my experience changing rear wheel bearing

I was wondering why you've had to do these many more times in five years. I just bought a 98 with an 01 rear axle that has the worn bearing / leaking seal and the more I read about this the more it seems like there's no real long term solution to leaking seals and ruined bearings. I've heard from another guy on here that he had to replace his seals six months after replacing the bearings and seals etc.

Are your brake shoes getting coated in oil each time? Are you replacing them each time?

I bought a bearing kit from low range with an koyo bearing and an oem seal and was going to take out the axle and bring it to a machine shop. Now it seems like it might be worth it to take it somewhere that will warranty it for a year or so. The dealership wanted $7xx for both bearings replaced and I'm starting to think that might not be a bad deal if they warranty the work so I don't have to pay for new bearings and seals if the seal goes and the bearings get flushed through with oil taking the bearing grease with it.

 

That says it expires on 2/29/16

 

Which rear, standard open "8.4", E-locker, ABS yes/no?

 

01 e locker w/ abs but it was swapped onto my non abs truck. If I don't have abs do I need to put the abs ring on? I bought this kit:

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/toyo...ra-ultimate-rear-wheel-bearing-kit-w-abs.html

 

No, but the placement/location of the inner "retainer" ring is critical. Even more so due to the seal being upgraded/changed by Toyota plus the seal itself is easily deformed exaggerating the problem.

All you need to know below, unfortunately scattered around a bit.
Any questions, feel free to ask.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-a-build-thread.261534/page-72#post-12659235/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/stubborn-inner-axle-seal.277005/#post-6864374

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/proper-way-to-press-in-new-rear-wheel-bearing.274582/

 

Thank you very much - I had looked around other forums and found a bit about the installation of the seal being super important, but not as in depth as the last link. I'll keep reading about it before I make a move to fix it. Seems like I'd need a good tool to install the seal or make sure whoever I have do it (if I choose to go that route) knows how to do it properly. I'd really like to hear from someone that has done one or more without having it fail again any time soon. Thank you again. This is great info.

 

Done many with no subsequent leaks/bearing probs, from one of the above links.

 

My biggest issue was as mentioned getting the inner abs ring placement correct. Once that happened I haven't had to replace them once. But it took me way to long to figure it out, the grease method helps to find right placement. Once you figure out one side the other is easy. I did also use some loctite meant for helping seals seal on the axle tube. I went with an aftermarket bearing from a name brand dealer, and oem seals.

I post the coupon in February of last year

 

My bad on missing that you had gotten a lot of them replaced successfully. I got excited and went straight into reading the links.

So to reiterate, the two main issues are placing the seal correctly in the axle housing with the right tool / technique so that it doesn't deform with a little rtv or loctite on the outside edge to help it to slide into place and to seal against the housing and the second issue is placing the bearing correctly on the axle shaft.

It sounds like it's an oversimplification to tell someone with a lot of experience at a machine shop to put the new retainers, abs ring, and bearing in the same place as the originals? I know I don need the ABS ring replaced (non ABS truck w/ donor axle), but it might be a good idea just to make it simpler for whoever is doing it since they're just replicating what is there? It's almost necessary it sounds to have the axle housing there for who ever is pressing on the new bearing to take measurements? Sorry for the questions on that - tbh I skimmed through that part because I assumed that would be the easy part for someone with a good amount of experience at pressing on bearings that I would pay to have that part done w/ the axle dropped off at their shop and the truck at home.

Which link was the "grease method" please? Sorry I've spent more time reading about this than on homework this weekend and I'm trying to get back on track with that today.

 

If you do not have a press, you can do it yourself at home if you are not afraid to brute force it off. While holding the brake backing plate you can smack the axle shaft down on the ground, HARD and eventually itll pop the ring and bearing off. Then to reassemble find a piece of pipe the size of the inner race and start tapping.

loctite is preferred because of its chemical makeup, rtv is to thick and will not seal so good as it is to thick? It kind of make sense to me, but a machinist friend helped me.

As far as depth, either measure, but better yet is to tap the ring on, install the seal (with your preferred method. I use a dead blow and a 1/4" extension to love it in. Anyways once the seals in, start the retainer ring, put a dab of grease on it, and install the axle shaft, and spin it. Take the axle shaft back out and see where the seal/ring met by looking at the grease. You want it centered. Its not hard, or difficult, just patience. The hardest part is bleeding the brakes and with 2 people its easy peasy.

 

Don't assume a machine shop or even a Toyota dealership has a clue what is going on here with this specific operation.
The bearing is pressed up against a step on the shaft and the outer of the two retainers is pressed against the bearing with a snap ring to insure it stays put. It's the inner retainer ring that needs to be positioned correctly. Measure where the original is for your reference. The issue is that if you go from the old type seal to the upgraded seal the contact point of the new seal lip is further inboard. This in combination with a slightly deformed (dished inward) seal can put the contact point off the retainer, leaky leaky.
Use what ever you want to seal the seal but keep in mind that RTV is pretty much the standard used to install a 3rd member.

If a shop is involved, I would strongly advise installing the inboard retainer yourself. That way you can "start" say a mm shy of the original and adjust as necessary thru trial and error and insure it is square to the shaft. The press fit alone does not guarantee it is square. It is not a tight fit and is easily tapped along the shaft.
I put a few magic marker hash marks across the retainer as a tell tale rather than grease, grease can smear. You choice.
When Toyota went to the new seal they did not change the spec for the location of the retainer but they eventually did come out with the TSB for a different install driver.

 

I found a shop that would do it right for an undisclosed amount at this point I don't have the time or space to handle this job on my own even without doing the bearing at a shop. They're thorough and said that the bearing fell off the axle after the inner race was removed so in order to get a warranty I'll need a new axle. Said it looked like the bearing had been pressed on in the past and now the od of the axle is too small so the bearing won't really be operating correctly.

Anyone know the part number for an 01 rear axle for a TRD e locker housing? They were going to have a dealership send one for $575 and partznet.com only had a prerunner rear axle which might be it, but it wasn't easy enough for me to tell since I'm still at work. Any suggestions or part numbers please? Thank you!

 

I was hoping to get an upgraded chromoly axle shaft for cheaper than an oem once I saw trail gear makes one. Unfortunately it won't work with the abs axles that are on my truck even though it's not an abs truck - just the rear axle swapped in is an 01 e locker w/ ABS. Anyone know if this one would work with my housing - it says for all model years, but nothing about ABS compatibility or not. Thank you

http://www.rockridge4wd.com/i-22813...-runner-prado-t-100-tundra-25-7-8-32-1-8.html

Edit: I think this is probably the same as the Trail Gear axle, but if anyone can verify I'd appreciate it -

 

This is what I was looking for. So you don't have to install the ABS ring? How would you know how far to press the retainer without the ring? I did the bearings about 6 years ago so my memory is blurry on how it went together. I completey disconnected ABS so if I can assemble without the rings that will save me some monet.

 

This is a tool i made for about $25 and 3 hrs labor.cut off an old 4runner axle housing.

 

You still have to install the ring the seal rides on. If you measure it before you take it off. You should be pretty close

 

oh ya I know that but i thought that ring pressed up against the ABS toner ring which is why I asked how far would you know how to press it on without the ABS ring.

But it doesn't matter anyway. I just ordered 2 beck/arnley kits that I don't think was available last time I replaced the bearings. The kits are dirt cheap. I don't they'll last as long as the skf ones I had in there but for the money I'll give it a try.

 

That thing is brilliant. I have been looking for a cheap/bent axle housing to make this. My alternative is to just fabricate the entire thing.

 

The other half of the axle was scrapped.

 

No worries. It is never a priority until it is. I will eventually build one as I still have those chomo/cryo'd shafts I need to install. But have to get an abs eliminator ring first like Marlin made years ago.