Chocolate milk in leaky rear axle, repaire questions.

Jayzero911

New member
Finally have the money to dump into the '02 and get her back into shape. At least I hope I do. I was going to just top off the oil in the axle a few days ago tell I got parts in and found out water has gotten into it. I was already going to to the seals and bearings but is there anything elts I need to look at now that water got into everything? Can I go to Harbor Freight and buy a press that will let me do all this myself? and if not can someone recommend a good local machine shop that wont charge a arm and a leg and then install the wrong bearings (last time I dealt with a shop).

I would much rather do everything in house sense I would have to find a ride to drop off and pick up my axles from a shop. That and the last time I did work for a friend was to do the front bearings on his PT cruiser, he bought all 4 and just wanted me to do the fronts at that time. Took everything into the shop, they said they would look up witch where the fronts and didn't. I know this cuz I got a call from his wife a month later who was sitting at pepboys getting the bearings redone. Drove down there and found out the machine shop somehow installed the rear bearings in the front hubs.... anyways sorry for the short rant and thanks in advance.
 
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Are the axle seals leaking? You might have just gotten water in through the breather if you haven't extended it.
 
seals are leaking, and the breather was extended but fell and lodged itself somewhere in the closed position its what made them leak. Will be taking the extension apart and redo it so the breather is behind a taillight this time.
 
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I just replaced my rear bearings this week. At first I had a friend at Toyota press everything on for me and he put the abs exciter ring and the oil retainer rng on too far. Finally went the harbour freight route and bought the 20 Ton press that was on sale for 199.99 and the bearing separator kit with a 20% off coupon.

I bought all new seals, bearings, abs rings, and retainers but I think you can reuse the abs rings and retainers if you are careful in pressing them off. BigFishAllDay and DrCoffee have some great write ups and ideas that can help you along the way.

Long story short, here is what I did.

Found this...
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13395041164/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Then did this to remove the abs ring and oil seal/retainer ring.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13394692165/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
Closer shot of how I set this up with the bearing separator.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13394690275/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13394688425/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
After a few pumps of the press...
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13394683715/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I just replaced my rear bearings this week. At first I had a friend at Toyota press everything on for me and he put the abs exciter ring and the oil retainer rng on too far. Finally went the harbour freight route and bought the 20 Ton press that was on sale for 199.99 and the bearing separator kit with a 20% off coupon.

I bought all new seals, bearings, abs rings, and retainers but I think you can reuse the abs rings and retainers if you are careful in pressing them off. BigFishAllDay and DrCoffee have some great write ups and ideas that can help you along the way.

Long story short, here is what I did.
<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lpoirieriv/13394688425/in/photostream/player/" width="281" height="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>
next time, position your pullers the other direction. so the pressure is on the plates, and not the bolts.

it will save you from bent bolts.
 
next time, position your pullers the other direction. so the pressure is on the plates, and not the bolts.

it will save you from bent bolts.

There was too much shade tree engineering here for me to even begin to know what you mean... :shrug: lol
I'm sure there were many things that could/should have been done differently. It was sunday afternoon and I had to get this thing back together for work the next day.
I would like to know what you mean specifically, in case I ever have to relive this fiasco.
 
There was too much shade tree engineering here for me to even begin to know what you mean... :shrug: lol
I'm sure there were many things that could/should have been done differently. It was sunday afternoon and I had to get this thing back together for work the next day.
I would like to know what you mean specifically, in case I ever have to relive this fiasco.

basically turn the plates on the separator so they are going across the press plates. turn the entire thing 90 degrees from where it is in the pic I quoted above.

the way it is in the pic, all the pressure is being put on the bolts, they WILL bend. if you turn it, all the pressure will be on the plates, that is what they are designed to do.


like this,


gearinstalls15.jpg



see how the pressure will be on the plate?


funny thing, when searching for that pic, MOST that I found were being used wrong. and had the bolts holding the pressure. in my shop that is a HUGE no no.
 
:iagree: Oh yes, you are correct %100 percent. If there would have been enough room, I would have done it that way no question. The bolts on the top between the two half cups were there to prevent the cups from coming together when pressure was applied. The two half pieces on the top had the puller bars installed going down to the larger baring separator around the abs ring below.

Unfortunately, the way this silly thing is designed, the backing plate/bearing cup would not allow me to do it the proper way. The rails for the press are too tall to allow that type of setup for removal.

I tried having them 90 degrees out as well but the press does not have a wide enough channel.

To be %100 percent honest, this setup was a last resort to keep from having to cut off the brand new abs ring and oil seal ring. A destroyed $39 bearing separator was the least of my concerns at that moment.

Again though, you are correct.
 
I just replaced my rear bearings this week. At first I had a friend at Toyota press everything on for me and he put the abs exciter ring and the oil retainer rng on too far. Finally went the harbour freight route and bought the 20 Ton press that was on sale for 199.99 and the bearing separator kit with a 20% off coupon.

I bought all new seals, bearings, abs rings, and retainers but I think you can reuse the abs rings and retainers if you are careful in pressing them off. BigFishAllDay and DrCoffee have some great write ups and ideas that can help you along the way.

Long story short, here is what I did.

Could you tell me what the separator cost, and generally what the whole job cost you with the tools (cuz I am at the same point you where). I put $1500 aside for all the repairs and and just hoping its enough now. The rear end is the biggest thing at least and the rest is just general maintenance. Oil change, tune up, brakes, rad flush.... and tires but they are going to have to wait a few months.

Edit: saw your 39.99 separator comment..... had stopped reading right before that sentence lol
 
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Well went to HF last night and bought a 12ton press and bearing separator kit, along with a few other random things and spent about $180. Went to the dealership at the automall with a list of all my parts, not just for the rear end. Asked him sense it was such a long list if I could get shop price on it. Ended up spending about $750 there. Dropped into autozone on my way home and picked up just about everything elts and spent $311. I still have about $240 and only have to pick up a fuel filter and another quart of gear oil. I feel better already.
 
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Well finally got to doing the work today. Removing the one axle was not bad, and nether was pressing off the fist collar and ABS ring. Snap ring was a PITA cuz I don't have the proper tool for that, but I got it off with some help from my roommate. Now the puzzling part, I cant get the bearing and 2nd collar off. I have a bearing puller attached to 2 of the 4 bolt holes on the bearing retainer/backing plate and if I try any more to press these off I am going to break off the 2 bolt holes.... any suggestions?
 
Well finally got to doing the work today. Removing the one axle was not bad, and nether was pressing off the fist collar and ABS ring. Snap ring was a PITA cuz I don't have the proper tool for that, but I got it off with some help from my roommate. Now the puzzling part, I cant get the bearing and 2nd collar off. I have a bearing puller attached to 2 of the 4 bolt holes on the bearing retainer/backing plate and if I try any more to press these off I am going to break off the 2 bolt holes.... any suggestions?

cut it off. I really doubt you'll be able to pull the collar and bearing at the same time. that collar is meant to be replaced along with the bearing, so just get a die grinder and cut it off.


do you have a pic of what your dong, with the puller in place?
 


tossed it on there loosely so you could get the idea of how I WAS doing it...

looks good.

just have to cut that retainer off.

cut it in as far as you can, then smack it with a chisel, it should crack, then will come off easily.
then you can press the bearing off.
 

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