Question on leaking knuckles

[okcruiser]

Longtime lurker and I have finally found a two owner 1995 I am seriously considering for purchase. Body is perfect, and a lengthy service history record. But, no where in the record have the knuckles been rebuilt, birfs etc and currently at 200k. This will be my first cruiser so certainly not an expert. Can I get your opinions on the attached pics? I assume an immediate rebuild is in order, but to be honest I've looked at several and they all look like this? No clicking currently. Thanks

 

[romelm]

Lets get that acorn out of there if you don't mind

To be honest, any 80 you come across is going to have leaky birfs. If that's the least of the problems, then its a non issue.

I bought my 80 in Jan of this year. Really bad leaks in the birfs. Purchased the kit($115) from Cruiser Outfitters and had the kit installed at a local reputable shop for less then $600.

Or buy the kit and do it yourself.

I did not not want to tackle the job myself, that is why i took it to the shop.

 

[scottryana]

The knuckle rebuild can be done by anyone that wants to take their time, do their research and has a good selection of hand tools. There might be a couple of special tools you might need to buy from your ordinary mechanics set (like a 54mm hub socket) but really some metric wrenches, sockets lots of paper towels, degreaser, fresh grease and a torque wrench and you are good to go. If everything else is tip top than I wouldn't let it stop me.

 

[VETTE60]

is that factory acorn?

 

[VETTE60]

it is not a difficult job, worth doing and learning about your front end.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

It's clearly an aftermarket acorn....one of those Chinese knock off acorns

 

[Rifleman]

After looking at your photos, on top of the leaking front end i would be looking real hard at all that rust on the axle housings. I would be checking to see how bad other parts of the truck are rusted. If you don't know how to check it yourself, then take it to a body shop and have them do a pre buy rust inspection for you. This inspection just might save you from making a very costly mistake. I can tell you from experience working on a truck with lots of rust, can, and will make even simple jobs a real pain in the a@@.

 

[okcruiser]

Thanks, I appreciate the input. Looks like I will be picking it up this week so let the addiction begin. It will make a nice companion to my 76' International scout

 

[musthave]

What kind of acorn is that? I've been looking at picking one up.

 

[jhheat]

I just replaced my factory acorn with the silicone one and constant torque clamps. Shouldn't have to worry about it again. Real pita though, needed to get a 12mm acorn wrench.

 

[Golgo13]

That is the wrong type of nut for your Aluminum wheels...

I'm with everyone else on this. This truck doesn't look so bad. I just tore into the passenger side knuckle of my '92 yesterday expecting the worst. It actually isn't bad. If you have money to spend, you could have a shop do it. Or if you're trying to save money and have lots of time, or just want the experience, do it yourself.

beno and cruiser dan can help you out with which parts you need.
There is a thread in the FAQ section by Romer which outlines how to do the rebuild in detail. Just taking everything apart on one side yesterday (with a truck in similar conditions to yours, mine has a little more rust) took 3 hours. Today I plan to do the other side and figure it won't take more than two hours. Then there is also a lot of grease to clean up.

 

[SNLC]

Ya know repacking it is something that should be done from time to time. Like once a year or once every few years depending on use. Not that many 20-25yr old Cruisers have had that kind of maintenance. So like others have said, expect to do it on any truck that it hasn't been done on in the last 2-3yrs. And even then, depending on previous uses of the truck you may want to repack it. Easy and relatively cheap to rebuild it at the same time. While in there, look for wear on sealing surfaces. Believe it or not a seal can and will wear grooves into say and axle shaft after 25yrs and hundreds of thousands of miles. That groove, even with a new seal is not going to want to seal the same as if it was all new. Generally not an issue but good idea to inspect parts while you are in there. Bad grooves or rust/pitting on sealing surfaces is not a good thing.

Cheers

 

[2MinutesTurkish]

Has anyone else noticed the acorn?

 

[hj 60]

Get the kit, beware of rusty acorns and you will need a special acorn alignment tool, local acorn club may help

 

[ranma21]

The knuckle is not bad at all, just need some love and it will be all good. I encourage you to do the rebuild yourself if possible so you know your truck better, it is not that hard, just messy. Get your self a factory repair manual or download one from mud, do some search here for the step by step instruction and you are good to go. I carry the Genuine Toyota rebuild kit as well with great discount if you are looking for OEM parts ( 30-35% off).

 

[Jason hansen]

Gonna buy an 80, so you want to be a toyota mechanic------- WELL DO YA!!!

 

[etx]

HJ60 u made me laugh my ass off

 

[BILT4ME]

That must be the supercharged model. That is the extra fuel storage (sub-tank) for the squirrels under the hood during peak power requirements.

 

[Heckraiser]

Only coming from the factory with six squirrel-power, I find the acorn mod really helps you get the most power out of your cruiser. Keeps those squrrels motivated!

I've seen a lot worse than what is pictured, so I wouldn't worry about it. I'm half way through my first knuckle rebuild and it's going slow, mainly due to my sciatica and I buggered a seal and had to get a replacement. Not hard at all, just a pain in the ass, literally in my case.

 

[LFD2037]

Get the kit, beware of rusty acorns and you will need a special acorn alignment tool, local acorn club may help

View attachment 1045893

Bwahahahah!!!!!! That rules.