rear hub leak?

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Devil's Slide Doug

Devil's Slide Doug

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1993 minitruck with 160,000 miles. What seal do I need to order to fix this? Yes, the brown liquid smells like gear oil and is not a coffee that someone spilled. I changed out the rear gear oil about 4k miles ago. I guess the detergents are doing their thing as they work their way through which is why it is brown and rusty looking. (I have not driven through any water). Later today or tommorrow am I will dig in as I need to get my truck on the road in order to drive up to the McGrew trail in less than a week.
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My dos centavos. I think the Marlin seals for the solid axle front are the bomb. That is one seal that is an issue and seems to need frequent replacement. On the rear though, they seems to last. I've only changed them when I've had the diffs out for service, and never had a problem with them. I would go OEM for the rear, along with the o-ring. The rear seal from Toyota is about $5.60 each (vs $9 from Marlin) and you won't pay the shipping from Marlin. The o-ring is about $1.50
 
Check the axle vent to make sure it is working. If it isn't all you may need to do quickly is free it up.

Second, there is a link to a '93 FSM online in the FAQ. Also ToyoDIY.com has parts lists and diagrams giving Toyota part numbers and most importantly what Toyota calls the part. You'll need your VIN#.
 
There are actually 3 seals on each side: the seal in the end of the housing, the big O-ring, and there's another seal behind the brake backing plate. You have to press the plate off the axle shaft to get to it, it's a giant PITA without a press and the jig to do it with. You can replace the other 2 pretty easily, but it's often that the other seal is the culprit, so you'll get to tear it apart again.
 
Looking at fsm diagrams It appears as if the bearing is sealed and the inner seal keeps the diff lube out of the wheel bearing and the outer seal keeps water and such away from the bearing? Is a press necessary or can I pound the axle out of the backing plate by supporting the backing plate with blocks. Short term fix without special tools would be to replace the axle seal located in the axle housing along with a new o-ring and call it done?
How many miles do the rear bearings typically last?
 
If kept lubed properly, the life of the vehicle.
 
douglashuft said:
Short term fix without special tools would be to replace the axle seal located in the axle housing along with a new o-ring and call it done?
Click to expand...

Yes, more than short term.
 
You'll know if the bearings need to be replaced when you pull the axle shaft. If there's a lot of wobble at the backing plate, then you might as well replace them. Unlike Cruiser axles, they are a sealed bearing, nothing to maintain. Their life span is dependant on how much they were abused, but I have seen them easily go 200K+ miles without problems.

We've had threads here before about replacing that seal behind the backing plate. Bottom line: some have done it by holding the axle by the backing plate and slamming it down HARD on a board on a concrete floor. I tried it once and I thought I was gonna have a stroke, so I made a jig for my press, now it's much easier. It's surprising how tight that press fit is, I have had to max out my 20 ton press a few times, and when they finally let go it's with a loud BANG.

You could go for the short-term fix, replace the 2 easy seals, see if it stops the leak. But with gear oil coming out from where your picture shows, my money is on that other being the problem.
 
Bearings, seals, retainers, snap rings, etc. are all on the way from Cruiser Dan. I will be attempting the shade tree method since I don't have access to a press. I will even pack the fronts while I am at it since they are overdue. I have one day to get this done in my driveway. I have a lot of serious cleaning to do on the oily drum and shoes which are nearly new (but contaminated by gear lube). If I don't get this done in time for the weekend I will be forced to drive the 80 up to the Mcgrew trail run which will not please the:princess: who prefers driving the cruiser instead of her pos.
 
I seem to recall there is a retainer that needs to come off before you pound. I took mine to a local shop and they said something about a cold chisel.
 
There's a snap ring that has to come off first, then the bearing and retainer are pressed off together. I've also seen reports from people cutting the retainers off with a cutoff tool or a Dremel, but I wouldn't do that. One nick in the axle shaft, and you compromise the shaft integrity, it may snap out on the trail.
 
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