Rear axle install help (1 Viewer)

[rjones]

In the process of reinstalling my rear axles after differential work and I seem to have an issue. When I slide the axles in the mating surface isn’t flush, there’s about a 5 mm gap that feels sort of squishy. I can tighten nuts and remove the gap but it doesn’t "feel" right to me. Any comments on this this is normal? Replaced the O-ring and inner seal (per the FSM stating that they’re not reusable) and I’ve double checked that the seal is fully seated.

Apologies for the crappy photo. It was kind of dark and I couldn’t get the light right. This is the driver side and the nuts are just somewhat flush, they haven’t really been tightened at all, but this is the squishy gap:

Thanks in advance,
rjones

 

[JunkCrzr89]

Just tighten the nuts incrementally in crisscross pattern

 

[OEMGUY0720]

Yup that area must be tightened, air tight. Cross method is the most effective.

 

[nissanh]

Make sure the oil seal is riding in the middle of the retainer seal: See the sharpie test done bt Timmy the tool man.
IS your ABS sensor catching on to something on the axle?

I've done several toyota rear axles and never had a gap. it slides in easily.

 

[rjones]

Circling back here in case anyone else does the same bonehead thing I did...

Found the issue. I put the O-Ring in the wrong spot. In my limited defense it was dark when I pulled the axles out and my garage has crappy lights and I was also hurrying because I needed to get the diff out as it was going to the gear shop in the early morning so I didn't notice where the O-Ring came from. When I put it all back together I referenced the first link below and from that drawing I though in went inside the bearing case next to the axle bearing. On the second link it doesn't even show the O-Ring.

Thank you @nissanh for the Timmy the Tool Man suggestion. When he pulled the axle out I luckily noticed the O-Ring placement and then did some more digging and found the @Skidoo photo below as well (Thanks to @Skidoo also!). Pulled the axles back out, put the O-Ring in the correct place and sure enough, slid right in.

O-Ring seems to be in the wrong location on this exploded:

LEXUS LX470UZJ100L-GNAGKA - POWERTRAIN-CHASSIS - REAR AXLE SHAFT HUB | Japan Parts EU

LEXUS LX470UZJ100L-GNAGKA , REAR AXLE SHAFT HUB

www.japan-parts.eu

Not present at all on this one:

LEXUS LX470UZJ100L-GNAGKA - POWERTRAIN-CHASSIS - REAR AXLE SHAFT HUB | Japan Parts EU

LEXUS LX470UZJ100L-GNAGKA , REAR AXLE SHAFT HUB

www.japan-parts.eu

@Skidoo Photo:

Cheers,
rjones