Need Mud help near Wash. D.C in VA just outside beltway. (1 Viewer)

[IdahoDoug]

My daughter has our 80 in Annandale, VA just outside the beltway. The LF wheel began smoking and its birfield grease on the inboard surface of backing plate. As routine maintenance, I added grease to the plug about 500 miles ago, checked tightness of the 4 lower knuckle nuts and left town. Then this started, and I feel I overfilled it.

Oddly, the grease is not coming from the felt/rubber sweep seals. In fact, its dry in that area. Which concerns me that the spindle bolts are loosening, allowing blobs of grease to escape there. When she popped the plastic hubcap off, there is no sign of grease there.

About 10,000 miles ago, I did a full front axle repack and all well until I jammed grease in the plug. So, I am hoping someone on Mud in the area has the skills to check those spindle bolts. You"ll remove wheel, caliper, and undo those pesky little taper washer fasteners. Then pull the hub off to reveal the spindle bolts. Check torque, and look for any obvious grease leaks, then shove the hub back on and button it up. No cleaning, no opening the birf, etc. Key skills are being able to set wheel bearing preload, and knowing how to get those tapered washer fasteners off, and back on with their delicate super low torque.

My cell is 208-762-3451. Any input on cause welcome if this has happened to others. We already tried sucking grease out the square fill plug hole - too thick.

Thanks in advance for thoughts, and I will pay for your time n miles.

Rgds, Doug

 

[voodu3]

Reach out to @OTRAMM his shop is in northern Virginia. Auto Repair Bealeton VA - Mechanic Near Me - Oil Change - https://otramm.com/
They probably can’t do anything until Monday but that’s where I’d start.

 

[OTRAMM]

Ive seen them where to much grease was in the knuckle and as it warmed up it pushed up the spindle, through the wheel bearings, and out the inner hub seal on to the rotor.

 

[IdahoDoug]

OTRAM, or anyone who can reach him right now this evening. Could you call me on my phone above? I am 10 mins from buying an airline ticket out there with all parts and tools in hand. If anyone has his text or other way of reaching him - minutes count tonight. Thanks.

 

[OTRAMM]

OTRAM, or anyone who can reach him right now this evening. Could you call me on my phone above? I am 10 mins from buying an airline ticket out there with all parts and tools in hand. If anyone has his text or other way of reaching him - minutes count tonight. Thanks.

Hi Doug, Sorry. Just woke up and saw this. I went to bed early last night. I'll try and give you a call in a bit once it's a more reasonable hour on your end.

 

[Comet]

Doug, have you posted on the Clubhouse in the DC area?

VA/DC/MD- Capital Land Cruiser Club

forum.ih8mud.com

VA- Bay to Blue Ridge Cruisers

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[IdahoDoug]

So, I grabbed a flight out, and am in DC to square the Cruiser away. Grabbed tools and seals, threw them in my luggage and will get 'er done in a driveway starting in a few minutes. Details later. Reason this has to be taken care of is that she's moving cross country in a couple weeks. Will check in after I complete surgery - wish me luck.

 

[ajax1]

When my was leaking super bad I replaced everything on that side, is it the long side? Mine was getting grease all over the caliper, backing plate, ball and tire

 

[IdahoDoug]

Yup. So somehow over filling the birf appeared to damage the inner wheel bearing seal. Displaced the spring, even caused a piece of the rubber lip to get torn off. Perhaps it jammed the lip tightly on the spindle's seal lip running surface and it overheated? Hard to reconcile considering it would have been slathered with grease, though perhaps before So I did a complete repack. Didn't have a new seal for under the spindle's 8-bolt flange, but I brought a tube of uber expensive Toyota FIPG in case anything like that happened. Can't wait to get THAT off in another 60,000 miles....

I'd also like to thank the folks that reached out, and over the years all the knowledge here created by you knuckle heads. As I was flying out, I reflected that because of my years on Mud and all the repacks I've done, I was 100% confident I could get this squared away in a driveway 2500 miles from home. On the same day and fly back out. Years of repacks have left me with piles of spare seals, gaskets and even a set of front wheel bearings which I brought. All I knew was it was absolutely puking grease, and it was NOT the lower 4 knuckle bolts loosening. Every time I touch either Cruiser underneath (even for an oil change), I superstitiously put a wrench on all 8 while I under it to be sure.

Anyhow, she was not feeling undue tire rocking at 6 and 12, but I worried from across the country that perhaps those spindle bolts were loosening and she didn't have the power to get that spindle to move. Turned out nothing but the blown seal. We were in a pinch because she's leaving the DC area to meet us in MI with the Cruiser, then from there I'm driving it back to Idaho full of stuff. She's moving to Boise - got accepted to law school though she's thinking of a total switch to become a Nurse Practitioner which I think more highly of. So, the likelihood of finding someone who can get her in was low (before someone rec'd Ryan, and he kindly called on a Sunday!). Even that would have been frightful for me, as driving it an hour on the freeway to his place would have been a stresser and I'm glad I came out. The caliper was full of grease, the vented rotor was, too. The smoke she reported was scary and I now see that a hot day in heavy traffic would easily have caught the rotor on fire and probably destroyed the Cruiser. When it happened, she called and I said "tow it" and that was $225 for 7 miles.

Anyhow all's well. I just got the tools put back in my luggage and cleaned up to fly home. Headed out now to test drive it. Thanks again, all!!