Has Anybody used "Low Range Off Road" front axle rebuild kits?

[half k cruiser]

or at least the option to add them to the kit for an extra fee... would be nice to have the right grease available too as an add-on... i've just been getting the stuff on amazon...

Definitely an add on deal as most people shouldn't need them. It would just be nice to be able to source them through Kurt and his guys. As far as the right grease, I just use the Valvoline Ford Lincoln Mercury Toyota ( Toyota is in really fine print at the bottom). Its got the Moly in it and is readily available at damn near anywhere for cheap.

 

[bhmmapping]

studs, cone washers, flat washers and nuts are listed individually and in kit form on the Cruiser Outfitters site.

 

[Heckraiser]

I did the Cruiser Outfitters kit last time and everything was perfect (except that I destroyed an axle seal trying to press it in--replacement was shipped to me expedited). If you need new shims, then something is seriously wrong, lol.

You need the big-ass socket for the axle nuts. You can probably borrow one from a local mudder. Also a 35mm socket (same size as 4runner/IFS axle nut) is the perfect size for driving in most of the seals and bearing races on an 80 knuckle rebuild.

 

[Hornd]

Kit should come with a case of paper towels, 2 Boxes of Nitrile Gloves, A Tyvek Suit, and 55 gallon drum of Brake Cleaner.
Messiest Mechanical job I Have ever done!
I was dirtier than a Coal Miner. Threw my clothes in trash.
My Driveway will likely never recover.

If you want to make this job go super smooth have a helper just for clean-up and prep.

 

[Tools R Us]

Look at this page, just about every replaceable part is listed, kits and/or individual, tools, everything: Cruiser Outfitters If you don't see it, call, they may (likely) have it.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i'd go cruiser outfitters...low range does a lot of trailmart reselling so it may be a trail gear kit and while the countries are close to each other, i'll take the japanese quality over chinese quality

 

[half k cruiser]

My Driveway will likely never recover.

If you want to make this job go super smooth have a helper just for clean-up and prep.

100% agree with having a helper to do the cleaning. Also a tub of gasoline for parts washing. The driveway is an easy one, you just get some 4 mil contractor plastic and cut a few sheets out, throw them under the hub before you start wrenching and throw them away when done.

 

[Hornd]

Forgot to add I got my Kit from Cruiser Outfitters. Was everything I needed, but they should just sell it with the 54mm socket and you get a deduction if you opt out.
I think they could sell it with the grease too since it's just another part of the job. My bearing grease came in regular mail.

 

[Shoredreamer]

They should throw in a mystery prize and call it a "Happy (Front Axle) Meal" to really make it complete

 

[Rifleman]

Well I guess I'll find out how good the Low Range kit is, since I ordered one. I've been working on customers cars and trucks for years, along with that I ran my own machine shop, so I know the difference between good quality parts, from poor quality parts. When I install this kit I'll post a report here on Mud letting you all know what the quality of the parts are that come in this kit. As other Mud members have said, Kurt at Cruiser Outfitters is a top notch vender, but I look at it like this, having another quality vender to supply Mud members with parts can only be a good thing. If the parts from Low Range turn out to be crap, then I'll be out of pocket a few hundred buck, plus I'll get to spend even more money to replace those part. But if it turns out to be a good quality kit, we'll all know that we now have another quality vendor for parts, if the parts turn out to be crap then we'll know their not a good vendor for parts, I for one think that's a win, win for all Mud members.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I wish the kits came with 12 new cone washers, regular washers, and 12 new nuts for the outer cap. What a pain in the ass to track down locally. Even if I didn't use them they would go in the trail spares kit.

It simply doesn't make sense to add them into the kit as the bulk of users, simply don't need them and don't want to pay extra for stuff they won't use. There is no end to the additional items you could include with the kits, studs, nuts, washers, spindle bushings, spindle bearings, axle clips, etc. This is exactly whey we put together a kit that includes everything you need, nothing you don't and we stock every additional part including the hub cone washers your interested in. We make note of that in our "knuckle rebuild parts FAQ" here:
Cruiser Outfitters

or at least the option to add them to the kit for an extra fee...

Call us next time you need a knuckle kit, we have anything and everything you could possibly need along with your standard knuckle kit. See here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/product-spotlight-cruiser-outfitters-knuckle-rebuild-kits.881806/

 

[madisonr34]

I used a Marlin rebuild kit when I rebuilt my front axle. This was my first axle rebuild. My kit was not complete. I needed to buy the big axle nut socket, the thrust plate washers that go between the big axle nuts and 2 new axle nuts. The Kit also did not come with the brass spindle bushings. All of which are included in the Low Range kit. You cant tell if these parts are worn without tearing into the front axle.

 

[Mudder]

A lot of those parts you replaced aren't ones you typically need to. I used the Marlin kit for my pickup and was happy with everything that came in it plus some extra stuff.

 

[Shoredreamer]

I used a Marlin rebuild kit when I rebuilt my front axle. This was my first axle rebuild. My kit was not complete. I needed to buy the big axle nut socket, the thrust plate washers that go between the big axle nuts and 2 new axle nuts. The Kit also did not come with the brass spindle bushings. All of which are included in the Low Range kit. You cant tell if these parts are worn without tearing into the front axle.

Brass spindle bushing would definitely be a separate part and doesn't come in the Low Range kit, or any known rebuild kit. If you need a 54mm socket quick, I got mine from Napa, it's a 2 1/8" which is minutely smaller. File the inside paint for a couple minutes and it's a good tight fit on the nut. Looks just like the 54.

 

[Rwhat]

I would go with Cruiseroutfitters. Bought some kits from him and it was quality. Plus communication with him was fast. I hate s***ty service, slow shipping and s***ty communication.

 

[Stumpalama]

There is a lot of crazy talk going on here... cone washers? Spindle bushings? Hub sockets? Included in a kit?
A hub socket is a tool and can be bought about anywhere, not to mention I don't want to pay for a hub socket everytime I do a knuckle job. I have NEVER had to replace a spindle bushing. Cone washers also last forever.
How 'but this, if you are doing a knuckle job, and it's your 1st time tell the dude on the phone and ask if there are additional parts needed or recommended, if he can't tell you or won't take the time to talk to you then you called the wrong place. If you blindly order over the interweb based on a short description of the parts and you come up with less than a full kit, then you likely got what you deserved.
Also, buy at least 4 axle seals, since you will probably trash 1 in the process and all the cool kids keep spares laying around.

 

[Heckraiser]

Also, buy at least 4 axle seals, since you will probably trash 1 in the process and all the cool kids keep spares laying around.

True story. I wish I had known this before I buggered one of mine.

 

[Rifleman]

As for buying extra axle seals because you might screw one up while installing it. I must be lucky because i have a complete machine shop at my disposal. So that means I can make a nice machined arbor to mount the seal on when i go to install it, no using sockets or pieces of pipe to install the seal with, hoping their the right size to drive the seal in place. You see, I'd only like to do this job once, so taking the time to machine a arbor to fit the seal insures that the seal goes into the axle housing nice and straight, without any nicks, or damage. Once i make this seal tool, if any other Mud members would like to have a print of it made, I'll be happy to send you a copy of it, so that way you can have a machine shop made one for your own tool box.

 

[Stumpalama]

I used the Marlin install tool which is a steel seal driver and I still dicked it up. It is always possible to screw up one of those seals. I've only messed up a seal once or twice in the 18 years I've owned cruisers. But it happens and spares are always a good thing no matter what.
I have 4 spare marlin seals thatmay never get used, but they are there if I need them, which is the important thing.

 

[TUNEUP]

Installed my lowrange kit today. Very happily surprised to open the box and find not only Koyo wheel bearings but genuine toyota trunion bearings. Not a bad kit at all.