toyota_mdt_tech

OK, I was telling a few of you in here about a spindle bushing lubricator?. I mentioned doing the needle bearings is a bad idea IMHO. The bushings can squeal when low on grease, especially when its colder. Noisy spindles are a result of no lube. Lubing is a bear. Time consuming. I have devised a tool for our dealership. Did this about 10 years ago as a way to lubricate the spindle bushings without removing a little more then the hub (or ADD plate if ADD equipped) and pumping in grease with a grease gun. If you want to build your own spindle lubricator, you will need a few items. First, a piece of galvanized or steel water pipe. A short threaded 2" piece exactly 3" long. A spindle nut (the 54mm one) you know, the one so many use a chisel to set up??? For the life of me, how does one set preload properly chiseling a nut? And you know who you are! OK, now you will need a dead cap for one end of the pipe. Either drill a hole and tap it for a grease fitting (most are 1/4") or a reducer end with another reducer till you get down to a grease fitting size (this is what I did). Now braze the nut on one end of the pipe (opposite end of the blind cap) and braze it air tight. No holes please. Now remove your ADD plate or hub. After the hub is off, remove one spindle nut, lock tab (the think you bend over to secure the spindle nuts with) the snap ring and thrust washer on the end of the axle. Screw your spindle lubricator on the end of your spindle in place where the spindle nut you just removed was. Now pump the lubricator with grease (manually fill the lubricator by had first to speed things up) and pump the gun till you see some grease show up coming out the other end, but only a smidge of grease. Now remove the lubricator, and the spindle is full of grease so pulling the axle back in will be tricky. Here is what I do. Install the bolt with washer into the end of the axle. just enough to get a screwdriver under the large washer. Now pry under the washer using the hub stud as a fulcrum and draw the axle back into the bore. Pull it till the extra grease smooshes out and set on the thrust and snap ring. All done! OK, now to keep your lubricator clean during storage (keep the grease from collecting dirt) set it in an old paint can cap. Keeps your storage area from getting grease, and keeps the grease from getting dirty.

OK, first picture of the top.


Second picture. See the OE spindle nut braze on the pipe? Of course, MIG or TIG would do just fine also.

Does this help? Everyone understand my explantion? If you build one, let me know how it works and for each one you make, send any royalty payments to me!
Spindle Lubricator?
Patend Pending

YotaTech forum is free to put this into their tech forum for future use.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

No, it's a long handle flat screwdriver, not a chisel.

I think anyone who practices such a method should be

The same folks who do such things want a $20K rock crawler for a $150 budget.

Very nice and simplistic tool. Looking forward to the other tidbits you can add...we need some more Toyota techs posting regularly...and especially some w/ rock crawling know how. :bigclap:

AH64ID

Looks like a great setup... Same grease that the wheel bearings get?

Marc

Thanks for the great info!

toyota_mdt_tech

[QUOTE] Yes, I can always tell when I work behind a "chiseler". I cant usually see it with all the grease, but when my spindle socket doesnt fit, I know it was servcied by a chiseler! I usually knock the burr made from the chisel down, grind the barb off to make it safe. I cant blame the owner (he pays the bill and is the boss) and usually, he paid someone to ruin his spindle nuts, er i mean work on his front axle. Hey, a trail side repair using limited tools, its another story, but in a shop... I'd like to know how may owners of a Toyota 4X4 in who doesnt own a 54mm spindle nut socket? I'd bet not too many. Off roaders take their service a little more serious then the conventional backyarders do.

Well, I'm no rock crawler, but have worked on plenty and understand the reason for everything you guys do and know a lot about the "off road gear" ie marlin crawlers, winches, disconnecting sway bars, ARB's etc. We have a couple that come in for service, external skeletons etc. Some real nice rigs. A ton of $$$ put into them. Some techs say "its junk" and they do look rough, but when you look deeper, and see it for what it is, actually pretty nice. A closer look can tell you from a budget crawler vs the "big boys". I've been a dealer tech for over 18 years and will retire at the same place. I have a ton of info in my head, lots of first hand experiene. If you give me a symptom/code year and model. Chances are, I've seen the problem hundred of times and know the fix. So I'll do what I can. I have been a member here for a long time, but forgot all about this site. The I got an email reply someone posted to a thread I posted too and it renewed my interest. Over 100 post in a week! I'll spend most of my time in the tech truck/4runner section. Its my area of expertiece. Thanks for the o ther kind words too waskillywabbit!

runethechamp

Well, the torqing of the spindle nut is just a way to get the preload in the right range (hopefully). From my understanding of the process, gettig a correct preload is more important than getting a correct torque value. I did this once when I didn't have the 54 mm socket available. Instead of torquing the nut, I used the hammer and screwdriver, checked preload, hammer and screwdriver, checked preload and kept going until I had a preload within the allowable range. Not the best way of doing it, but it seemed to work just fine.

isaac338

toyota_mdt_tech, are you the same guy by the same name at thumpertalk as well?

Ric

hey all, I would like to give toyota_mdt_tech great props.... we PMed each other on Thanksgiving to boot, he answered so many of my questions, seems like a great guy, i think we will fit in nicely here....

toyota_mdt_tech

Exactly. I'm an avid off roader, ie dirt bikes. See links in sig files below for pictures. I'm also a lifetime contributing member of KTMTalk, (sponsor grandsons racing KTM's) also same user name there too. Small world, isnt it! ANd RIC, thanks for the kind words also. Hope you get the diff lock light figured out. I think we steered you in the right direction!

Rick

Mister Willie

I know its not cheap but a 27 dollar 2 1/8th in socket from sears fits just as well on those spindle nuts, and as luck has it, it fits just inside the entire hub just perfect. In the end, I feel much better using a torque wrench and a real socket instead of a screwdriver and a hammer!

toyota_mdt_tech

Willie, I bought mine from the Snap-On dealer. It was "Blue Point" and cost only $18! I thought it was cheap. But it was for a 3/4" drive, so I ended up buying a 3/4 to 1/2" drive and then the low price wasnt as low anymore.

AH64ID

I think its either Downey or NWOR that sells one thats bent metal.. it works for this, and is cheaper... just not strong enough for any other nuts that size..

Ringmaster

Thanks for the great info Toyota MDT Tech!

I'm gonna put one of these together.

A Quart size Zip Lock baggy should help keep the dirt/crud out.

JEBSR5

Thank You Toyota MDT Tech, tried this and worked like a charm. Saved me a ton of time and money. Did each side 20 minutes each. I couldn't find the same cap you had, but no big deal, it had no hole so just drilled, tapped and put a plug in it.

toyota_mdt_tech

Good to hear Jeb! Now you can send me my royalty payment via PayPal! or a check will be fine too!

toyota_mdt_tech

Did anyone save those 2 pictures I took of my spindle lubricator? I changed ISP and they were on my old ISP space, which is now closed. I''d like to repost them back up. If you could just PM me, I will send you my email and send them pback to me. I will then post them to my ISP and edit the message to add them back in.

mr toytech

well toyota mdt tech, i to am a toyota almost mdt. im not tring to bash you but, i to have made the same tool years ago, and used it on my current truck because of the spindle noise and it did NOT fix the problem. it only reduced it to doing in even colder temps. toyota made the needle bearing conversion to elemenate the problem and it does. check the tsb next time you get a chance. the problem isnt only due to lack of greese but also worn bushings. so if your not going to put in the bearings at least put in new bushings and fix it right.

toyota_mdt_tech

I'm well aware of the TSB, I remember it when it first showed up. I have been at the same dealer for 18+ years. We get real cold in my area and the lubricator has always worked. We have never done the needle bearing conversion. It will depend on the grease, amount of grease I suppose. But in the end, if it the needle bearings worked well for you, then thats all that matters. These noisy bushings always show up the first real cold snap. We get less of them then we used to.

Corey

iTrader: (1)

First I have seen this thread.
I could use it for the Tech section.

toyota_mdt_tech

Corey, please do. You have my full permission. I see you are in Auburn, I work just down the road a spell from you.