Front axle "slop"

[thurston]

I'm sure this is covered somewhere, but I'm striking out searching. Basically the passenger side front axle (whether hubs are locked or not) makes a rattling sound mostly over bumps. Clackety-clack, clackety-clack like a train, but random rattling. No pattern.

I pulled the Warn locking hubs I recently installed to have a look in there but all I can see is the slop in the spindle up-and-down, or side-to-side as you sit looking directly at the wheel and move the spindle around (see photo). The repair manual makes reference to an "axle bearing" under the Front Drive Axle section but there is no diagram. Is that referring to the wheel bearing (the one you tighten to 43 ft/lb, then loosen and retighten to 18ft/lb) or is there some type of actual axle bearing for the half shaft? Do I have a worn out axle? Bushing? Bearing?

There is a certain small amount of slop in both axles along the axis of the axle - getting under the van and pushing the axle away from the wheel and toward the front diff, and vice versa. But I think I read here that's normal.

Forgive my ignorance of the 4WD.2427

[timsrv]

Check out these three threads:

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1713-Drive-Shaft-Arm-amp-Manual-Hub-clanking-noise

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?574-Wheel-noise

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?173-metal-knocking-in-4wd

[thurston]

Thank you, Tim!

I think my problem lies in this bushing/bearing issue for the axle that you and someone called BurntBoot have so painstakingly unraveled - although I haven't yet had a chance to thoroughly read all of that thread with real intention. The sound my van makes while driving, I can pretty accurately recreate by slopping the axle spindle around with the hub removed in my carport.

Pretty sure this is not related to ball joints, etc. The spindle is just damned loose in the "KNUCKLE, STEERING, RH" :yes:

I'm beginning to feel someone had neglected everything on this van with the exception of the engine. The guy who sold it to me told me that the person he bought it from had possible flat towed the thing behind an RV for many of the miles, so many of the 243K are "free miles." (It came with the tongue or yolk, or whatever it's called to prove it.) The engine is really very strong and doesn't smoke. But boy this sure sheds light on the input bearing noise in the trans and this axle slop, don't you think?

Whatever I've gotten myself into with this 4WD, it's gonna end up a solid ride. When I first bought an old 1971 Honda motorcycle, a friend of mine looked at it, then looked at me and said, "Congratulations, you are now a motorcycle mechanic."

[AD2101]

I also just upgraded the automatic hubs on my 4x4 to Warn manual hubs today (yay me! :dance2:) so I figured I'd try to weigh in. Do you still have the retaining/snap ring and washer for the hubs or is that picture you posted pretty much how it is in there? You can kind of see it in the photo you posted but if you run your finger down the splines you can feel a place where there's a groove that goes all around the spindle. Right in there is where your snap ring and washer (Thrust washer?) would go.

When I switched over to manual hubs the instructions in a roundabout way stated to keep those parts. The directions provided by Warn were also absolutely awful in every way so I turned to the internet to see how necessary reusing these parts were. What I found was that they may or may *not* be necessary but having them installed would reduce "play" in the system.

If what you did was an auto hub to manual conversion and you still have the old parts it's worth a shot to try to throw 'em in and see if there's a difference. When did the noises start? I only have 4 miles on my new hubs so take whatever I said with a grain of salt :)

[timsrv]

Yes, verifying that snap ring is there is the 1st thing to do. This is discussed in those threads I linked to above. Tim

[thurston]

Thanks, guys. Yes the washer and snap ring are in place - I removed them before taking that photo.

[thurston]

"It's unfortunate that Toyota made this so confusing but hopefully the confusion is behind us. Here's a parts list for anybody doing this job:
(qty:2) 90364-30011 Bearing, Needle (goes into inner bushing bore)
(qty:2) 90381-32001 Bushing, Inner (acts more like a bearing retainer now)
(qty:2) 90381-30003 Bushing, Outer (still the same as original)"

- Said Tim in another post here:

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?173-metal-knocking-in-4wd/page2

I have ordered the above parts, along with some new snap rings - doing both sides. I'm pretty sure this is the issue - my axles are slopping around in the knuckle... BAD bushings, soon to be replaced with new bearings. Getting closer to a road-worthy van.... :dance2: