Topic: Steering Knuckle rebuild.

[95TacoTruck]

I have some gear oil running down the inside of my front tires.  I am assuming the seals are probably bad.  I was thinking of rebuilding the steering knuckles since I am sure they have never been.  Is this a job that somone who never has done it should tackle or should I pay somone.  It doesnt look that hard?   Where is the best place to get the kit?  NWOR, LC,ALL Pro ? Oh yeah its an 85 Toy pickup.

[88runner]

the hardest part is to remove the cone washer, you should hit them with a brass bar so you don't destroy the lug.

I found that http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/front_end/, it explain all.

[84runner]

I got my front end seal kit form Randys Ring and Pinion For a little over a $100.00 and negotiate with them there prices are not set in stone.

Its not a hard job at all just put it together how it came apart  

[toymachine]

The cone washers realy aren't that hard to get off. Just use a screwdriver and mallet or something of the sort.  
It makes things alot easier if you get a socket for your spindle nuts.  
While you have everything apart, you might want to check your nearings and make sure they don't need to be replaced.  

When you take the hub off, if you don't plan on taking it all the way apart and cleaning everything, then don't let your curiosity try to make you play with it, because it is a B*T#H  to get back together.....if you feel you must , you can search for how to do it on the internet, or just look carefully how the springs go on the tabs.

Thats about it.  Ive taken my front end apart about 3 or 4 times, and never changed those seals/covers on the back of the knuckle, but i should, because they do leak.  

[98runner chevota]

only thing that i can say is take your time and dont do both sides at once do one side if you have a digital camera use it to take pics. the locking hub is the hardest part to put back together if you do decide to take it apart.  good luck

Mark

[gferris5]

I've had to do mine a couple of times, and since I'm from the somewhat red-tech mechanics school I used RTV for all the seals and it is bad news! get a good rebuild kit, and make sure that you rotate the rotor with your hands side to side as you slide it on so you don't pinch the spindle seal (the thing that looks like a ring that has a rubber seal on the inside) also-inspect all the parts and seals carefully, I missed the problem with my spindle seal the first time I did mine and I got the pleasure of doing it again-the rubber had torn.  also, pack the inside of that stupid freaking axle seal with grease because grease is good and it helps it seat right.  place the axle carefully in there as well because you don't want to ding up that stupid freaking seal.   good luck.  it's really not too bad, just go slow and pay attention.  easy peasy.

[gferris5]

Ooh, for bonus points, put some grease in your birfields while your there-but don't go too crazy, just make sure they're happy.

[hawaii500_1999]

another thing that i do that i read somwhere is to run the red (GM i think) grease in the birfields.  it tends to not dribble so much when you take it apart later on down the trail.

oh yeah.  it's an easy job to do.  just messy and the cone washers can be a pain sometimes.  drown the cones in WD40 a day before doing the job if you have the chance.

[gferris5]

I actually didn't take off the knuckle arms when I did mine, but I had to get a seal puller to get that stupid freaking seal out of there.  but next time I do mine-to install widening kit! I'll be doing that, hey quick question then: How do we know how many shims to put under the knuckle arms? My good buddy told me that the wrong amount will cause the axle to spin irregularly, thus destroying that stupid freaking seal.  TIA!

[Rock_Starr]

Dont mix greases. Clean out ALL of the old grease before adding any.  Mixing grease types will cause them to come out of suspension and dribble oil.