Builds My 69' 55 (1 Viewer)

[ConspicuousPig]

I chose to use the MOBILE Polyrex grease. I have lots of it and I think it will hold up well here.

I like to purge out any of the factory grease from the u-joints because it might not be compatible when mixing with other types of grease. Besides that I really dont know how old it is or anything. This stuff came out and felt kind of waxy.
I repeat this step 4 times per u-joint.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

All ready to press in the new u-joints. I only applied the vibra-tite to the one bore that I had to ream out a bit.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

When I flipped the drive shaft around to do the other end I began pressing it out with the my dowel pin and 1 inch pipe Coupler in the vice. No movement as I gradually increased pressure the POP!

My heart sank. I just sat the shaft down and walked away... I returned about 10 minutes later to examine "the crack". It turns out that when the joint finely began to give, so did the 50 years of dirt and grease! I was so relieved and decided that I would cut the rest of the material out like I did on the first half prior to any more pressing in the vise.

I sanded'er down and added some paint before calling it a day.
I dont think that I will be pressing u-joints out of the yoke that way again. I find that cutting them out first makes pressing out the cap so much easier. And it eliminates the anxiety of applying a bunch of unnecessary pressure on the old drive shaft yokes.

 

[cruiserkreutz]

Nice work! You mechanic's make it look so easy

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Nice work! You mechanic's make it look so easy

Ha! Thanks! But I can assure you that I'm just like you and the rest of the "do-it-yourselfers" here on Mud.
I'm am however extremely fortunate to have access to a well established maintenance shop! Which happens to be conveniently located Smack-Dab in the middle of a machine shop!

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Here is a quick look at the maintenance shop that I work in as a 3rd year electrician apprentice. We have lots of space for my Landcruiser addiction! Weekends only, so no long overnight says! She lives at home with me but the small parts come to work with me all the time!

We have a mill back here and a lathe! Not to mention the overhead crane and welders, plasma cutters, press brakes, etc...

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Started pulling the rear end out from the 69' 55. It came out quite easily really.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

I couldn't wait to open'er up and see those nasty gears. Pulled the inspection cover with ease but that third member was being a bear! I had to take it to the shop to break it loose.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

One I got it to the shop I removed gears from the carrier and noted their condition. Not as bad as I was expecting but still ready to be replaced.

Man, I fought and fought to get that third member off and for a moment I feared that I wouldn't, until finally using a 6-in-1 tool. A couple taps with a hammer it came right off. This IS the Answer!!

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Made some reference mark's before disassembling and prepping for the parts washer.

Some pitting on the Inner Pinion Bearing Race.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Waiting on the new Ring and Pinion gears to arrive next week I decided to move forward by removing the Wheel Bearing Races from the Axle Shafts...... GOOD LUCK! At least in my case. I had them set up on the shop press an had applied 6.5 TONS of pressure registering on the pressure gauge without the slightest bit of movement. I was using a clamshell type bearing puller placed on the press with steady downward pressure, nothing... I tried applyng some heat with hopes of some explanation on the race but still nothing... I didn't push want to push my luck any further so I asked for help from my machinists buddy who runs the manual lathe. He dug out some ceramic inserts for his tooling and was able to install the shafts in his chuck. He turned the bearing races till they were paper thin. Once that thin they had become so brittle that they simply cracked and basically peeled off after a few light taps with a hammer.

The Savior!
Once the old races were off the slightest amount of rust could be seen on the shaft. I cleaned it off with a maroon scotch brite pad and some WD-40. Cleaned um right up!

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Cleaned up or not, I was a little concerned with how the new bearing races would go on to the shafts. I measured the O.D. of the shaft and the I.D. of the new race and only found it to be .001 difference which isn't bad at all. Probably just right really. Nevertheless, I had access to a bearing heater and wanted to use it. This make installing bearings onto any shaft so easy. The bearing heats up, expands and just falls into place on the shaft. Once the bearing cools around the shaft for a moment it seats and will not come off until it is pressed off. You can also bake the races to get them hot but again, this was available and made things a sinch.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Out of the shop and now Back at the 55. I wanted to make some progress on the rear suspension. I am installing OME springs on the front and rear and what I found is the bushings dont fit in the fixed hanger on the Toyota which is only 3 inches wide. But The bushings are more like 3-3/8". Much To my dismay My solution was to remove material from the bushings until they became the desired width of 3 inches. I returned to the shop and began removing material. I was careful to leave at least a little void in the center where the two bushings meet to allow grease to passage.
Pretty lame but that was my solution. I greased them up and slapped them into the springs. They installed into the hangers pretty well. I left them a little on the tight side as I believe they are intended to be.

 

[RUSH55]

Great thread! Looking forward to seeing more care given to this vintage iron!

 

[ConspicuousPig]

Great thread! Looking forward to seeing more care given to this vintage iron!

Thank you!!

 

[ConspicuousPig]

I made time today to continue working on the 69's rearend.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

I was unable to press out the bearing on the gear side in the press so I had to drive it out by using all-tread to force the bearing out. The more I turned the threads the further the bearing would separate until it finally came off.

I pulled the old gear off and installed the new one. I am using the factory 4.11 gears.

 

[RUSH55]

Nice job! These are a couple of the very few things I’ve never been into on my Cruiser. Rear axle shafts and diff, ring and pinion. Enjoying this tutorial

 

[ConspicuousPig]

I installed the new gear and torqued the bolts in a cross uniform pattern to 81 lb.-ft.
I then installed new koyo bearings using the bearing heater. The bearing just slide right on!
I then checked the run out on the gear and was within tolerance! I was right at (0.0029"). The maximum allowance is (0.0039").

I then heated and slid on the inner pinion bearing on to the new pinion.

 

[ConspicuousPig]

I am very lucky to have access to so many useful tools like the bearing heater. But something else that we have here in the shop is Liquid Nitrogen! Just like the heater expands bearings to be be slip fit, the Nitrogen freezes and will contract the bearing races to fit inside a bore.

I added my races to some pins that were being cooled.

Once submerged the Nitrogen will boil until it reaches a ridiculously low temperature. Once the boiling stops, your parts are ready.