Front wheel bearing assemblies

usually the axle seal goes first and trashes the bearing.

 

Can you guys advise about the knuckle seal? On the 05taco thread it mentions these: 90316-A0001 (aftermarket options) 90304-A0001 (dealership only). A quick search on Amazon didn't turn up anything with these numbers for Tacoma. Also, are they pretty easy to swap (gain access to)? I watched a video on the bearing assembly and I can do that, but I didn't notice where the seal is.

 

You can’t get to the knuckle seal unless you remove the axle from the knuckle.
Notice that I said, “axle from knuckle”, there is no need to take the axle out of the differential.

Remove the lower 2 ball joint mount bolts and the and pull out on the bottom of the knuckle.
I disconnected my tie rod end, others have reported they didn’t have to. I did because I read that you had too. So, that’s what I did.

Part #s are here, with a diy/tip on how to install them.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheel-bearing-seal-and-cv-dust-seal-install-tip.460019/

 

Don't forget to put your bolts back in before you press the hub back in. Buy the whole damn thing 1/2 an hour job.

 

Thanks. Looks like a bit more work than the bearing assembly. So the question is whether it's worth the trouble, or do I have a decent chance of making it a while with the existing seals...

 

I replaced my outters when the bearings when out the 1st time.
Then replaced only 1 of them the 2nd time.

I’d say, if you’re on the original seals from 2011, it isn’t a bad idea to at least replace the outters.

The reason I didn’t replace the 1 of them the 2nd time was for a few reasons.
1. I did not see any evidence of water intrusion
2. I didn’t want to, because I am lazy
3. When doing the other side, I had to make the seal fit tighter by “manipulating” it with a hammer.
(I didn’t use OEM seals, that’s probably why they didn’t fit “right”.)

 

When you say outers... (I haven't opened it up yet), are those on the back side of the knuckle, so the axle would need to be removed from the knuckle for access? Any seal outboard of the bearing must be included in a fully assembled bearing assembly (I think), which is what I'll be starting from.

 

The inner seal is actually on the CV axle.
The outter is on the back side of the knuckle.
You can only install the outter seal from the back side of the knuckle.

The term “Inner/Outter” has nothing to do with how far one is away from the hub/assembly.
The inner seal (on the CV) literally slides into the Outter seal of the knuckle.
That’s where the inner/Outter comes from.
(It will all make sense once you see how it works)

The only other seal you will have is the big O-ring.
The o-ring is installed onto the bearing assembly, which goes in from the front.

I personally hate fooling with the inner seal. It can be aggravating to get on the CV axle.
So I can see why a lot of guys skip over doing that one.

 

That makes sense, thanks. Would the o ring be part of the bearing assembly, or should I look at getting one in addition to it?

 

Beck/Arnely assemblies I bought had both the o-ring and the outter seal included.
But, as I said before, the outter seal didn’t fit “right”. The o-ring fit fine.

I actually recommend you buy the best bearing assembly you can afford.
The Beck/Arnley are on the cheaper side, and I haven’t ran them long enough to give a good recommendation.

You may ask why I chose to buy a cheap set then huh?
Well, it’s complicated. I bought a set of “experience and good” ones from a former member here.
(He’s now been banned from here)
They didn’t last 30k miles.

So, I went cheap the next time around.
Mostly because I’m stubborn and I’m curious to see how long these “cheap” ones will last.
I’ve got about 15k on them now. So, we’ll see.

 

I'm getting the 05taco ones. At least I think so. I sent the money a week ago. He might be out of town or something.

 

I’ve heard good reviews on his stuff.
I wouldn’t be worried at all.

With the amount he sells, I’m betting he waits and makes a weekly run to ship?
He’ll get with you, he is a stand up guy