How to lubricate front axle shaft bushings?

[Mxndrnks]

Dan,

I guess that is why I am scratching my head. The Slee too is threaded on the inside but from everything I can figure out, there is nothing for it to screw onto. Are we expected to attempt to hold it in place with one hand while also trying to operate a grease gun?

 

[spressomon]

Sorry...I haven't had the Slee spindle bearing grease tool in hand. If the ID is threaded then yes it sounds like you need to remove the nut(s). I assumed there would be more labor savings apart of the specialty tool...

There's a better way to design a tool for this job but it would be far more costly to build...then you wouldn't need to redo the bearing preload/mess with the bearing lock nuts.

using an old hub flange, a little cutting and grinding work on a piece of flat stock and a bead of welding you could come up with a tool that wouldn't require removing the bearing adjuster/lock nuts...

 

[Mxndrnks]

Maybe Slee will clarify. It seems a few people in this post have been trying to figure out the same but he hasnt addressed it yet.

 

[spressomon]

I went to Slee's site but I don't see the tool listed there anymore.

Going back to post 6 of this thread it certainly appears, just as Phil stated, the Slee spindle bearing lube tool requires the bearing nuts to be removed.

 

[Mxndrnks]

It is still there at the bottom of the first/home page. All it says is:

"Grease Toyota spindle bushings without removal of spindle or wheel hub. Only removal of drive flange or locking hub required. Tool screws onto spindle and then grease is pushed past the axle shaft to the spindle bushing. Used with all Toyota threaded spindles( 40,60,80,100 and Mini Truck)"

But that is it.

Thanks Dan. This is coming up on my maint list soon. So, I will see if he responds. If not, I will call him up and report back for others.

 

[sleeoffroad]

We normally do this service when you do wheel bearings. So we grease it when the hub is off. However if you are not removing the hub, you have to remove the outer nut. Not need to remove both.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

We normally do this service when you do wheel bearings. So we grease it when the hub is off. However if you are not removing the hub, you have to remove the outer nut. Not need to remove both.

Using this tool how does one know how much grease is getting to the bushing on a 100 series?

 

[sleeoffroad]

Phil, You push the axle in just like you mentioned, and then grease until you see the grease oozing out of the gap between the spindle bushing and the axle shaft. This way you are sure that the grease covers the complete inside of the spindle bushing.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

Phil, You push the axle in just like you mentioned, and then grease until you see the grease oozing out of the gap between the spindle bushing and the axle shaft. This way you are sure that the grease covers the complete inside of the spindle bushing.

With the above said what is the benifit of this tools use on the 100 series?

I see how it can work as great tool and time saver for the 40, 60, and 80 series. With the additional time, labor, and additional required tools for the 100 series with this tool I dont see this tool helping.

 

[sleeoffroad]

It is just a tool. One can remove the hub nuts with a pair of channel locks or chisel and hammer as well. Doesn't mean it is right, but can be done. Personal choice.

What it does do is makes sure the grease comes in contact with the whole spindle. With your needle setup you have no way of knowing how far the grease has traveled into the spindle bushing.

Know you are in fact getting grease to where you want it

Based on the above picture, how do you know how much grease got to the roller bearing that is inboard of the brass portion of the bushing? When we grease it, we will actually see the exact same thing as you, except that we know the grease has traveled past the roller bearing to get to that point.

Know exactly how much grease is being applied

based on what is the above? Number of pumps? And why is this so important?


Also, as I said we normally do this when we do a wheel bearing service on a IFS truck. So threading the tool on and greasing it is just way easier that keeping the axle pushed in and trying to mess around with a needle adapter etc. Now if you really do not want to remove the drive flange I can see why one would do it your way.


My techs are Toyota trained and that is what they did at the dealer. Every wheel bearing service (like a 100 with serviceable bearings) or with cartridge style bearings when they are replaced, the bushing is greased.

 

[Mxndrnks]

It is just a tool. One can remove the hub nuts with a pair of channel locks or chisel and hammer as well. Doesn't mean it is right, but can be done. Personal choice.

While I understand where you are coming from, as a customer it was really disappointing to order one of these and recieve it in a box without any explanation of how it is supposed to work, no instructions, tips, nada. And the question as to how this works has come up multiple times on the board.

Instead I stand here scratching my head, trying to read the FSM to figure it out and having to rely on the rest of the board for help figuring it out....

Perhaps a separate thread for us DIY'ers as to how you would recommend using this tool and for what procedures would help a lot of people understand it use and benefits. Then they can decide if they want to spend the coin on it or go the the other route mentioned in this thread.... I mean options are good right?

 

[RobRed]

There are plenty of tools in the universe that dont come with instructions - I'm sure it is presumed if you are buying this tool from Slee that you know what you are doing with it. If I get Christo's gist here it's basically something they made for the shop to replicate the Factory servicing.

Now having said that I would certainly welcome some how to on using such a tool. This is an forum where folks like to get their hands dirty. If it makes my life easier and does the job in a more precise manor I'll buy one. Right now I don't know if it does that.

 

[elkaholic]

I can guarantee you it will make the job easier. There are similat rools available to Dana front axles that I have used in the past. The needle bearing that is inside the spindle of most live spindle 4x4s are often ignored with really bad results.

As RobRed stated, there are plenty of tools that do not come with instructions ... most hand tools in fact. If you tear down the front end to the steering knuckle just once, the use of the tool will become fairly obvious. The beuty of this tool is that you will not have to pull the spindle to ensure that you adequately lube the needle bearing. That said, it does make sense to pull the spindles every so often to visually inspect the bearing and spindle.

 

[hankinid]

I ordered one in late September this year...noticed a vibration/shimmy in the steering wheel. Tires were rotated and balance checked w/ no changes, and I'd done the outer bearings and seals the month before.

So, ordered the tool from Ben. With the axle nuts removed, I goofed around with tool until I noticed the axle stub needs to be pushed towards centerline before the tool can screw over the axle. The job can get a little messy unless the tool is tight up against the axle...I used a strap wrench and may fit a thin gasket onto the tool the next time.

Steve

 

[sleeoffroad]

While I understand where you are coming from, as a customer it was really disappointing to order one of these and recieve it in a box without any explanation of how it is supposed to work, no instructions, tips, nada. And the question as to how this works has come up multiple times on the board.

To be honest, I never even thought about instructions. We used to sell the 54mm socket as well and we thought this was just another tool. We thought that is people know the need to grease the spindle they probably know what they are doing in terms of taking the front end apart. I guess we could do a little write-up, but where should it start? All the way to where you start removing the dust cap?

 

[CappyKD]

I own the Slee tool. I used it when re-doing the wheel bearings as Christo said. I figured out how to use it, but it wouldn't hurt to do a quick write up and post it on your site.

Thanks,

 

[RobRed]

To be honest, I never even thought about instructions. We used to sell the 54mm socket as well and we thought this was just another tool. We thought that is people know the need to grease the spindle they probably know what they are doing in terms of taking the front end apart. I guess we could do a little write-up, but where should it start? All the way to where you start removing the dust cap?

Christo How about starting at moving the truck into the garage and jacking it up ?

Seriously how about a simple you tube video shot on someone's iPhone at the point you use the tool. I don't think anyone is asking for the instructions on how to reach service mode on the hub/axle as there are plenty of those tutorials.

Sent from my iPad 2 using IH8MUD

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

What it does do is makes sure the grease comes in contact with the whole spindle. With your needle setup you have no way of knowing how far the grease has traveled into the spindle bushing.

Based on the above picture, how do you know how much grease got to the roller bearing that is inboard of the brass portion of the bushing? When we grease it, we will actually see the exact same thing as you, except that we know the grease has traveled past the roller bearing to get to that point.

Toyota designed the bushing to pull grease into the bushing and bearing years ago. You are wrong to say Toyotas design does not work and needs your tool. I have 150K miles of using my method to prove that Toyota's long time design still works.

There are 100 of threads on cone washer removal due to the difficultly to the average home do it yourself. My method does not require cone washer removal or require a hub socket to remove the spindle nut to use your tool. My method is not said to be better just a much easier alternative for the 100 DIY guys that does not have the tools or skills to use your tool.

 

[Mxndrnks]

To be honest, I never even thought about instructions. We used to sell the 54mm socket as well and we thought this was just another tool. We thought that is people know the need to grease the spindle they probably know what they are doing in terms of taking the front end apart. I guess we could do a little write-up, but where should it start? All the way to where you start removing the dust cap?

Honestly, the way I understood it was being promoted in this thread (perhaps a right brain/left brain interpretation thing) it prevented you from having to break things down as that far. Thus making the service a more frequent option for people buying it. And a better option than the needle and grease gun method.

This is a specialty tool not a 54mm socket or some other "hand tool". It is a very specific tool used for a very specific application in a very specific method. Half this thread is debating the merits of the needle method and the other half trying to figure out how your tool works. So, a need for some type of write up shouldn't be too big of a surprise.

I made the suggestion of a write up so it could benefit others on here. Even in the post above yours Han writes:

"With the axle nuts removed, I goofed around with tool until I noticed the axle stub needs to be pushed towards centerline before the tool can screw over the axle. The job can get a little messy unless the tool is tight up against the axle...I used a strap wrench and may fit a thin gasket onto the tool the next time."

I am sure your guys are aware of things like this. Why not share it...

 

[hankinid]

"With the axle nuts removed, I goofed around with tool until I noticed the axle stub needs to be pushed towards centerline before the tool can screw over the axle. The job can get a little messy unless the tool is tight up against the axle...I used a strap wrench and may fit a thin gasket onto the tool the next time."[/I]

I am sure your guys are aware of things like this. Why not share it...

The "fooling around" I wrote of involved maybe 30 seconds of my time. I'd greased the bearings on both sides the week before, so once the drive flanges came off I saw the only thread available. That said, I knew the stub had to be backed out of the bearings to lube the innermost bearing (Phil's pics, and thanks Phil). That makes it mandatory to remove the locknut, lockwasher, and inner nut.

The part about tightening was also obvious since just as grease begins to get where you want it, you may see it oozing out from under the tool...the fix there is to tighten the tool a little.

I don't think a single page instruction would hurt, starting with the flange removed. The other thing to emphasize is that the boot needs to be moved toward centerline so you can actually see when grease gets to the inner bearing. Thanks again, Phil. The tool itself is 99% intuitive.

The only change I'd make to the tool would perhaps be a couple of flats toward the fitting-end to allow a wrench to tighten it if necessary.

Thanks also to Slee as the tool fixed the intermittent vibration issue.

Steve