thecaper
1986 4runner
- Location
- Rexburg, ID
Anyone know where to buy replacement knuckle bearings other than the dealership for an '84-'85 Toyota front axle?
Toyota knuckle bearings?
- Thread starter thecaper
- Start date
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Got hundreds (literally) in stock. LMK 
OREGON85
from OREGON
- Location
- Independence, Oregon
You'll probably need some back woods goop stuff too.
- Location
- West Jordan
Oh man!
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
LOL, that dude called me last week. He's pretty head strong that Toyota is involved in some kind of coverup. I got into it with him for a minute but honestly started feeling bad for him. His product work fine, but he is never going to sell it by bashing the manufactures recommendations, rather selling it on its own merits. I explained this to him a couple of times and he seemed to agree, then he went on to tell me how he going to try and get the MSDS documents from that infamous Toyota dealer that told him they have to use a 'special' grease that they are not allowed to tell customers about. Feel for the dude, its a bad way to introduce a product to the market. Not just one RME, he's been banned from dozens of forums apparently.
One one particular forum (ExPo) he was apparently using my name in his sig line. The moderators banned him and sent me a note about it. They logged the IP and have a copy of it just in case anything further comes of it.
thecaper
1986 4runner
- Location
- Rexburg, ID
Thanks guys, I'll see what I can talk the wife into.
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
FWIW every bearing I sell regardless of where it goes comes with a new race. In the case of knuckle bearings the majority of the wear is in the race so it would be really odd to not replace them
Lka1988
Active Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills, UT
I'll vouch for Kurt, he's got tons of those things. Seen it myself...
Lka1988
Active Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills, UT
You're gonna have to enlighten me on this backwoods goop stuff...
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
As luck would have it I happen to have some here. Frank sent me a gallon of it.
Its basically a semi-viscous lube to use when overhauling knuckles. Its much thinner than any Toyota documentation specifies and I personally don't think it will work well with the knuckles. Look at it this way, knuckles don't often leak because the #2 grease surrounding the birf leaks out, rather the inner axle seal fails and the 80-90W in the diff dilutes the #2 grease and it starts working its way right passed the felt/rubber wipers on the back of the knuckle. This product won't keep the inner axle seals from failing and in fact will likely lead to a an even more diluted grease once the seal does fail. I'll play around with it a bit more and might offer it up to a customer doing a knuckle rebuild. However I won't use it in mine as the Toyota specified grease has been working fine for years in my personal vehicles, why chance something that already works?
It may have some better wear characteristics? It may someway/somehow keep the inner axle seal alive a bit longer. However its not this that failed so much as the approach that Frank took on a bunch of forums, earning him a ban on RME, Mud, ExPo and others. Hopefully he works on selling his product on its merits rather than knocking the experience of others.
Lka1988
Active Member
- Location
- Cedar Hills, UT
Just read through the awesome beatdown you brought...
B
backwoodsgoop
Guest
sample
Okay Kurt youve got a gallon of the goop heres some ideas that I came up with to experament with the super secret goop.
Drill a 3/8 hole in a piece of steel and pour the goop on top of it, notice how it doesnt leak thru. ,
mix more oil into it and notice how much it can absorb without losing its adheasion properties,
It is my contention that this lube could absorb the entire capacity of the third member and still be thick enough not to leak thru the wiper seal.
The problem is not axle seal failure causing leakage at the wiper seal rather a incompatible grease used when wheel bearings are repacked.
I understand that this theory goes against the mainstream idea on this subject but look into it you may be suprized what you find out.
Okay Kurt youve got a gallon of the goop heres some ideas that I came up with to experament with the super secret goop.
Drill a 3/8 hole in a piece of steel and pour the goop on top of it, notice how it doesnt leak thru. ,
mix more oil into it and notice how much it can absorb without losing its adheasion properties,
It is my contention that this lube could absorb the entire capacity of the third member and still be thick enough not to leak thru the wiper seal.
The problem is not axle seal failure causing leakage at the wiper seal rather a incompatible grease used when wheel bearings are repacked.
I understand that this theory goes against the mainstream idea on this subject but look into it you may be suprized what you find out.
SUPERFLY
CaptainRob
- Location
- sugar house
Get your knuckle bearings from kurt! They are the best quality knuckle bearing I've used. DO NOT get them from trail gear, as much as I hate online product bashing and I think trail gear has some solid products, their knuckle bearings are cheap and I've personally busted my trail gear set and know others with the same story
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
To the op, make sure you shim these bearings properly. They have been known to break when not installed properly.
WHY NOT?! Dana used it in the D25 and closed knuckles axles that Ford used in the 1930's that Toyota copied then with when they built the Landcruiser axles so it has to work... (run-on sentence intended) Too soon?
WHY NOT?! Dana used it in the D25 and closed knuckles axles that Ford used in the 1930's that Toyota copied then with when they built the Landcruiser axles so it has to work... (run-on sentence intended) Too soon?
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
This is the case for many people and I think TG finally realized it. They just came out with these and they should be about the ultimate in strength http://trail-gear.com/trunnion-bearing-eliminator-kit.html If I still had the Toy axle I would probably have these on order. For those that can't tell they are basically a king pin similar to what is found in the earlier Dana 60's. It replaces the trunnion bearing altogether.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Brilliant strategy. Sell low quality Chinese bearings for several years, leading to piles of failures like Robbie eluded too. Then come out with a solution to the problem you created
It is a neat concept and I think in dedicated trail rigs this is probably not a bad way to go. But I can't imagine the wear surfaces will last longer on a DD rig than a set of nice Koyo bearings. Time will tell how they hold up
Fwiw the only quality bearings I have seen break have been the result of broken or loose knuckle studs. I've seen plenty of worn out bearings, but we are talking 100k+ miles.