FZJ80 Land Cruiser Axle Rebuild

"FJ80WaitinForaLSV8" (fj80waitinforalsv8)
04/02/2015 at 10:06 • Filed to: None

There are lots of guides on the internet that tell you how to do this. Here are some pictures from this weekend. Took a total of 22 hours and many many sore muscles. Worth it though because I saved $1000 in mechanic labor.

DISCUSSION (22)

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:09

Kinja'd!!!

Oh the horror!

Nice job! Mad props on doing it in a parking garage.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma
04/02/2015 at 10:13

The parking garage was great. Did it at work, climate controlled, flat ground, and dry, and deserted. Only downside is shitty lighting. The COO of my company came in while I was working and was very confused until he recognized me.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:15

Very similar to the setup on a Series, though that has U-joints and not CVs. Also, drum brakes, obviously. It's simpler on those to take the kingpins loose and the ball seal and just break the whole thing there - less pulling off of brake backing plates and the like. Just a few little things make it easier, even if you're doing wheel bearings like here.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/02/2015 at 10:18

What are the advantages to this setup over U-joints? The first one I thought of was that everything stays a lot cleaner. I imagine strength just has to do with the size of the components...

Party-vi > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:21

Kinja'd!!!

I hate packing bearings. Worst job ever. Was there any preloading you had to do on these after you installed them>

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Party-vi
04/02/2015 at 10:24

Yes for the main wheel bearings there is a preload. There are all sorts of ways to do it including using a fish scale. I followed one of the how-to guides from a mechanic on the internet who basically used the tighten as tight as you can by hand method.

The worst part of the whole job was cleaning all the parts. Especially the birfeild joints. Basically just washed them in 2 gallons of gasoline to get all the old grease out.

505Turbeaux > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:25

that is like the cleanest axle job I have ever seen. Good job. I would be head to toe in grease

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > 505Turbeaux
04/02/2015 at 10:32

I probably used 50-60 pairs of disposable gloves

Party-vi > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:34

I've memorized the method for doing the bearings on the Willys - tighten until you can get about 1/4 turn of hub free-rotation by hand, and then back off the nut by 1/4 turn.

505Turbeaux > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:35

lol I can tell. Totally worth it though

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:39

Strength is size of components. Many setups like this have exposed U-joints or exposed CV axles, but both this and a Rover have the joint in a ball-protected grease cavity like a tractor, which prevents things getting snagged or becoming filthy (or in the case of CV boots, torn). The only *advantage* CV setups have over U-joints inherently is that they are "constant velocity" - speed of the shaft going in makes for speed going out. An un-paired U-joint will alternately accelerate and decelerate the output shaft when at an angle other than straight. This makes for vibration when you're in 4wd or if you don't have locking hubs. CVs don't have lateral control, however, which means that both halves of the axle have to be secured or they come apart- with a U-joint, you only have to secure one, and on a Rover, that's the outer end passing through the hub.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/02/2015 at 10:43

extremely informative as usual, thanks!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > FJ80WaitinForaLSV8
04/02/2015 at 10:56

There's one more advantage to this setup, in theory, and that's protection of and lubrication of your kingpins. Most of the time kingpins are fully exposed except for a rubber cup and when that goes, they go. The sealed ball/tractor style approach allows you to use bearings or bushings in an enclosure. There's no guarantee that enough grease or lube will get sloshed around to keep the top pin fresh if the axles never turn, but it's a better approach in most respects than one exposed to the weather. It's a reason why it's a good idea to periodically engage 4WD even if you haven't needed to use it.

A Land Rover from the factory fills the ball reservoir like a tractor does, with gear oil. The only problem there is that it's light and can run out if the ball seal wears, and that means dry U-joints *and* dry kingpins. I refilled mine when I rebuilt them with a sort of light CV grease like the Toyota uses to avoid that.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Party-vi
04/02/2015 at 11:15

Rovers, we use a dial gauge with a magnetic base. 4-7 thousandths of end float.

Party-vi > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/02/2015 at 11:16

"The fuck is end-float?"

~ Jeep Owners

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Party-vi
04/02/2015 at 11:22

You'd love the setting of bearing preload in the transfer case, which is readily adaptable to Jaguar suspension stuff. "First, get a string. Then, get a dial gauge... and make sure you have a pile of shims ready."

Party-vi > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
04/02/2015 at 11:28

That's just like setting the end play in my Spicer 18 transfer case:

Add shims

Wiggle

Add more shims

Wiggle more

Cake in copper gasket maker and bolt down