Rear axle seal...what did I do wrong?

[ScottD]

When I bought my 4 runner (80k miles) the rear axle seal was leaking a little. I checked the breather and it was toast. Relocated it with a new breather and everything was fine. At 105k mile I had a catastrophic axle seal failure on the same axle. Fluid pouring out.

So I fixed it.

When I took the axle out the seal looked fine exect for the small diameter spring tensionr that holds the seal against the axle. It was completely off the seal just flopping around loose on the axle.

here is the part

I replaced it with a National seal which has a better design. Can't believe the design on the old part.

Here is what I am talking about

This is how the old seal was made;

This is the new seal:

So anyway, I put the new seal in, check the bearings, and put stuff back together.

I assume you have to disassemble the parking brake mechanism to get the cable loose to get the axle out.

I spent &*(#%^%$% two hours trying to reassemble the parking brake assembly. The shoes, springs,clips, are all pretty standard but the wheel hub is in the way and you cnnot get your fingers in there. No joke 30 minutes for a axel seal and another two hours trying to put the brakes back together.

What did I do wrong here. Is there a way to get the axel out without removing the parking brakes?

 

[Prommy]

Did the same repair this summer, and had the same experience with the parking brake, except I didn't adjust mine properly and it very quickly failed, forcing me to do it all offer again.

In short, I don't know if you're doing it wrong, but, if you are, you aren't the only one.

If my memory of the mechanism construction is correct, it may be remotely possible to free the cable from the rear shoe without disassembly, but that's a hard maybe.

 

[dasx86]

I remember watching a video on this, I'll see if I can find it. IIRC the issue is that a spring needs to be compressed when you assemble it, but you can't hold it compressed when putting it back together. I believe the guy used a small zip tie, re assembled, and then torched the zip tie to break it free. Or maybe I'm way off base here

edit: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance-detailing/211059-4th-gen-rear-wheel-bearing-diy.html

step 15 is what I was talking about

 

[Inv4drZm]

Cut a slot in the bracket that holds the parking brake cable and bend it back to allow the cable to slide out. Thats how we did mine.

 

[Falcon3]

Pretty sure I blacked out from rage doing my parking brake pad install. Although I remember using a tiny wire maybe 24ga to hold the spring against the pad, then used a needle nose to get it out. Get a couple long sturdy pliers to help. I like the long nose angled pliers from Harbor Freight. I’ve got a 90 degree and a 45 degree and they helped a lot.

 

[fdbyrne]

I remember watching a video on this, I'll see if I can find it. IIRC the issue is that a spring needs to be compressed when you assemble it, but you can't hold it compressed when putting it back together. I believe the guy used a small zip tie, re assembled, and then torched the zip tie to break it free. Or maybe I'm way off base here

edit: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance-detailing/211059-4th-gen-rear-wheel-bearing-diy.html

step 15 is what I was talking about

The link shows the guy using paracord but I used small zip ties and it worked very well. Compress the spring with a pair of small zip ties, cover it all in brake grease, set it in place leaving the grease to hold it in place then assemble. A quick blast will a torch will pop the zip ties.

The first axle took me hours. I only got it together when I figured out the zip tie thing. The second axle took me about 20 minutes.

 

[dasx86]

The link shows the guy using paracord but I used small zip ties and it worked very well. Compress the spring with a pair of small zip ties, cover it all in brake grease, set it in place leaving the grease to hold it in place then assemble. A quick blast will a torch will pop the zip ties.

The first axle took me hours. I only got it together when I figured out the zip tie thing. The second axle took me about 20 minutes.

ha! I think it was your post I read: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/212439-any-one-replace-parking-brake-shoes-4th-gen.html

did a lot of research when I thought I'd have to replace my axle seal and stumbled across it.

 

[fdbyrne]

ha! I think it was your post I read: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/212439-any-one-replace-parking-brake-shoes-4th-gen.html

did a lot of research when I thought I'd have to replace my axle seal and stumbled across it.

Yep, that was me. I shouldn't take credit for the idea though. I probably read it somewhere else. It's been so long I can't quite remember. It definitely works though.

 

[TechWrench]

When I bought my 4 runner (80k miles) the rear axle seal was leaking a little. I checked the breather and it was toast. Relocated it with a new breather and everything was fine. At 105k mile I had a catastrophic axle seal failure on the same axle. Fluid pouring out.

So I fixed it.

When I took the axle out the seal looked fine exect for the small diameter spring tensionr that holds the seal against the axle. It was completely off the seal just flopping around loose on the axle.

here is the part

I replaced it with a National seal which has a better design. Can't believe the design on the old part.

Here is what I am talking about

This is how the old seal was made;

This is the new seal:

So anyway, I put the new seal in, check the bearings, and put stuff back together.

I assume you have to disassemble the parking brake mechanism to get the cable loose to get the axle out.

I spent &*(#%^%$% two hours trying to reassemble the parking brake assembly. The shoes, springs,clips, are all pretty standard but the wheel hub is in the way and you cnnot get your fingers in there. No joke 30 minutes for a axel seal and another two hours trying to put the brakes back together.

What did I do wrong here. Is there a way to get the axel out without removing the parking brakes?

The line drawing of the seals you included in your post is not quite accurate. The metal outside of the seal is straight, not flanged, as your drawing suggests. This means, that one could possibly install the seal backwards (don't ask how I know this......:frusty. This would let the seal leak because the sealing lip is in the wrong direction. So, I would suggest getting another seal, just in case, before taking it apart. And, as Inv4drZm suggested in his post, just cut a slot in the bracket that the cable passes through on the inside of the rear dust shield. This way, you can remove the bolts holding the cable to the plate, remove the end of the cable from the parking brake lever, and pull the cable free from the backing plate. Then pulling the axle is easy to check on the new seal that is leaking.