how can one tell when knuckle needs rebuilt?

[jhstatts]

Wow. Thanks everyone. And thanks, gamberro... I thought I was hijacking your thread.

I will do all bearings. I just wanted to be sure. I am cetain I will have questions once I get started, so please stand by.

 

[KLF]

Just wanted to add a few tips since I've done this job a couple of times in the past month.

Muffin pans are excellent for keeping all the small parts organized. Check yard sales to get some cheap.

Before I get started and all greasy, I photocopy the exploded view diagram out of the FSM, highlight or write all the torque numbers on it, then tape it to the fender. Saves you from having to look the stuff up later and getting your expensive manuals all greasy.

Get a couple of M10x1.25 threaded studs (mini-truck exhaust studs work great), loosely screw them into the knuckle before you start putting the backingplate/gasket/spindle/seal sandwich back on the knuckle. This will hold it all in place, you can get 6 of the 8 bolts installed, then remove the studs and put the last 2 bolts in.

 

[Cascade Cruiser]

Pay attention to which way the oil seals face when you remove them.

this is good advice

 

[kevin g]

Before I get started and all greasy, I photocopy the exploded view diagram out of the FSM, highlight or write all the torque numbers on it, then tape it to the fender. Saves you from having to look the stuff up later and getting your expensive manuals all greasy.

That is a great idea. Too bad I didn't think or hear of that before I did mine. My FSM is filthy.

 

[Doc]

A filthy FSM is a loved FSM.

 

[Haskins1111]

One little hint about the retaining clip, mine didn't have holes in it to use my retaining clip puller so i drilled two small holes on each side and bam i was able to put them back in now problem.

 

[donphillipe]

I have a ’90 FJ62 and I am 2 days into the knuckle rebuild. I found these differences in the online photo examples posted here and what I encountered:

- the brake calipers had to be removed because the caliper was attached to a stainless line that led from the caliper where it was attached to a clip on the brake shield and that clip was welded (with a brad) to the shield (could not be detached from the shield). At this point, the brake line was screwed into this junction which was part of the clip attached to the shield. From the braded clip, the brake hose could not be unscrewed because the brake hose went over to the axle housing where it was fastened with a U clip on one side and a E clip on the other side. Screwed into the other side of this brake line was the stainless line that went toward the deferential. I had to detach the line on the differential line going into the brake hose, remove the 2 clips and only then could I slide the brake hose and shield assembly
- one of the clips had rusted to the point where it broke in half when I tried to remove it (looking for one now)
- I found that the bottom plate that supports the lower knuckle bearings on this model did NOT have cone washers
- I found an indention had been ground into the axle where it passes the inner seal. This concerned me so I cleaned up the birfield assembly and took it to the local Toyota service center and hunted down the Land Cruiser specialist. He told me to “sand it off and it would be OK”. It appears to be around 1/32” deep as if the seal has rubbed a grove in the axle.

Curiosity: I have only owned this cruiser for only a couple years. It has around 210K miles on it and I know it set up for around a year once. I see that the outside of the knuckles have become a bit rusty and pitted. This didn’t look good when I started my final cleanup of the area, so I got into sanding it and some of it came off with sandpaper. Should I be concerned about this and should I keep grinding away until it comes clean (or should I say clean-er)?

One spotted problem leads to another so with everything undone now, I also found a seeping caliper. So I decided to replace them too. I got to looking at the rotors, and they had been ground before too thin, so I ended up having to buy new rotors too. The brake hoses have large cracks so I ordered replacements for those too. Should be here tomorrow.

Hope to be done by the weekend!

 

[RS41AB]

God its a messy job.

And it will take you at least a weekend if you've never done it before. BUT... It's worth it for piece of mind and damn your axles will look nice afterwards.

Did I tell you it was a really messy ball busting job? No? It's really messy and ball busting.;pYou will drink this many within the first 3 or 4 hours.

 

[ARSmay]

And it will take you at least a weekend if you've never done it before. BUT... It's worth it for piece of mind and damn your axles will look nice afterwards.

Did I tell you it was a really messy ball busting job? No? It's really messy and ball busting.;pYou will drink this many within the first 3 or 4 hours.

Dude those pics of the squeaky clean parts gave me a chub. I did this job on my HiLux when I installed the Marlin HiSteer, and I'm stockpiling the parts, and prepping for the FJ62 job now.
Ballbusting dirty job, yes. But oh, perhaps one of the MOST rewarding jobs you can do for your rig.

 

[agent orange]

It loses its magic after you break a couple birfs. I had a messed up hub stud (i guess the stud hit a rock?) and had to pull the f-ing knuckle off last time i broke one.

Try to be in the knuckles the least you can, just replace it all and do it right once.

That includes longfields if you wheel it hard.

 

[Cruzerman]

While I don't have any first hand experience with Marlin's improved axle seals myself, I have heard good things about them. They are suppose to be better than OEM and perhaps will keep you from having to do this again any time soon.

 

[chajazz]

1-2 gallons of de-greaser, about 25 paris of latex gloves ( I like to change mine frequently), two good jackstands, and a case of Killians Red.

more like 1 case then 2 cases of nature light when you get into putting to drivers side axle back in. it a B....

 

[Wile E Coyote]

While I don't have any first hand experience with Marlin's improved axle seals myself, I have heard good things about them. They are suppose to be better than OEM and perhaps will keep you from having to do this again any time soon.

I do have recent experience. They do appear to have more material, and stronger around the sealing surface. I can see how they would seal more effectively w/ an out-of-round axleshaft.

 

[60muzz]

The Inner Axle Seal Fit

Hello all, new to the site, extremely gratefull for all the free knowledge cos i don't have any!

I've got the leaking inner oil seal front and rear. Just took the rear hub apart to see what was in there (is there a post on this site re rear axles?) before tackling the front - not as confusing as i feared.

The inner axle seal basically stops diff oil mixing with the bearing/knuckle grease right? So the rubber of the seal should be in contact with the axle in order to stop the oil spilling out? Because the new replacement seal I have leaves a little gap and doesn't seem to seal anything!! Is that right or wrong?? How tight or loose should it be?

 

[BluewaltFJ60]

just finished this job on my 86 fj60. Lots of good advice here and on Jim Philips' thread. Many thoughts; amsoil seems to be the only ones that have moly grease, the Marlin innner axle seals look way better, got all my stuff from SOR but why is it when you buy rebild kits that they don't put absolultey everything you need in there, like the half moon plates that back up the felt and rubber seals or the little o-ring that goes on the aisin hub "handle"...or all the cone washers! OK enough gripes. A big bag of terry rags from Home Depot i thnk works better than paper towels.
Of the things I found, if you are having trouble getting the long axle all the way in...you have it halfway into the knuckle and it does not want to seem to go all the way, go to the other side and turn the hub slightly, or if you have dissasembled that side too place the axle in there and give a little turn, maybe turning the driveshaft might work too. It took me at least fifteen minutes to come up with this idea. Anything to minimize the head-scratching
Brass hammer a must and drifts too, punches are not the same as drifts. You can't do it without flat tipped snap ring pliers and stay sane. Amazon.com has a good selection of hammers at good prices.
Do not mix up your shims when you remove the upper and lower knuckle caps. I came very close to doing that but dodged that bullet.
Since I was in there and I have 160k miles, I replaced everything I could, including rotors and calipers (they had sat for some time), went to flex ss lines to the wheels. Actually all the bearings and races looked fine but you got the kit, it's all apart, you might as well do it. The only thing that was a little dicey was driving the new wheel bearing races in (very carefully with a large brass drift) I think better to get a driver set and not worry about little teeny shavings of brass and blowing them out with an air gun.
I asked my trusted local mechanic about a preload gauge, he looked at me and smiled but when I mentioned trunion bearings he said "well maybe you might want one for that". It took me a while to read that a fish scale was the next best thing, Marlin sells a nice one. Plus I live next to the water and can weigh my stripers.
I like a previous suggestion of filling the diff with oil, running it, draining it and filling again, yes, there was some grey gunk in there.
that's all I can think of right now, thanks to all the other posters here.
i am still wondering why the FSM says to preload the wheel bearings then loosen, then torque again to 45lbs....and leave it at that, certainly not what I have read numerous places here...and I think I know whom I can trust

 

[phoenix60]

I was able to build a press to tap the seal in that worked great to tap in axle seal. Heres a pic of a half inch drive socket with an extension installed backwards.

For the bigger seal I just used a block of maple or oak.

 

[Akcruiser84]

I just rebuilt mine as well but now the wheel is stiffer than the other one. Is it supposed to be harder to turn?

 

[Zjohnsonua]

I just rebuilt mine as well but now the wheel is stiffer than the other one. Is it supposed to be harder to turn?

I'm gonna assume you mean it is harder to spin one tire than the other. If that's the case then you've over-tightened the wheel bearings on the "stiff" side. You'll need to back off the adjusting nut. Search a bit, and you'll find the procedure for setting it properly. Don't drive it at speed until you can back that load off or else the bearings will overheat.

 

[Akcruiser84]

I noticed it was harder to spin even before I put on the adjustment nut