Rear axle bearings

[4x4mike]

I've got another leak at the rear axle seal and I'm wondering if I need a bearing. The seal is about a year old to the week. I've checked the breather and it works and is clean so I wonder if the bearing is out. I guess it could be the seal but like I said, it's about a year old. I jacked up the rear axle and bear hugged the rear wheel in an attempt to feel any bearing play. The parking break was off and the transmission in first gear. Now the wheel will "roll" forward and back and what seems like a little up and down but no left to right. I guess is what I'm trying to say is that the end of the axle shaft at the wheel seems tight and no real play.

All I really did was clean up everything and put it back together. This is a super busy month for me so I'll have to find time after work one of these days to dig into this thing.

Question for those that have been envolved with a bearing replacement. How much play was there in the bearing? Does what I have seem normal. I've got 104K on the clock and I assume the bearings are from the factory. For those that have replaced the bearing did you do this at home? I'm wondering if I can use a HF press (not that I have one but maybe I can talk the wife into letting me make the 'investment' if I can do it myself).

Any suggestions at this point would be helpful, thanks.

[4x4mike]

After reading some posts here it seems that there can be some clunking noise when the vehicle is rocked back and forth. I don't have this if it makes any difference. Toyota is closed today so I might head down to Napa. Man this was one of my only rest days for the month.

Does anyone happen to have the part number for the Napa inner seals? I just want to avoid more trips than necessary.

[4x4mike]

Ok so the bearings need replacement. I pulled both shafts and both have equal unwanted play. It's Sunday so only the auto parts stores are open but I lucked out at my local Carquest. The woman behind the counter suprised the hell out of me with her knowledge even before punching things into the computer. She knew what I needed and told me she hook me up with the labor. Not free but a discounted price. She had most of the parts in stock but to make sure she is going to order everything and it'll be in her store tomorrow by 8. She asked me if I wanted OEM parts and I asked her what she ment by that, she said from Toyota. I said sure and asked her for prices. Napa wanted $96 for a bearing (timken) and she can get the Toyota (SKF or NSF I forget) for $56.

So for those who have done this please check my parts list.
Bearing (2)
inner seal (2)
Outer seal (2)
o ring (2)
abs ring (2)
spacer (4)
Brake fluid
Gear oil
loctite

The machine shop guy has tomorrow off so I'll stop in tomorrow after work to drop my stuff off so he has it for Tuesday morning. It'll also give me a second chance to make sure all the parts are there and ready to go.

This whole thing is a bummer but I guess it needs to be done and at least I'm getting somewhat of a deal and I know what I'm in for since I've already done the inner seals.

[4x4mike]

Pictures and some video for future reference.

Tell tale signs
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/DSC07206.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/DSC07207.jpg

Sloppy McSlops
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/th_MOV07210.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/?action=view&current=MOV07210.flv)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/th_MOV07227.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/?action=view&current=MOV07227.flv)

[slosurfer]

Makes me wish that I would have checked mine like that when I had mine pulled out last time. DOH!

I always feel lucky when I get a decent person behind the counter too!

[4x4mike]

If you read my axle seal posts from last year you'll see that it started with the right side seal leaking at 91,000 miles. I read Bob's write up and went to work. At 92,140 miles the left side seal went. I never really checked the bearings because there wasn't any noticeable play. Now at 104,000 miles the right has gone again. The breather was fine and it looks to have just started leaking so I checked the bearings. Maybe those new seals were enough to keep everything together until now.

I was thinking about getting a press but then I'd have to find a place for it and probably buy a bearing separator or 2. Plus I wouldn't really know what I was doing. I'd just assume and go to town.

Hopefully this will fix everything and I'll have the 4Runner up and going for my trip this weekend.

[paddlenbike]

Hopefully this will fix everything and I'll have the 4Runner up and going for my trip this weekend.


Good write-up, it looks like this is a common repair for 3rd gens and it's always nice to have more information on the matter.

Don't sweat getting this done before the weekend; my 4runner is just sitting here, take it.

[4x4mike]

Thanks Ken. I'll know in about 30 hours how it's all going to play out. Part of my weekend trip envolves sleeping in the back of the 4Runner. I could return your 4runner clean and gased up but I don't think you want the interior "gased up" as well. Adam was talking about going up to Markleeville together anyways so I might not be driving up there anyway.

[CJM]

Im in the same boat atm with my T100, but I had the bearing replace, the seals and the whole axle as it bent. Now its leaking again..

[CYi5]

Definitely a common problem, I just replaced my axle seal last week. I'm glad you posted the videos, they definitely help for a future diagnosis!

[MTL_4runner]

I had the same thing happen to mine on one side. I still have yet to replace it but after doing the seals, it stopped leaking for now. Nice video for diagnosis BTW.

[4x4mike]

Again I'm not sure if the bearings needed replacement the first time but I did get a year and a lot of miles before they leaked again. I picked up everything today and she's rolling again. I'll post some pictures and updates when the baby goes to sleep.

[4x4mike]

Alright, total damage for the bearings, inner and outer seals, retainers, ABS rings, 3 quarts of Redline and the labor for the press work was $421.12.

Not totally bad I guess but it suck because it's maintenance and not something cool like HID lights or a pneumatic blender, oh well.

Before I left the machine shop at Carquest I set the axle shaft down on the wheel studs and grabbed the backing plate to check the bearings. As you remember from the videos there was some play. There was a little play with the new bearings as well but it was far less. I asked the counter jockey and the machine shop guy and they said that with a lever that long (axle shaft) you'll get some play. They assured me that this was fine and even grabbed 2 other tacoma axles they did that day, they had the same little amount of play. I paid my bill and came home.

Everything went together fine and my wife helped me bleed the brakes. After a few brake adjustments and 2 test drives she's done and out of the garage. I've got some driving to do this month so I'll keep an eye on things.

I didn't get pictures of the axles shafts but they looked the same only shiny.

HF press for whacking in the seals in.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/DSC07234.jpg

Finally out of the garage after 2.5 days.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/4Runner%20axle%20bearings/DSC07235.jpg

[CJM]

Holy hell thats alot of money!

When I had mine done all it cost me was 180 for labor and parts were like 120 iirc.

[YotaFun]

Well did you do most of it yourself, or did the shop do all of it?
I remember when I had the shop do all of it, it cost around $700 for me...
So that might be a deal

[4x4mike]

Labor was $120 and that was just for pressing on and off stuff. The rest were parts and fluids. The cheap parts were cheap but didn't want to go for those so I paid a little extra. All the work was done by me in my garage. Oh my lovely wife helped me bleed the brakes. She was having fun until I told her she could be replaced by a garden sprayer.

[CJM]

Thats alotta money for parts.

[MTL_4runner]

Up here I priced the parts at the dealer and they wanted $300 per side just for parts alone.
I'd say that if you did both sides for just over $400 using good quality parts, you did very well.

[4x4mike]

Thats alotta money for parts.


I know and it's all maintenance stuff. I bet there are older 4runners with twice the milage as mine that have bearings that are just fine. I'm not sure what makes them go or what you can do to make them last longer. I just wanted to get the good parts and take care of it now so hopefully everything will last another 104K miles.

[CJM]

Be happy your axle shaft wasnt bent. I spent 600 in parts alone from toyota and thats with my shop discount. The shaft itself was like 400 dollars! Hell, an a-arm (which they thought was bent on my frontend but it turned out to be the idler arm and pitman arm) was only 120..