HDJ80 Factory Lockers

[harveya]

Has anyone done a rebuild on the Diffs on an 80 or 81. I'm looking to do this later in the year and want to get the parts I need so I can do it when I need. Both Diffs are quite noisy although there isn't any noticeable swarf in the oil (changed that a while ago). I'm presuming thta the Pinion Bearing and side bearings will need replacement, hoping that the Cogs will be OK.

Anyone know what the part numbers or just the parts will be to make up a rebuild kit.

 

[crushers]

bad news:
if the front diff is noisy then i will lay my money on worn teeth on the ring gear...
solution is a new center carrier or at least gears...
the center unit is cheap (elec for $1800 or less)
the rear will probably just need the backlash reset...
cheers

 

[harveya]

Hoped it wouldn't need that. I was looking on ebay for one to swap in and hope for the best or at least have a spare to rebuild at my leisure. Oh well, save up the pennies the, Hope I would get away with Pinion bearing and Side bearings plus a set of shims for adjusting up the sides.

 

[Tapage]

Did you alredy open it .. ?

 

[harveya]

David.

No I haven't taken it out yet, problem is that the Cruiser is my daily driver and as I know that both front and rear are noisy (front is worse) then I was looking to here peoples experiences and hopefully a parts list. Hoping to do one a day, pull it out, rebuild it and put it back in. Alternative is still keep loking on ebay for a spare that I can swap in while I am doing a rebuild - actually that is the preferrec way cos you really need to measure the preload on the side bearings before yuo go and get the shims required to load it. Plus it wouldl give me more time to do a really decent job.

 

[aamiggia]

Depends what type of noise you're getting form the axles. When was the last rebuild? Unless you have excessive mileage or have never changed the diff oil, you probably don't need a new carrier. A rebuild is cheap, if you do it yourself.

My front diff was noisy and gave me a slight vibration. It turned out to be almost no preload one of the front hubs. After I rebuilt the front and rear axles the drive is much smoother and no noise. To rebuild both front and rear will take 2 days for a newb with limited auto experience. Swaping in a spare will require removing the axles (not sure if it's the front or rear, but definitely one) which is most of the work for a rebuild.

The HDJ80 axles are the same as the FZJ80 and there are multiple write ups in the 80's section. There's even a how-to DVD made by some one on the board. I've done it and let me know if you need a list of parts and / or tools.

 

[harveya]

They've never been rebuilt as far as I know. The truck has 160K miles on it so they are probably due. Also got to replace the Birfields (got them just got to get round to doing it).

Think I may have located a pair of diffs from one that is breaking that I can swap in and rebuild my own at my leisure, then sell on the ones I buy if they are good.

Interesting about the front one being noisy because of insufficient preload on the hubs. How did that get diagnosed or were you doing the hubs anyway and it cured the problem?

 

[crushers]

Interesting about the front one being noisy because of insufficient preload on the hubs. How did that get diagnosed or were you doing the hubs anyway and it cured the problem?

i am trying to picture this in my early morning head, i just can not see how the hub bearing can have anything to do with the center unit since the center unit is a completely seperate beast conneceted by the shaft...
the HDJ81 that had the noisy front diff that i owned had 136,000 on it when thefront end center unit was wrn tothe point of being noisy. according to the local Toyota guru who sees many more NA 80 series than iever will, said this is a common problem with these models even at low km...

 

[denis]

actually that is the preferrec way cos you really need to measure the preload on the side bearings before yuo go and get the shims required to load it. Plus it wouldl give me more time to do a really decent job.

The only shim in the 3rd member is the pinion depth shim ?!

 

[Tapage]

The only shim in the 3rd member is the pinion depth shim ?!

yep ..

 

[aamiggia]

i am trying to picture this in my early morning head, i just can not see how the hub bearing can have anything to do with the center unit since the center unit is a completely seperate beast conneceted by the shaft...

Harveya said that he's presuming the pinion bearing are shot from the noise he's hearing. I'm not that experienced, but I've been floating around the 80's board for a while and I've yet to hear of an 80 with a blown pinion. It can happen, but it doen't seem too frequent. Weird noises are usually due to u-joints (grrr/vibration), birfields (clicking), or in my case hub bearings (grrr).

An easy way to determine if the pinion bearing is shot is to disconnect the driveshaft and move the pinion flange. There should be no movement in / out or side to side. You can do the same for the x-fre case out put, although there is some movement because it uses needle bearings (IIRC). Read here page 2

Noise is a very difficult way to diagnose a problem in the drivetrain / running gear, just ask Romer (Ken) or PowerPig (Robbie) on the 80's forum.

What type of noise are you getting from the front?

My noise was a GRRR and is sounded like a WWII plane flying overhead. I was in need of an axle rebuild because both fr & rr diff. gear oil was contaminated with knuckle grease. The mixed grease / oil was oozing past the felt wipers on the back of the steering knuckle.

The lack of preload on the hubs was what I found when I tore into the axle. In the front the PS hub oil seal was gone (oozing grease/oil) and the DS hub had no preload and had axial (in/out) movement. In the rear it was the same thing, 1 failed oil seal and one hub with no preload.

I'm not sure if this was work done by the PO, but I think it had never been done. I think a Birfield repack / axle rebuild is due every 60,000 miles. There's tons of info on driveline noises in the 80's forum. If I were you I would only post engine questions in the international / diesel forum. Everything else should go in the 80's forum. There are a lot of very very technical people to help you out.

Alex

 

[harveya]

Managed to source a couple of Factory locking diffs from a breaker, going to pick them up next week. I'll swap these in while I rebuild my current ones unless the new ones work fine no problems in which case I will just sell on mine to someone who wants to rebuild them.

 

[crushers]

congrates.

so a "breaker" is a parts truck... right?

cheers

 

[harveya]

Yep it's a parts truck - sorry talking English English not US English

 

[Eric Winkworth]

my trucks axles seem to be really nice for having 270, 000 km's on them, don't make any nosie at all, could be because I can't hear it over the motor, LOL.

 

[harveya]

I'm just hoping that when I get the diffs done that I won't find that the transfer case was also noisy and just couldn't hear it. My truck has 160K miles on it and has been used for towing at some point in it's life - also got used on a farm for carrying straw around (found lots of it left under the carpets). Think one of the owners in the past had horses and used it to carry stuff out to the fields as well as towing a horse box.

 

[Tapage]

my trucks axles seem to be really nice for having 270, 000 km's on them, don't make any nosie at all, could be because I can't hear it over the motor, LOL.

when my engine is cold ( more with the 1HD-T ) are very very noisy .. but with operative temp .. comes to normal .. ( much less noisy tahn my 2H as normal )