Replacing Rear Pinion Bearing on a 1st Gen Tacoma

I've been having a loud whining noise coming from the rear end of my truck for a bit now. All signs point to a bad pinion bearing. I'd like to try and replace the pinion bearing myself at home but I've had a hard time finding any information about doing the swap or what it entails. I figure that the rear electronic locker system may prove a challenge. Does anyone know of anyone who has attempted this on their trucks before, or does anyone have any info on this job?

 

where are you located ?

replacing the pinion bearings is not terribly difficult, it does require some special tooling to be a reasonably manageable job.

a good work bench/ clean work surface
You'll need either a bearing puller or a press and bearing separator
long punch and hammer ( brass punch would be best )
dial indicator
the ability to make the crush sleeve crush ( a LOT of leverage and effort ) and a beam or dial type torque wrench to measure bearing preload
there is a way to get around the crush sleeve that is actually better, but it's time consuming and repetitive to get right.
good mechanical knowledge is a plus as well.

be aware, if you've been hearing the noise for awhile, you'll likely need more than just pinion bearings.
Be prepared for a full on diff rebuild with new gear set and bearings.

when I did mine I got a bearing kit and tore it down only to find the last guy in there really fubar'd the pinion threads and nut ( cross threaded it ) which is what lead to the failure anyway, pinion preload was not right and the bearings died as a result
This cost me a gear set and the solid spacer shim set for preload setting.

you're better bet, buy a third member already built with a warranty ( East Coast Gear Supply is one place, there are others )

changing out the third member isn't tough, can be done in an afternoon in a parking lot. drain the diff, pull the axles and drive shaft, drop out the third. CLEAN inside the axle housing !
reverse the procedure and fill with oil. boom done, break in the gear, drive with some sense for a week or so, and return the core.

 

without proper equipment, this is not an easy job....you have to lock the flange in a vise and torque the pinion (preload) with some pretty high torque value...after that, the meshing and backlash must be rechecked on the ring and pinion....this is an operation better left to a shop or individual that knows what they are doing....

 

Yea, I was coming to that same conclusion myself. I took it by a shop today, and he's gonna get it in the week after next. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice.

 

Just FYI for future if you need.