Tips and lessons learned from front axle knuckle rebuild (1 Viewer)

[tdskip]

Hello! With the engine pulled out now seems like a good time to deal with my front end axle leaks and deferred maintenance. This will be my first time rebuilding axles on a Toyota (or any similar off road vehicle) so very open for coaching and ideas here.

My rig is a 1968 FJ40 with FJ60s outers, it's been beat up and neglected and has several leaking seals.

Any coaching on kits and fit? This would be the time to do wheel bearings etc and brake lines I assume?

Thanks!

 

[plink01]

Ok these are just some quick thoughts off the top of my head.
You need tons of rags. Like get heaps of them, then double it. This is the messiest job you'll ever do on your car. You want a box full of disposable gloves. You want a clean place to work, preferably somewhere you can leave it overnight in case you find damage in there and need more parts.

When it comes time to putting the axle back in it can be a nightmare and take ages. It feels like it will never go back in and you must be doing something wrong.
Once you are about to blow your lid have a rest and come back and try again. Then for some reason, your doing the same thing you've been doing for 20 minutes and it just falls in. Its happened to me like that everytime I've done it and I'm not the only one.

There is some really good videos on youtube now. The 40 channel does a great one. Also from memory there is an American dude who did a good one on an 80 series. All solid axle landcruisers are pretty much the same, so 40's, 60's, 70's and 80 series are incredibly similar, maybe identical.

Get your self a good manual preferably the FSM and get stuck into it! It's really not that hard, it can be a bit daunting but all it's pretty simple. Just re assemble everything the same way you took it out and clean everything to an inch of its life.

Another quick thing I replaced the spindle bushings once and one of them didnt fit properly and malfunctioned a few weeks down the track. Apparently you have to get them machined. It turned out it was cheaper for me to just buy a whole new spindle with bush already installed then it would have been to buy the bush, whack it in myself and take it to a machine shop. I think the spindle bushing is a low wear item so if theres nothing wrong with it, dont replace it! There was nothing wrong with mine till I changed it and it caused a lot of headaches.

Good luck!

 

[cbmontgo]

A few thoughts:

Get a decent set of snap ring pliers.

Buy the thin wall hub socket, not the thick wall.

Spend the coin on quality bearings, like Koyo or Timken.

Replace your rubber brake lines while you’re in there.

Cruiser Outfitters sells complete rebuild kits.

 

[Michael Hanson]

HI, As others stated its a mess. I use a small kiddy swimming pool under the hubs, this keeps all the mess contained. Ring pliers and Toyota or OTC hub socket a must.A big breaker bar and torque wrench and fish weighing scale needed. Mike

 

[subzali]

Get a tie rod end puller. Not a pickle fork. Read some of the old threads that suggest getting a pipe to separate the birfield from the inner axle. Some of the kits don't have that inner snap ring inside the birfield, so make sure you get those pieces if you plan to separate the birfield.

Call up Cruiser Outfitters.

 

[tdskip]

Super helpful gentlemen, thank you.

 

[tdskip]

@Michael Hanson - what is the fish weighing scale for, in case anything jumps in the boat?

Kidding aside how is that used in this job?

Thanks!

 

[snaggletto]

Hub rolling preload when tightening up wheel bearings.

 

[tdskip]

Well there you go - thanks @snaggletto

 

[GA Architect]

Here is a new knuckle video: -> 40 Channel <- and there are many others you can watch on YouTube as well.

 

[php74]

Keep track of your shim placements! Also I use a Tupperware type storage container filled with simple green/water mixture and take a scrub brush to all the parts prior to reinstall. I also take a wire wheel and clean all my bolts and get them clean and rust free so easy to reinstall and get accurate torque readings. Good luck!

 

[brian]

A five gallon bucket with some diesel or kerosene makes a great parts washer.

 

[samatulich]

I agree with what the others have said. I would also suggest that you do one side at a time. That is how I went about it and the second side went so much smoother. It may also help in keeping everything in order/separate. It not hard, just messy.

 

[Curt]

If the Tie rods and steering components are worn out, replace them at the same time. Get clips if you take the birfields apart. so messy.

 

[C6H12O6]

Having just done this (twice) in the last couple months on my '74, here are some things I'd recommend:

• If you have a welder, read up on the Martack technique. Saves you down the road when it's time to pull the axles apart again.
• Print out a diagram of the order everything goes back together (search around here) and write the torque for everything on the diagram. It's easy to waste time cleaning up so you can go inside to the computer to look up the torque specs.
• Find a cardboard box that fits under the knuckle when you're cleaning out all the old grease. Just wipe it out with a paper towel or rag and drop it directly into the box. Much easier cleanup.
• Inspect everything you can before you start and order everything all at once to avoid downtime.
• If your truck is in rough shape and the hardware (studs, washers, nuts, etc.) are questionable, replace them. It adds to the cost of the rebuild, but shiny new hardware makes the reassembly SOOOO much nicer. This job takes long enough without scrubbing and wire brushing old hardware. You'll be surprised how cheap some of the hardware is—great bang for the buck. And, the new OEM knuckle studs have the the torx head. Get the socket and it's a breeze to get them torqued down properly.
• Replace the spindle hardware—lock nuts, lock washers, etc. Again, no reason to be fussing with getting the preload correct using old stuff.
• Have plenty of brake cleaner on hand. Like a case. It doesn't go bad and you'll use most of it.
• I've done it both ways, but having tried the Trail Gear spindle studs instead of nuts, I really liked the studs. Spendy, but so much easier to get everything lined up for reassembly. Totally worth it, IMHO.
• Cruiser Outfitters has everything you need and they'll take care of you if you run into trouble.

 

[tdskip]

Thanks for all of the tips and response, very helpful.

 

[tls3601]

+1 on the fish scale! Easy and works well. Following along.

 

[tls3601]

@Michael Hanson - what is the fish weighing scale for, in case anything jumps in the boat?

Kidding aside how is that used in this job?

Thanks!

It will show you how much “drag” you have in lbs.

 

[tdskip]

Follow-up question: how do I know what year outers I have? When I am ordering the rebuild kit there is a wide range of years and as the rig came with the newer outers already mounted I don't have notes on what was used.

Am I correct that the rebuild kit is based on the outers rather than main axle?

Thanks!

 

[tls3601]

Follow-up question: how do I know what year outers I have? When I am ordering the rebuild kit there is a wide range of years and as the rig came with the newer outers already mounted I don't have notes on what was used.

Am I correct that the rebuild kit is based on the outers rather than main axle?

Thanks!

Talk to cruiser outfit, maybe send them some pics too? Mine was all OEM. The guys there are excellent.