alright, here is my problem. hopefully somebody can help me. i just bought this truck on Friday of last week. 85 4Runner, EFI, blah blah blah. i took it wheeling today with a friend, great. on the way back home, only 1 mile away from my house, something made a huge bang sound. sounded like it came from the front end. anyways, made the truck just swerve all over the road in the middle of traffic. there was a lot of drag coming form something, but i do not know what. the hubs were free, and in H2. i'm not too familiar with the straight axle in front, but i've done a lot of work on an 87 truck. either way, we were able to drive it out of the street and into a Church parking lot. had a lot of trouble with that because it would try to lock up on us and we would have to baby it to get it to move, back and forth. like i said, i just bought it a week ago today and kinda annoyed. if anyone could help me with stuff to look for. i am going to try and tow it to my house tomorrow and look it all over. i could not see anything wrong with the exterior at first glance as it was raining outside by the time i got it off the street.

Thanks in advance
Chad Bosworth

What is a B/C ?

By your description it'll be really hard to get any type of accurate diagnosis - you're going to have to rip into it to find out.

Is there any grinding noises or any sorts of noises coming from the front end?

Sounds to me like it has locked up a wheelbearing in the front or a brake caliper has come loose and is locking on the wheel.

Hmmmm. Maybe a hub did not unlock and a birfield blew?

OOP'S, what are you talking about? B/C??

update...

i went back to my truck because i did not want to leave it as there have been a lot of thefts in the area recently. got in it and it decided to move. so i called a friend to follow me a little bit. started making a loud grinding/roaring noice. makes me think it's a bearing. i think someone already said that though. i'll start ripping it apart tomorrow. if anymore ideas pop up. please shoot them at me.

Chad

Tie rod.
Steering knuckle bearing or race.
Wheel bearing.
Caliper.
Studs for the j-arm broken or nuts loose (either side).

if the wheel flops around, it might be the bearing hub.
PAt

if the wheel flops around, it might be the bearing hub.
PAt

problem found. my inner wheel bearing was destroyed. it came out in about 15-20 pieces. the inner race was completely disolved and there was no grease in the hub at all. i not have to replace the hub as it ground out about 1/8" of wall in there. but i am having a problem releasing the hub from the rotor. a friend of mine had 2 spare hubs off an 87 pickup, which i borrowed one. but his rotors are vented, mine are solid. so i'm trying to separate the rotors and hubs. any ideas?

I went ahead and replaced the bearings on the passenger side, even though they were in good shape, but just to be safe since i was doing the driver's side. drained the dif fluid and no metal bits, nothing at all. so good news there.

i have beat the living crap out of them, and no budging at all. and yes the 2 bolts that hold them together are out. the only thing i have not done is to torch them. i'm about to go out and buy a small hydraulic press and just press them to death, but i don't want to mess anything up real bad.

Chad

LAck of grease may be due to a leaking inner axle seal. Gear oil dissolves grease, it all washes out and the bearing goes.

I usually find I need to press out the wheel studs to get the rotors off the hubs.

4CrawlR - so you're saying i need to basically rebuild the front axle? sorry for the lack of understanding. i haven't done a whole lot of work on the straight axles and i've only owned this on for a week. but replace the seal on the axle, not just in the hub.

i guess i will either go out tomorrow and buy an hydraulic press from Harbor Freight. one just opened here in Charlotte.

What all is involved in replacing the seals for the inner axle. one thing i did notice is when i replaced the gear oil, the truck is on about a 3 degree angle right now, but oil was leaking out the end of the axle, and it didn't seem right to me, and probably for a good reason.

Axle rebuild info:

http://4crawler.cruiserpages.com/4x4/CheapTricks/AxleRebuild.shtml

If one bearing is gone, other side is likely close behind, I had a similar situation, leaking inner seals (in the axle tube, behind the spindle and birfield, washed out the grease. Had 2 bad wheel bearings and two bad knuckle bearings.

Since you are that far into the axle, may as well see if the rest is OK. Rebuild kit is around $100 but you'll need to get wheel bearings separately.

sounds fun. guess i will start tearing into it tomorrow. any words of advice on what not to do, or any tricks to make it easier. it's not the sead behing the backing plate is it? or do i have to basically gut the axle housing to get to the inner seal?

and i already have new inner and outer wheel bearing, new races, and a new inner hub seal to be installed. i had already replaced those on the other side. but i guess i need to tear it back apart. i'f i'm going to replace the inner axle seals on the driver's side, it woudl probably be a good idea to do the same on the passenger side.

You can also pull the whole steering knuckle off the axle, or follow the conventional repair steps on my page (above).

I'm assuming you have a lot of grease/oil leaking out the back sides of the steering knuckle.

it's not dripping a whole lot. but it'a about a drop every 30 seconds or so. though it's not dripping out from behind the knuckle. it's dripping out of the end of the open axle from where the hub goes over the spindle.

Originally posted by Romeo591
i have beat the living crap out of them, and no budging at all. and yes the 2 bolts that hold them together are out. the only thing i have not done is to torch them. i'm about to go out and buy a small hydraulic press and just press them to death, but i don't want to mess anything up real bad.

Chad \

You have to take the wheel studs out first.

You cant use an 87 hub on an 85 front axle. The rotors mount in different spots and wont line up with the calipers.

Originally posted by Romeo591
it's not dripping a whole lot. but it'a about a drop every 30 seconds or so. though it's not dripping out from behind the knuckle. it's dripping out of the end of the open axle from where the hub goes over the spindle.

That's a lot IMHO, you should not have any oil past the inner axle seal. If its dripping, its oil, grease doesn't drip.

4CrawlR - just wanted to say thnx. i got in there today and took everyhting apart. althoguh i have to say, it's not fun when you don't want to. there was mud and grime in the passenger side knuckle, where the seals on the back of it did not seal well. also, the driver's side was pretty screwed up. anyway. i have to replace the driver's side hub, and i need it by tomorrow, so i have to buy a new one tomorrow. hopefully i can find a place to get a seal puller as i cannot remove the inner axle seals with a screw driver or any other tool.

just wanted to say thnx for pointing out that it's the inner axle seal. i wouldn't ahev guessed that.