Axle overhaul, Part 1

This section covers the removal of the axles. The images shown depict removal from the driver's (left) side, but the procedure is the same for the right side. Items listed likethis are shown in the "legend" at the bottom of the page, where this would be a letter corresponding to the image of the thing being removed.
  1. With the truck on ground, break the 17mm lugnuts free.

  2. Lift the truck, put it on jackstands.

  3. Remove the wheels, put the tires under the frame for safety's sake.

  4. Both the Toyota Chassis & Body manual and the Specter Front Axle Maintenace Manual instruct the reader to remove the brake line from the caliperA. (10mm flare nut wrench) But wisdom on the landcruisers list says to "Undo the bracket from the backing plate (the one that secures the junction of the rubber and the hard line). Remove the caliper from the mount, pull it off of the rotor, and set it on the leaf spring, still attached to the line." (Mark Whatley)

    Note that the first picture shows the brake line disconnected. Don't do that.

  5. Turn the hub to the "free" setting.
  6. Remove the six 10mm bolts from around the faceB of the hub. Remove face. Don't disassemble the face or handle.

  7. Remove the snap ringC from the end of the outer shaft. I used snap ring pliers.

  8. Remove the six 12mm nutsD and lock washersD from the hub. (Air tools would be nice, hard to grasp rotor w/o knocking plug (pencil) from brake line.)

  9. Loosen the cone washersD with a chisel and hammer, remove them. I wish I'd known about the brass-drift-on-stud method Mark Whatley advises, when I did this. I wouldn't have munged the cone washers up so much. The brass drift method works much better with no damage.

  10. Remove the hub bodyD.

  11. Use a chisel and hammer to unstake the lock plateF from the lock nutE.

  12. Use a hub socket to remove the lock nutE.

  13. Remove the lock plateF.

  14. Use the hub socket again (without socket wrench) to remove the adjusting nutG.

  15. Slide the disc rotorJ outwards, remove the washerH and and outer bearingI, then remove the disc rotorJ assembly.

  16. Remove the eight 14mm spindle bolts.

  17. Remove the dust shieldK.

  18. Remove the two 12mm bolts attaching brake line bracket to backing plateL.
  19. Remove the backing plateL.

  20. If the spindleM doesn't slide off easily, tap it with a rubber mallet.

  21. Turn the axleN until the flat portion of the outer drive shaft is at the top. Pull out the axle assembly.

Legend

Here's a panoramic inventory of what got removed, with first items at left and last items at right. Note that I don't show the contens of the inner hub J. In the hub are the inner and outer wheel bearings and the wheel seal. Also, the hub and rotor are still mated in this picture, but they're separate components. See more components in Part 2.

A
disc brake caliper
B
hub face and handle
C
outer axle shaft snap ring
D
hub body, nuts, lock washers, cone washers
E
lock nut
F
lock plate (AKA "star washer")
G
adjusting nut
H
washer
I
outer bearing
J
disc rotor assembly
K
dust shield
L
backing plate
M
spindle
N
outer axle shaft (AKA "birfield")
O
inner axle shaft

Ahead to Part 2
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Morgan Fletcher <morgan@off-road.com>
Last modified: Fri Oct 8 00:37:26 PDT 1999 		Back to Land Crusher