Seriously - Rebuild the axles ?

[toojayzee]

Some of you know me from my tundra v8 swap
https://forum.ih8mud.com/hardcore-corner/341445-project-effjjay-eighty-2uz-powered.html

Now this thread may sound like im whining, its more of a rant since I like to do writeups with photos and hear your feedback.


To say that so far i've found, several dare I say flaws. Would be an understatement.

Blown motor (which is why I purchased) - fixed V8 swap (priceless)

From the usual non working windows. To a 2x4 block custom shaped and drilled/zip tied into the inner door skin to hold up the left rear window. Some of this is usual for a used rig with an unknown past with a PO.

Also not uncommon locker motors not working - fixed



Now the next saga begins - Axle rebuilds at the front and rear.

I heard a noise and experienced some unusual vibration from the front and rear. The rig has started unusually darting side to side. Acceleration results in drifting to the left and deceleration results in drifting right when on a flat road holding the steering wheel straight.

Then monday night. The dreaded clunk. (seriously are you going to make me do this ? what a costly month this has been)

Jack up the front to find that im able to move the front wheels almost an inch at the 12 and 6 o'clock position. Gawd damnit

I pull the wheels and brakes. Then onto the drive flanges in which every single one of the 12 studs is stripped and the nuts are stuck on and needed to be removed with a slide hammer... only to confirm my suspision.

The spindle nuts backed all the way off to the last thread on the spindle. So they are f***c'd as are the bearings, rotors, pads and who knows what else. I was told the front end was rebuilt several months before I purchased it. Looks like a botched job

The nut backed off

The bearing riding on the washer

The inner bearing riding where ever the fawk it wanted, thus causing a "new" variable surface. Discoloration and heat spotting are hard to read but are prevelant

 

[toojayzee]

Now the underside on the outter bearing is where its really jacked up. The bearing was spinning freely and creating a variable surface of its own as well. Spindles = scrap

Under

Uber custom drivers side birfield circlip area. I suspect the splines got messed up and the PO decided grinding the bad area was the best fix.

Well I suppose I should check the rear hubs too since its a FF. Sure as sh1t the right rear hub is all fawked up too and it has some type of rubber seal or gasket inside that looks like a coiled up snake thats bound up in the bearing casing and lock/stop.

Brakes within thousanths of thier life

 

[toojayzee]

Video footage

Here is the front. The video isnt that good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5b6Ig8NCX0

Here is the rear...caution. Scarrry http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlAGmcS2YFY

 

[greentruck]

Aargh, what a mess!

Just curious, do you know who did the "axle rebuild"? The PO, independent mechanic, dealership?

 

[toojayzee]

Aargh, what a mess!

Just curious, do you know who did the "axle rebuild"? The PO, independent mechanic, dealership?

The PO moved out of state but admited to doing the brakes with his father inlaw, but made it sound like a shop had done the rebuild.

 

[Tools R Us]

Nice fastener abuse/carnage, got torque wrench? Yes, it's important!

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Ouch. At least it'll be put together correctly the second time! I have the same problem with the spindles on my 60.

 

[toojayzee]

Anyone run without the brake backing plate ?

I run my street cars w/o brake backing plates, but not sure if it helps or harms more with debris offroad.

So far Im looking at these items. Pricing is totally random. I hope my final tally will be less than this. I havent sourced anything yet. Im going to have to sell off one or multiple of these things Losi LST RC truck, some stereo equipment, built 4runner and or TL1000R streetbike to make this happen.

All 4 Rotors Left and Right, front and rear - plus or minus $300 for aftermarket ones (I dont need them to last forever)
All brake pads Left and Right, front and rear $100 for aftermarket ones (I dont need them to last forever)
The rear bearings I think will be fine to re-use.
Just need a pair of new inner axle tube seals $30
Inner and outer front bearings tapers and races for left and right $80
Inner front hub seals $30
Spindles $250 pair of new aftermarket because im broke
Caliper rebuild kits $80
ABS Sensor pass front $125
Drive flange studs and nuts $40
54mm socket $20

I guess when I pull it apart tonight ill find out if I need a knuckle rebuild kit, trunion bearings or birf's

 

[GLTHFJ60]

There are a bunch of 40 and 60 guys, including myself, that are running without the front brake backing plates without problems.

Can't you just find used ( good ) spindles for the front axle?

 

[toojayzee]

GLTHFJ60, I havent had any luck finding good used ones for a reasonable cost. If its only a difference of 50$ at this point its worth the piece of mind that a new product would give me.

So last night I found more carnage. The pass side birf was half destroyed. I think one more outing would have had me posting in my other thread about "field replacment of a birfield"


Destroyed ABS sensor thats causing the pulsation during the 5-0mph stops

I heard someone say they used two boxes of gloves. I can relate, I think I used 3 boxes. Got daym thats a fawking mess in there. I think there must have been three tubs of grease in each side.
How much is the right amount ?

This is one side partly cleaned !

Piles of parts

I dont know if anyone has experience with these aftermarket GCK axles but they look like better than the oem that came out the pass side. Sold by Kragen/CSK/Shucks

Inner shaft driver side

Pass side inner.

Marred up and chunked out

 

[toojayzee]

Stress fractures and wear on the inner

Chunk out of inner birf on the pass side

Chipped shell

Is this wear normal here ?

Looks like debris maybe cause the groove in the axle ?
Or maybe the groove was the seal a little farther in, ill have to look again

You can see how bad the step really is in the spindle. More than a few thou.

 

[LINUS]

As for the front axle situation, was it possible that the star washer wasn't properly bent, leading to the nuts backing off?

For such a critical detail that bending one ear of the washer towards the rear, and one towards the front, you would think the FSM would highlight the crap out of the technique, or at least use some extra punctuation like a few exclaimation marks around that step.

It seems a few freshly rebuilt axles have gone rogue based on that little devil in technique.

 

[toojayzee]

As for the front axle situation, was it possible that the star washer wasn't properly bent, leading to the nuts backing off?

For such a critical detail that bending one ear of the washer towards the rear, and one towards the front, you would think the FSM would highlight the crap out of the technique, or at least use some extra punctuation like a few exclaimation marks around that step.

It seems a few freshly rebuilt axles have gone rogue based on that little devil in technique.

You sir are correct. If they were bent at one point, when the nuts backed off it flattened the washer 95% to the point that I couldnt tell it was bent.

 

[torfab]

Your cost breakdown could be better if you shop somewhere else. Try action autos in Lynnwood or Napa in MLT.

160 - brake rotors, 80 for the front and 80 for the rear
150 - loaded rebuilt calipers at Olympic Brakes
I might have 80 spindles, will check
buy bearings and seals from Kurt at cruiseroutfitters.com (use Marlin seals)
get ARP studs from your favorite autoparts store
might need to replace the hub housing if the studs were that bad
since you're this far you might as well replace the knuckle bearings and dust shield

I wouldn't take the backing plate off personally, but that's because I use good quality rotors and am not worried about warping. This is because I wheel the s*** out of my rig, and the dirt/rocks would be menacing.

 

[torfab]

The ABS sensor getting eaten up tells me you need to shim your knuckles and re-center them to the axle housing. No matter how messed up your bearings are, that shouldn't happen, because it rides within the spindle sphere.

 

[toojayzee]

Your cost breakdown could be better if you shop somewhere else. Try action autos in Lynnwood or Napa in MLT.

160 - brake rotors, 80 for the front and 80 for the rear
150 - loaded rebuilt calipers at Olympic Brakes
I might have 80 spindles, will check
buy bearings and seals from Kurt at cruiseroutfitters.com (use Marlin seals)
get ARP studs from your favorite autoparts store
might need to replace the hub housing if the studs were that bad
since you're this far you might as well replace the knuckle bearings and dust shield

I wouldn't take the backing plate off personally, but that's because I use good quality rotors and am not worried about warping. This is because I wheel the **** out of my rig, and the dirt/rocks would be menacing.

Yesterday I got hooked up at Action. 295 for front and rear rotors, front and rear pads, front hub bearings inner and outer and inner seals. So now just spindles, right axle and drive flange studs. Ill hook up with you today or tomorrow.