Knuckle Rebuild Issue/Question

[sonocruiser]

Just finished rebuilding knuckle on the passenger side yesterday (LX450, unlocked) and ran into an issue/question I didn't think about when taking things apart. I tried searching but didn't see anything mentioning this specifically. The hub spins fine without the hub flange installed, but when I install the hub flange, I noticed the wheel wouldn't spin. For reference, this is with just the one wheel up off the ground with the truck in 4H and park and the other 4 wheels on the ground. I can turn the wheel slightly and see the front drive shaft rotate slightly, which makes me think the end of the axle is seated properly, but the wheel will not rotate all the way around. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

At least one knuckle rebuild video (the 6th gear garage one, at about 10:00) shows the guy putting the vehicle in neutral so he can spin the birf to the position where the flat is on top, which makes me think maybe it's OK. I just don't want to mess the diff or anything up and thought I'd ask before taking the whole thing apart again to check my work. Thank you for the help!

 

[jonheld]

this is with just the one wheel up off the ground

That's the way it works. If you lift the opposite wheel at the same time, then both will be able to rotate.
You could shift the transfer case into neutral. This will allow that 1 wheel to spin the front drive shaft, but it will not spin as freely due to the viscous coupler in the transfer case.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Your front wheels are mechsnically connected to each other via the diff, and connected to the rear wheels via the transfer case and diffs.
With the other 4 wheels ( not sure how you have a Lexus with 5 wheels ) on the ground, to turn the raised wheel with the flange installed by hand, you would essentially drive the car forward by hand.

 

[sonocruiser]

@jonheld @mudgudgeon great thank you! I figured that was the case since I could see the shaft trying to move as I turned the wheel. This being my first time changing bearings and axles on a full time 4wd, coupled with battling stuck tie rod ends and threads about things gone awry by failing to fully insert the axle has my brain fried. This thing makes me little neurotic sometimes.