Front axle maintenance

Started by abnormaltoy, July 31, 2006, 05:47:54 PM

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abnormaltoy

July 31, 2006, 05:47:54 PM
I just got my knuckle service and bearing kits. The only solid front axle experience I have is the hubs on my full floater. So I'd like to ask a question or two.

Is there anything special I should be looking for or keeping my eye on?

Should I take some emery cloth or Scotchbrite pad to the surface of the (almost said my) balls?

Thanks,
Mark
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

CTENG in KS

#1
July 31, 2006, 05:55:03 PM
Nope, just clean your balls to a nice shine and install the new felts and wipers. 
Be carefull to keep your trunion bearing shims in order so you get either the old ones back in, or the right thickness new ones in for proper preload.  Have fun cleaning all the gunk off the knockles, I really enjoyed it.
IFS is best kept at ambient temperature in a pile of scrap in the backyard.  When kept under a functioning vehicle, it tends to greatly diminish said vehicle's offroad ability.     -reklund5

4Runner: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=4580.0
Beastmaster: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=34339.0

abnormaltoy

#2
July 31, 2006, 06:01:29 PM
Quote from: CTENG in KS on July 31, 2006, 05:55:03 PM
Nope, just clean your balls to a nice shine and install the new felts and wipers. 
Be carefull to keep your trunion bearing shims in order so you get either the old ones back in, or the right thickness new ones in for proper preload.  Have fun cleaning all the gunk off the knockles, I really enjoyed it.

What...in the knuckles or the hubs? What awaits me?
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

FIREBALL

#3
July 31, 2006, 06:23:42 PM
The knuckles and birfs are full of grease. Clean it all out really good. Inspect the birfs for cracks, especially around where the bearings are. That's the smallest point that takes a lot of force.
Then re-pack the birf with grease and the inside of the knuckle.
When re-filling with gear oil be very careful not to over fill it. I always run my front ends a little low on gear oil. The axle seals on yota's are very small and notorious for going bad. Hense the reason you have "wet balls".
I usually use my pinky as a dip stick. If I can reach in and down and just touch the gear oil, it's plenty. Since i've started doing this (10 years) I haven't had the problems with the "leaky, wet balls" anymore.
Good luck and enjoy all the grease and oil your about to experiance.

Duffil

#4
July 31, 2006, 10:16:12 PM
Quote from: FIREBALL on July 31, 2006, 06:23:42 PM

I usually use my pinky as a dip stick. If I can reach in and down and just touch the gear oil, it's plenty. Since i've started doing this (10 years) I haven't had the problems with the "leaky, wet balls" anymore.


Never any oil-related failures?

AT, yeah, LOTS of grease and crap, especially if the axles/trucks PO wasn't good about maintenance/cleaning.  Break out the rubber gloves.

FIREBALL

#5
August 01, 2006, 07:51:41 AM
No. Unless you're driving fast, 30+ for an extended peroid of time keeping the oil level a little low isn't going to hurt.
Normally most of us are only going a couple of miles per hour with lots of stop and go. The diff never builds any heat. Even if you're going fairly fast coming out of the hills theres still lots of oil being flung around.
I wouldn't recomend it for 4hi highway type driving. But like I said, i've been doing this for 10 years, at the suggestion of my father, who was a yota mech for 30yrs and i've never had any front gear failure.

abnormaltoy

#6
August 01, 2006, 08:19:37 AM
Thanks for the replies. I've got the whole shootin match...30 spline Longs, new hi pinion, brass bushings and the stuff I already said. I think, before I get too far in, I'm going to install the hi pinion and check the angles. I've got dual cases and about 5 inches of lift...has anyone had to rotate their knuckles with a similar set up?
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

CTENG in KS

#7
August 01, 2006, 08:25:39 AM
With dual cases your angles will be fine, don't worry about rotating.  You will have to pull the hubs and spindles to get the shafts out to do the 3rd anyhow, might as well do it all in one shot.

I meant when you get tthe knuckles off you will have to clean the outsides of en.  The grease and gear oil collects dirt and turns into gross oily mud cake.
IFS is best kept at ambient temperature in a pile of scrap in the backyard.  When kept under a functioning vehicle, it tends to greatly diminish said vehicle's offroad ability.     -reklund5

4Runner: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=4580.0
Beastmaster: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=34339.0

abnormaltoy

#8
August 01, 2006, 08:33:43 AM
Quote from: CTENG in KS on August 01, 2006, 08:25:39 AM
With dual cases your angles will be fine, don't worry about rotating.  You will have to pull the hubs and spindles to get the shafts out to do the 3rd anyhow, might as well do it all in one shot.

I meant when you get tthe knuckles off you will have to clean the outsides of en.  The grease and gear oil collects dirt and turns into gross oily mud cake.

Good, I really didn't want to rotate it.

I am completely anal when it comes to prep work. I hot tanked my rear axle and bead blasted it.
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

CTENG in KS

#9
August 01, 2006, 09:46:01 AM
Wanna do mine?  It is GROSS!
IFS is best kept at ambient temperature in a pile of scrap in the backyard.  When kept under a functioning vehicle, it tends to greatly diminish said vehicle's offroad ability.     -reklund5

4Runner: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=4580.0
Beastmaster: http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=34339.0

abnormaltoy

#10
August 01, 2006, 10:02:24 AM
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

abnormaltoy

#11
August 09, 2006, 06:41:07 PM
Well, I finally got to strip this down. The first time I've ever done any thing to the front. Aside from some stuff on the outside of the knuckle that looks like it was well on it's way to becoming coal, all I can say is...I have never seen more grease in one place (OK...2) in my entire life. Tomorrow's episode...degreasing 101.
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

79coyotefrg

#12
August 09, 2006, 07:55:03 PM
if ya need anything  just email me  :wave:
AR-TTORA founder 22R bored.060,LCE stage II race cam http://pure-gas.org/    32/36weber, :driving: Marlin 1200 NON ceramic clutch, L52SHD+dualcase #2919, cable-locker, Yukon 5.29 gears, 35's, Allpro ebrake, front springs, and high steer, F150rears    RIP Nitro 9-29-07 :(  I sure miss him :down: MarlinCrawlerInc IS NOT affiliated with TrailGear in any way

abnormaltoy

#13
August 09, 2006, 09:40:08 PM
Quote from: 79Coyotefrg on August 09, 2006, 07:55:03 PM
if ya need anything  just email me  :wave:


Nitrile gloves, shop towels...only thing I'm missing is experience!
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)

snowshoebrue

#14
August 10, 2006, 08:48:20 PM
http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/tech/axle/  i used this to help rebuild my axle

abnormaltoy

#15
August 10, 2006, 09:28:01 PM Last Edit: August 10, 2006, 10:58:08 PM by abnormaltoy
Quote from: snowshoebrue on August 10, 2006, 08:48:20 PM
http://www.birfield.com/~morgan/tech/axle/  i used this to help rebuild my axle



Thanks, I've never even been to that site. I was going to wing it and then use my FSM if I got stuck...Ok, I was really going to booger everything up, then post a bunch of inane questions to try and dig my way out.
The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left by those who got there first.

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-- Winston Churchill

Censorship, that most subtle tool of oppression, the tool of the fearful and small minded. 8/15/2008

"It is interesting that we are asked to NOT judge all Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics. Too bad gun owners can't get same judgment."
Travis Tritt (I know!)
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