Grinding Spindle Brass Bushing? Need Help

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Snowrydr01

Joined
Jun 9, 2016
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Philadelphia
Backstory:
I bought the lx 2 months ago as a beach/vacation vehicle. Ive been going through and doing all the PM that had been neglected for years. I had planned on repacking bearings and rebooting CVs. I could hear a slight metal on metal sounds while cornering and it sounded like when a wheel bearing goes and the brake rotor slightly rubs the dust shield so i decided to replace bearings instead of repack. After reading dozens of threads i made sure to pay extra attention to the spindle bearings and packed them with my finger, used plenty of grease on the brass bushing and bought the slee tool to add extra grease once assembled (NGLI 2 same as wheel bearings). I couldn't see grease exiting but i used enough grease to push the cv back so the nose was flush with the drive flange. I used a home made tool to pull the CV out as far as possible to use the thickest ring i could (cruiser outfitters kit) with the least possible gap.

Point of note: While dissembled i saw no evidence of metal on metal rubbing or scarring anywhere through the suspension, braking, or drive train.

Now onto the current symptoms:
Same as initial just much louder. Under the load of turning i have a rotational metal on metal sounds. Does not go away or change if break applied during the process so its not brakes dragging.

Any ideas?
Pull the drive flanges and apply more grease?
Im hoping not pull the whole hub and knuckle again.
 
I don't understand why you would not be able to see the grease exit the cv shaft when using the slee tool. Looking behind the rotor into the cv cavity when the cv is pushed out. If that truely the case, it sounds like something could be up in that area.
 
So i used the above method and added additional grease directly to the backside. i also put the old thickness c clips on the axles to give me more soace instead of the thickest i couldt fit. it seems to have helped a little as the noise is at least the same volume as it used to be but i can still hear something when the suspension loads up in turns.
 
Snowrydr01 said:
So i used the above method and added additional grease directly to the backside. i also put the old thickness c clips on the axles to give me more soace instead of the thickest i couldt fit. it seems to have helped a little as the noise is at least the same volume as it used to be but i can still hear something when the suspension loads up in turns.
Click to expand...
Have you checked that the roller bearing is actually in place, and in good working order?
When I got grinding noises from the front, the spindle bearing was completely disintegrated, and the CV shaft was grinding on the brass bushing instead.
 
i just had it all apart to replace wheel hub bearing. Roller bearings were cleaned looked good and rotated smoothly, repacked as best i could with fingers, rolled, fingers rolled, ect. slee tool once hub was on and then pushed backed and greased again suing the grease gun needle method.

Took it to work this morning and had the windows down the whole time and i can confirm that the noise is less now that i have put the old c clip back in that had a proper gap as apposed to the mud threads that said to put the largest c clip i could.

This result makes me think even more so that it is contacting the brass bushing.
 
Snowrydr01 said:
i just had it all apart to replace wheel hub bearing. Roller bearings were cleaned looked good and rotated smoothly, repacked as best i could with fingers, rolled, fingers rolled, ect. slee tool once hub was on and then pushed backed and greased again suing the grease gun needle method.

Took it to work this morning and had the windows down the whole time and i can confirm that the noise is less now that i have put the old c clip back in that had a proper gap as apposed to the mud threads that said to put the largest c clip i could.

This result makes me think even more so that it is contacting the brass bushing.
Click to expand...
Your statement are confusing: c-clip, thickest, largest, contact, old, proper....

I can assure the best practice is to follow what the FSM which states: Snap ring gap should be less than 0.20mm. Any more any you will damage parts. It is just as important to set proper breakaway preload (9.5 to 15lb on spring scale) of/on wheel bearings, which is tight!
2001 TLC Front axle hub snap ring 003.webp
004.webp


When using the Slee tool. it's easy to get a lot of grease in area between axle & axle brass bushing. One must pull very hard to squeeze grease or drive a few hundred miles. Then check snap ring gap, which can't be to tight.

I use this set up after greasing axle bushing to squeeze out grease from between axle brass bushing & axle:
01 LC wheel hub flange 002.webp

Or this after driving which settles grease:
01 LX470 214K 345.webp
 
i ended up with breakaway of 14.5 on passenger side and 12.5 on drivers. Passenger was 12.5 until locking nut applied. I didnt break it down again because it was hovering at 9 for so long then jumped to 12.5. Both sides ended up in the low 30ft/lb area adjusting in 2lb intervals to reach those numbers.

Used a very similar set up to yours above to pull the stub out to set the gap. At a certain point you could feel it was metal and metal and wasnt going to pull out any further. But i think that metal on metal feeling was the brass bushing on the front of the CV because cant think of anything else that would be rotating back there to produce to noise since there are no visual signs or any contact
 
It definitely sounds like you've done your due diligence in inspecting and greasing the axle bearing, you tried a couple snap rings, etc. So I don't know, just wondering what else it may be.
Have you had a look at the inboard cv's for any rub? Maybe an inboard dust shield is damaged or something and only plays it's tune when the cv is pushed in under cornering loads?
 
AimCOtaco said:
It definitely sounds like you've done your due diligence in inspecting and greasing the axle bearing, you tried a couple snap rings, etc. So I don't know, just wondering what else it may be.
Have you had a look at the inboard cv's for any rub? Maybe an inboard dust shield is damaged or something and only plays it's tune when the cv is pushed in under cornering loads?
Click to expand...

I just had both corners apart to do a CV reboot and hub re-bearing (dont think thats a real verb) so i had everything out, apart, and cleaned up and didnt notice any obvious wear rings or shinny spots on otherwise dirty surfaces.

In two weeks I have a 400 mile trip each way to OBX and while i am fairly sure itll be fine (i dont even hear it with the windows up) just knowing its there bothers me and i want to fix it. I just dont have the luxury of breaking it done just to look around as i have some rust mitigation and fluid film application to get to before i expose it to the salt air for a week straight.
 
Snowrydr01 said:
Yup, even the same direction. Thought it was wheel bearings at first and was realy disapointed it was still there when i test drove after
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel any better, mine's been doing it for 10 months and 10k miles... what year is your truck?
 
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