gonna be all dreamy soon.

 

[g-man]

@g-man it never stops does it? I put brakes on 18k miles ago and they were virtually cooked yesterday when I put the new calipers and pads on. Big wheels and tires just wears sh:t out hard and fast.

You are neck deep in it. Keep it up. That things gonna be all dreamy soon.

Yes. This year I'm fighting to keep up with the maintenance. Sounds like you need to look into the Tundra brake mod!

 

[g-man]

BRP a.k.a. Johnson/Evinrude wants 35.00 plus another 10.00 for shipping for two guide pins to reinstall my bearing carrier in the lower unit. I made my own. I bought (2) 1/4 inch steel hex bolts from NAPA with the right thread pitch for 62 Cents. Then bought a 3 ft piece of 1/4 steel rod from ACE hardware for $3.67. Then I cut the heads off the bolts and clamping them on top of my vice with some clamps I was able to weld 12" of rod to each bolt to make my guide pins. After grinding the welds down they looked good and easily fit through the holes in the carrier.

Every time I use that welder I save myself a pile of money.

instead of buying the $147.00 air pump to check it the seals I bought a 12.00 gear oil fill pump. the kind you put in a quart and pump gear oil into the lower unit. I pulled the hose and fitting off it and attached to a bicycle pump. Holding good at 15 psi.

 

[g-man]

Seems my alternator was the issue with the vibrations. The metal fan behind the alternator being loose causing vibrations. No matter how hard I tightened it that thing was not getting tight. I took it to an alternator shop while on vacation but he didn't touch it after a week so I just brought it back home. I really got dumb and stripped the nut and flattened the threads on the shaft by overtightening the nut. Can someone verify that there is a washer behind the metal fan? All I have is the space collar, part 3 in this image.

 

[g-man]

I've ordered a cheap amazon reman but hoping I can get a toyota alternator for parts and rebuild mine.

 

[g-man]

I bought this reman'd alternator:

Amazon product ASIN B000ESDGOA
It is plug and play EXCEPT the double pulley comes really close to hitting the rad fan and the stock belt won't fit in the pulley. Need a narrow walled 24mm socket to get in the pulley and get on the nut. I plan to switch with my original pulley tomorrow. A fat impact 24mm didn't fit in the hole in the pulley. The alt. fan was open type and not like the image but it did clear the alternator bracket. The plug has an adapter on it with a plug that fits the toyota 2 pronged plug. The white power wire connects at the top left close to the oil cooler hose. The VR is clocked at the 2 oclock position. and the top ear has threaded hole that did match the threads on my toyota bolt. It made about 14.15 amps at 1500 rpms measured at the battery and still about 14.10 while at idle. With headlights and radio on the stock voltmeter in the dash may have dropped about 1/2 a Volt.