Which end of the hammer do I hold? Noob knuckle rebuild

[FJ60Seth]

I think Marlin has the detent balls.

 

[snowboardonsnow]

And I think kurt sells the boots only doesn't he? Call and ask him but if he doesn't Man a fre has them for sure.

Popping the trunnion bearings out is simple even with a screw driver, one side hit to the next back and forth. Put them in carefully with a large socket or drift making sure you don't hit the inside.

For the shims, I would only say go tighter if A. the preload feels loose (think about lifting X about of #s when pulling on the steering arm. Or B. you are running bigger tires, then you want to go on the tight side for sure.

 

[deaddrift]

I found out Marlin has the hub ball and spring but bummer, it's $3.99 which is not that bad but the cheap slow shipping is $8.75, and the get it here in a couple of days shipping is $15 or something. This is how I learn to pay attention to what I'm doing with parts I guess.

Thanks for the tip about the bearings. I'm planning on using the old bearing to tap in the new race, so it goes socket-->old bearing-->new race, is this right?

I found a pdf about a knuckle-centering tool online, here it is, not for the first time I'm sure. It also helped me to understand how to use it since I never have before.

 

[Simozed]

Thank you Juggernaut.

I reversed the castle nut myself. I have since gotten the knuckles all the way apart and removed the steering arms with a pickle fork, tearing the heck out of my tre boots and revealing the internal rust. Should I be getting new 555 tre's or is there a better alternative out there?

I have not seen bearing races being replaced in the write ups I've read. One of my races was shot, looking at the bearing that was in it it's no wonder (pic #1 post #2). That was a Chinese bearing and I had a shop press in the new race, which is a Koyo. However that still leaves me with three old bearing races in the hubs.

My FSM shows setting preload on the trunion bearings (right term?) but I have not seen others do this in their writeups either, unless I'm missing something.

Three studs came out of my knuckles as I removed the trunion bearing posts (term?)

[EDIT]I bought some '95 4runner calipers and pads and will be installing them instead of rebuilt LC calipers. I had the rotors ground; they are marginal thickness but waaaaay better than they were. However since they've already been machined I can't press in new races, and since they're so thin if I need to it will mean buying new rotors and attaching them to my old hubs, which I am trying to avoid because the $$$ is piling up fast.

Questions:

1. Anyone have feedback on TRE's?
2. Are my old chinese bearing races OK with my new Koyo bearings? The sizes match up, best I can tell.
3. Do I need to worry about preload or will replacing the shims as I found them take care of this? How do I set preload? [EDIT: figured this out]
4. Can I just put a second nut on the knockle studs and drive 'em back in there? Judge how deep to drive 'em based on the studs that didn't come out?
5. How do I remove the axle seals without the SST?

I am in the middle of this again after a rainy weekend with the family and would appreciate any help offered. Thanks for reading.

1. i just used normal replacement TRE's on my cruiser from local parts store and worked fine not total sure what ur asking here?
2. please for the love of god do not use the new bearings with old races this is a good way to dramatically shorten the life of ur shiny new bearings.
3.the preload of these bearing is set buy the shims u put in, too smaller shim and the bearing will be too tight, too many shims and it will have too much play. with the shims and bearings in all done up with the steering still disconnected you should be able to turn the knuckle freely (it should not be tight) and it should have no play up and down.
4.clean the studs up and housing where they thread in put some permanent grade thread locker on them, double nut it and wind it in ive had these come out also, u can buy new ones they are cheap.
5.buy a seal puller, BUT if you absolutely must, use a FLAT blade screw driver put it on the metal casing of the seal and use a hammer to give it a hit ( u need to hit it not just tap it ) i usually do this opposite sides and it will bend the seal enough to leaver it out.

 

[snowboardonsnow]

go with 555 tres if nobody has said it yet.

As far as the knuckle "moving freely" that's a broad statement. Pull on the steering arm and pretend your pulling up Xamount of # like I said. I dotn remember the preload specs 8-12#? but I would shoot for 10# and if you are running this is important! either bigger tires 33s or up OR! spacers or less BS wheels like 2.5 BS then I would go 14-15# use your finger pick up X# then pull on the arm it should feel the same.

That will work tapping in with old races dont get them confused though lol

 

[FJ60Seth]

I found out Marlin has the hub ball and spring but bummer, it's $3.99 which is not that bad but the cheap slow shipping is $8.75, and the get it here in a couple of days shipping is $15 or something. This is how I learn to pay attention to what I'm doing with parts I guess.

Thanks for the tip about the bearings. I'm planning on using the old bearing to tap in the new race, so it goes socket-->old bearing-->new race, is this right?

I found a pdf about a knuckle-centering tool online, here it is, not for the first time I'm sure. It also helped me to understand how to use it since I never have before.

I've got some new detent balls I bought off ebay. If you want a few PM your mailing address. I don't have any of the springs though.

 

[deaddrift]

As far as the knuckle "moving freely" that's a broad statement. Pull on the steering arm and pretend your pulling up Xamount of # like I said. I dotn remember the preload specs 8-12#? but I would shoot for 10# and if you are running this is important! either bigger tires 33s or up OR! spacers or less BS wheels like 2.5 BS then I would go 14-15# use your finger pick up X# then pull on the arm it should feel the same.

This is where the fish scale comes in, right?

I got a free hub face from Land Cruisers Northwest here in Portland--I'd never been over there before. Tony seems like a great guy, gotta love cruiser karma kicking down the free parts every so often. Hopefully the old ball and spring are not too rusty to function, if so it looks like I'm waiting a few days for the parts.

Word of advice to other first time hub workers: KEEP AN EYE ON THESE TINY PARTS INSIDE THE ORANGE HUB DIAL IF YOU DISASSEMBLE YOUR HUB FACE! This has the potential to be a real PITA.

The dealer told me he could only order the entire hub assembly, not just parts of it.

 

[deaddrift]

By the way FJ60Seth I too am a fan of powdered toast man. He's toasteriffic!

 

[deaddrift]

The used ball and spring from the rusty old Aisin hub face worked! Thank you Tony at LCNW.

Now I can't seem to get the axle shafts back into the birfs, that damn oversize c clip does not want to fit into the groove and under the hub splines. This seems like a three hand job, anyone got any tips?

[EDIT] Yeah, got another hand and it wasn't so hard anymore. Nothing to see here, move along folks...

 

[snowboardonsnow]

[EDIT] Yeah, got another hand and it wasn't so hard anymore. Nothing to see here, move along folks...

LOL I did this on a 7x series a few months ago it took three guys hahahaha his dang axle was a bugger.

Yeah the problem with cheap fish scales is they are terribly in accurate. The almost always read low. But if you have one and are setting it at say 9#s pick up 9# with the scale if it reads 6# (it probably will) then set the preload at 6#s

looks like you are almost done?

 

[deaddrift]

looks like you are almost done?

Yeah, you'd think so, but my top speed on new wrenching projects--which is all of 'em--is glacier.

Last time I had the old girl in 4WD I had some pretty significant noise from the front end, so I decided to have a look at the diff while I've got it all apart.

I got the brake line and driveshaft off, all the bolts holding the diff housing together are out, now how the hell do I get the thing off there? Should I be pounding a chisel into the seal to wedge it apart? Seems like something is still holding it together but I think with the driveshaft and brakeline off (axles are still out) I should just be able to yard it out of there, right?

The races are all in, bearings packed, bearing preload checked OK with a fish scale. Now all I need is to wrap it up once I have a look inside the middle of the axle.

 

[FJ60Seth]

The diff is glued to the housing with years of axle smegma. If your positive all the nuts are off ... put a jack under the nose of the diff housing and jack it off

 

[Pighead]

The diff is glued to the housing with years of axle smegma. If your positive all the nuts are off ... put a jack under the nose of the diff housing and jack it off

You could have phrased that so much better.

 

[deaddrift]

Ha, smegma! That is hilarious and disgusting. Nice.

Thanks for the tip Seth, I'll try it tonight.

 

[snowboardonsnow]

Rubber mallet, jack it if that don't work. I think you are at least a 3 bananna mechanic now

 

[deaddrift]

Well I got the diff out, the jack trick worked like a charm. I think it's OK -- there doesn't seem to be any play up/down, side-to-side or in/out on any of the gears or the flange.

I have some weird rust? on a housing shown in pic #1. In pic #2 there is some snot-like grease on the sides of the ring gear housings, I was just gonna wipe that off. The spider gear has some minor wear shown in #3. I don't know why the top two pics are sideways, sorry about that.

When I rotate the gears there is a mild sound that might be gear teeth meshing or it might be a bearing... how do I tell? I REALLY don't want to go even deeper and take this thing apart too. but I'm committed to getting this job all the way right.

This thing looks OK to me, the oil was amber/golden when I drained it, I'm just gonna throw it back in there unless someone stops me soon. Please advise.

 

[Wyoming]

Man, you are doing great. Way to be fearless. I think that Cruiser found a good home.

 

[deaddrift]

Thanks, Wyoming, you have no idea how rad that is to hear.

Now, how do I get the dang axle back in the knuckle? It goes in ~90% and then wont go further or turn. I have the flat sides top & bottom.

[EDIT] Got 'em in.

 

[deaddrift]

It looks like the dust seal goes on the spindle with the lip flared OUT, towards the wheel and away from the diff. Anyway that's how I'm putting it on, somebody set me straight if I need it.

 

[deaddrift]

OK reality check: the steering arms point OUT, towards the wheel, not IN, towards the diff, right? My alignment looks off but I thought I paid attention to the R and L cast on the arms.

I can't see it clearly in the FSM or in the video I have been referring to. Did I $%^& this up?