replacing rear axle and hub assembly

Hi my first time posting but like the title says I plan on replacing the rear axle and hub assembly on my 2016 Tacoma trd off road extended cab short bed. Axle seal is leaking at the moment and need to replace the wheel bearing and hub assembly. I was looking for recommendation's on a good axle replacement and wheel bearing hub. Also good spot to order new seals. Thanks, tried to keep the post short.

 

Why an axle replacement? For the bearing I’d figure out the Koyo part number for Toyota and get that. The OEM part from Toyota is insanely expensive but Koyo makes it and the same exact part can be had without the Toyota box for about $250 per side.

I don’t think you need to swap the axle, just polish it where the seals ride. I believe there are two seals, one that seals the hub bearing and then one in the axle tube. The one in the axle tube is the one that would leak, and that one I think seals to the bearing retainer….which would be replaced. Would have to look at it again but I can’t think of why you’d need a new shaft.

 

The shaft would be as a cautious approach to replacing that whole side. Being that I was in a freeway accident and got hit on that side of my Tacoma. It’s a long story but I was hit going freeway speeds on my rear passenger side. Insurance has denied my claim on anything mechanical. Because those parts typically fail around 150,000 miles and a lot of things didn’t roll my way. It’s a bunch of bs. But replacement because of this. I really appreciate the feedback though man.

 

I had my rear axle diff housing gasket replaced under warranty and they didn’t replace the wheel hub axle seals. Now they’re weeping/seeping rear diff fluid on both sides. Getting that fixed this Monday at the dealer. I guess they can reuse the bolts, even though I’m sure they need new ones. And they reused the old seals as well, which is not good since the seals seat a certain way from install and once they’re pulled out they get damaged and won’t seal as well. This was taken the same day I picked it up at the dealer. 3 days later after cleaning with spray solvent it reappeared. make sure to check these if they change your rear diff gasket!

 

Did they have to pull out the axle shafts to replace the differential housing gasket? There is just an o ring where your axles are leaking. If they didn't remove the axles, it looks like you have a bigger issue than just the diff housing gasket, like the breather is plugged or they should have replaced the axle seals while they were in there. Good thing you're bringing it in on Monday. Hope they get you fixed up right.

 

Yes they have remove both the axle hubs with the 4 bolts attached in order to drop down the axle assemble without removing I guess. I read the procedure and the service advisor also mentioned they removed both sides when I made the appointment. And they did not replace the seals. I Checked the breather and it’s moving freely. It only has 11k and has only seen gravel road driveways. I cleaned it the area last night and drove about 130 miles through the pass here in Washington. Checked it afterwards and there’s already a few mm of seepage. I’ll keep you updated! This dealer is full of knowledgeable people which I’m thankful for. Probably the best one I’ve been to so far. Hard to come by..

Update: axle seals replaced on both sides and brake system refill/bleed.

 

The axle assembly has to be removed, the retaining clip removed and then the bearing presses off the axle.
There’s a tolerance to where the bearing must be pressed onto the shaft.

 

there’s a guy on YouTube who changes the rear axle seals on a 1st gen. He uses a hammer and old oil filter with the o ring attached to tap the new seal in. Pretty crafty, just have to be careful not to scratch the surface since it’s a metal on metal pressed in seal or it will leak/seep.
Also It’s pretty much the same procedure on the 3rd gen.