rear axle seal DIY?

M

mendozer

Member
So I recently got a 2002. While at the lot I specifically looked for problem areas listed on the buyer's guide. The right rear wheel didn't have the starburst oil pattern typically seen but it was overall black and grimy vs the left side. I asked the mechanic at the lot about it and he said it was nothing. Lying POS.

My mechanic just told me it's bad as he did a total inspection for me this weekend. Looking online I saw various threads on this. Is it something I can do myself or should I have him do it? It's likely gonna be expensive.

From what I gather, I SHOULD be able to DIY if I also use a machine shop to press things back together right? I also need to do this in a day as I need my car. So this likely will be a weekend job.
 
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You should search it. I has been covered many many many times. Also most of the time i have seen blown axle seals it was caused by a bad bearing. So do yourself a favor and replace that also.
 
You can do it. You don't need a machine shop. If you don't want to buy a press and make/buy an SST, you'll have to cut off and replace the retaining collars and ABS ring, but the wheel bearing goes into the backing plate real easy with a Harbor Freight seal driver and the ring and collars can be driven on with a chunk of thick wall square tube.

I just did mine, I bought a used press for $50 and made the SST out of scrap for free, so I figure I saved a cool couple hundred dollars just over cutting the collars and rings myself, and several hundred over taking the axles to a machine shop. I think it'll probably take you several hours to do one side if you haven't done it before. The second side will go much quicker, but getting both done in a day might make for a very long day. What took me the longest was making the tool and figuring out the right way to use it. Everything after that was easy.
 
Yeah I read through Dr Coffee's and BigFish's tutorial. Seems doable, but I don't have anywhere close to those tools nor the know how to do it, especially pressing things together. I can dismantle and remount the finished assembly myself without an issue. I'm gonna let my mechanic think of a quote first. If it's under 800 I'll try that route since I'll likely spend over 200 getting tools anyhow.
 
mendozer said:
Yeah I read through Dr Coffee's and BigFish's tutorial. Seems doable, but I don't have anywhere close to those tools nor the know how to do it, especially pressing things together. I can dismantle and remount the finished assembly myself without an issue. I'm gonna let my mechanic think of a quote first. If it's under 800 I'll try that route since I'll likely spend over 200 getting tools anyhow.
Click to expand...

The only "special" tool you need is a press. I assume that's where you are getting the $200 figure from.

Take of the axles yourself (very easy) Buy all your OEM parts ahead of time. Take your axle to the shop and have someone press the parts on and off. Take a close up picture of the inner retainer. Placement of this is critical to success or failure of the job. If you look at the axle retainer you should have about 5mm of "shiny" axle inward of the retainer. If the shop knows what they are doing they shouldn't have to cut any parts off. That way you can save your outboard retainer, and ABS exciter, saving you about $60 an axle. Also, cutting the inboard retainer off, can be tricky and if your not careful, you can "groove" the axle creating an alleyway for the gear oil to exit underneath the retainer. If this happens, you way need to replace the entire axle, although there are ways to fix it (spray welding)
Lastly, and most importantly, take the axle home and perform the grease test outlined in Dr Coffee's write up. If the test fails, take the axle back to the shop and have them do the job right. I followed Dr Coffee's write up with success twice, turned the retainer backwards, makes perfect sense once you think about it.
 
the other tools I would need are the deep walled sockets, seal driver, seal puller, and of course the press based on the thread. Otherwise I have stuff.

I wonder if I could get shop price myself. Just tell Toyota dealer I'm a mechanic.
 
my mechanic says labors around $500. Sound about right?

I'll get a parts list going, try to reuse as many parts as I can.
 
I just did mine, both sides. Process from start to end took 6 hours (lax, no rush, taking rest, could have been done in 3 hours).
For two of us - both into working on cars for a while now and my friend being a very good mechanic.

Have a friend with you, will make this much easier.

Will not jump into this if this is your first repair - unless you're mechanically inclined anyway.

Regardless:
Here's one of the best write ups since the invention of the internet, about your issue.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...e-information-replacement-thread-3rd-gen.html

My notes:
The fact you have a leak does not imply you must change your bearings.

Did you check the axle pressure release valve to make sure it's not rusted shut? Many times -that's the culprit that causes the seal to fail.
Unless it's in perfect condition - it only costs a few $, make sure to replace it with new as you do the seal work.

Don't go short on tools, have: Seal extractor and Seal driver. I won't add
much about tools because the write up really takes care of it all.
 
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mendozer said:
my mechanic says labors around $500. Sound about right?

I'll get a parts list going, try to reuse as many parts as I can.
Click to expand...

$500 was the labor cost I got from the dealership, but parts was $540, whereas I can buy them online for $330 shipped (ordered them yesterday in fact). I'm going to find a shop to press them on, then put the seal in a few mm short and test fit, and if it's good set it all the way. I measured the old ones at 38mm. I rented a slide hammer puller kit from advance auto and they popped right out using 2 puller arms reversed with the feet outwards (pretty much what the toyota SST is).

Code: 
90363-40020-77
BEARING
$72.10
2
$144.20

42423-20010
BEARING RETAINER
$15.77
4
$63.08

43517-35010
ABS ROTOR
$43.77
2
$87.54

90520-36045
AXLE SHAFT SNAP RING
$2.16
2
$4.32

90313-48001
AXLE SEALS
$6.01
2
$12.02

Subtotal:
$311.16
Shipping (USPS - Priority):
$19.63
Total:
$330.79

You also need the 2 inner seals and 2 orings, dont have the parts numbers because I got them local. They are in the writeup,
 
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Looks like you did both sides plus rotors. I was just gonna do the axle seal and that's it. so my parts list should be less. I have a friend who does some work on cars who might be able to help. My main concern is pressing parts together. This will be a weekend job so finding a shop to do this on a saturday is key. How much should that cost?
 
Lug1 said:
I just did mine, both sides. Process from start to end took 6 hours (lax, no rush, taking rest, could have been done in 3 hours).
For two of us - both into working on cars for a while now and my friend being a very good mechanic.

Have a friend with you, will make this much easier.

Will not jump into this if this is your first repair - unless you're mechanically inclined anyway.

Regardless:
Here's one of the best write ups since the invention of the internet, about your issue.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...e-information-replacement-thread-3rd-gen.html

My notes:
The fact you have a leak does not imply you must change your bearings.

Did you check the axle pressure release valve to make sure it's not rusted shut? Many times -that's the culprit that causes the seal to fail.
Unless it's in perfect condition - it only costs a few $, make sure to replace it with new as you do the seal work.

Don't go short on tools, have: Seal extractor and Seal driver. I won't add
much about tools because the write up really takes care of it all.
Click to expand...

I didn't check this, my mechanic did. He's a coworker's brother in law and he helps me on projects beyond my skill or tool collection. He knows his imports in and out and if he tells me the axle is bad I believe him. He said the brake shoes were soaked through as well indicating it's been like that for a while.
 
also, let me get this right. The shop is needed to press things together, regardless if I get the seal driver tool set right? Can they just do all my seal driving and pressing?
 
mendozer said:
also, let me get this right. The shop is needed to press things together, regardless if I get the seal driver tool set right? Can they just do all my seal driving and pressing?
Click to expand...

Let's make this easy.


Jack the ass end of the truck up, and grab the wheel.

If there's excessive play, replace the bearings along with the seal.

If the bearings feel tight, no need to replace them.

This means that all you'd have to worry about is replacing the seal; which entails pulling the axle out, but not having to break everything down.

So no need for a press, or finding a shop to press them off and on, or anything like that.

NOW, if there's excessive play in the bearings, then they need to be replaced, which involves a press and time.

Does that make sense?
 
mendozer said:
I didn't check this, my mechanic did. He's a coworker's brother in law and he helps me on projects beyond my skill or tool collection. He knows his imports in and out and if he tells me the axle is bad I believe him. He said the brake shoes were soaked through as well indicating it's been like that for a while.
Click to expand...

You must educate yourself about the axle and its subsystems. ASAP.

When the valve fails, pressure builds inside the differential, heat and hot oil look for the path of lowest resistance and find their way out through the oil seals, and end up damaging them.

The valve must be checked. Do you want to repair your seals and then blow them again due to bad valve ?

IDC if you buddy is a NASA engineer, the valve needs to be checked and replaced, otherwise you'll have the same issue.

If your seal is blown - just replacing the valve will do nothing.

Again, you must pay attention to the valve, saying "well he did this and that" is not a way to go.
 
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oh that was a response to the post before yours. we must have been typing at the same time. Didn't see yours till just now. I'll check all of this over the weekend to see what needs to be done. If there's no play and the valves bad then I'll just do the valve and seals and save a trip to the machine shop. Then I just need the seal driver set and I'm good to go
 
hmm this weekend I jacked up the vehicle and wiggled the wheel around....nothing. So it's possible my bearing is fine and only the seals are bad. Its 125k miles.

If I only do seals then I save a machine shop trip and get off easy. But the machine shop told me something about gear oil leaking past the bearing wears off the factory grease in the bearing. True?
 
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