YotaFun

Just when I thought I was almost done with my problems....
They get bigger....

So Firday I go to take the Runner to get new tires....
Thrilled and estatic to get the tires...
Well the guy come out from the shop to me and tells me that he has to show me something...
I thought he was just going to show me how bad my brakes were (long story short, never let a women drive your rig if its her first time ;-).... )
When he pointed out that my drums were soaked with gear oil....
He says that the seals have busted out on both sides....
Now I saw other post on the problem but I really didn't get my answer...

One, I found out that there is an inner and outter seal and a bearing.
Two, I went out to get prices on the job itself....
-A freind of mine says that he can do it for around $560 and that is the seals and bearings
-Toyota says that they can just do the seals for around $320, but if the bearings are all F*&^ed up that they would have to replace those and it could cost close to $1000.

Gotta love Toyota Dealers *cough* *cough* *dies*

Side note, a friend of mine got stuck and I had to go pull him out after I got that news so yeah....The truck got nice a muddy...

So here are my questions...
1. Did i ลลลล up something with going to pull out my friend?
2. Do the bearings and seals need to be changed or just the bearings?
3. How long can I drive like this?
4. Does this seem costly to everyone?
5. Would it just be cheaper to swap out the rear axel all together (I ask this question only cuase the person that had my Runner before me, otped out of the locking rear diff and I really want one so....maybe find one at a junkyard?)

And onto of all of this I need new breaks (is it hard to do breaks myself?)

I love my Yota....but I guess for being on the verge of hitting 100K i should expect this?

Here are My Rigs Specs:
1997 4Runner SR5
Automatic Trans
4 Wheel Drive
ABS Breaks
I do not have a locking rear diff (god I wish I did....)

Any input....
I am about to loose it......
Cause money is really slim at the momment.....

BajaRunner

If money is tight, Id just do it myself. Well, if you have the tools that is.

I did it last month, it cost me $12 for the seal, and about 3-4 hours of my time.

Its pretty basic...just involves taking off 4 nuts (behind the brake drum) sliding out the axle, pulling out the new gasket (one on each side) and then putting the new one in.

There is a writeup in the tech section. I forget how to check the bearings.

YotaFun

I will look in athe Haynes Book to see what tools are required.

Might just be cheaper to get the parts and tools and do it myself....

I just need to take off a whole weekend then, and make sure I have another means of getting around....

Patsawasy

i had the same problem. i did it myself. seemed pretty easy, but im still leaking. now im thinking it was my bearings, so if and when you do it make sure you diagnos the problem

YotaFun

Well,
One I need to start collecting some tools and the right car jack.
I am working with a craftsmen do it your self like 74 peice set....
thats missing some pieces after it got launched 50 feet....
from my trunk......
I would actually like to attepmt to do this repair and all repairs on my runner by myself...
I want to know how it works and what not instead of always constently having to rely on someone else....
But I will def diganose the prob if I do it myself or take it to someone...
I wanna know,
and I wanna know how it can be fixed on my own....

YotaFun

::UPDATE::

Due to recent events
(i.e. me hitting a deer in moms lexus while having my Runner on jack stands waiting for front brakes)
Mom finally made me take the Runner in for brakes...
(I guess we will use mine while hersw in the shop for body work)
However, Apprently I don't do enough research on my truck...
I told her I would do the work...
I know what was wrong and what needed to be fixed...
When I have the complete parts list sitting right on my desk and a write-up of how to do it right next to it...
So they call me and here is there story to me...
Obviously I already knew what was wrong but gotta hear it from the 'experts'...

"The reason your front brakes went prematurlly is because your rear axel seals are blown out."
(While listening to this thinks to self "Well No Sherlock!! I told you I knew that...)

"Yeah, so what all this means is that we are gonna have to do a complete rear axel rebuild."
(minus the actual gears in the housing.)
"Yeah your rear drums are soaked in gear fluid. We will have to replace the pads, machine the rotors, replace this, replace that...blah blah blah BLAH blah..."
In the end he gave me a price somewhere in the range of $2000+
To which my mother told him, and I quote..
"Fix the front brakes only, and then go screw yourselves."

Then she turns to me and expects me to have an answer to the money issue...
I just keep my mouth shut cause you know everytime I say something it is always a bad idea...

I offered to do my own brakes...
Would have only cost $136 dollars for the pads and rotors...
Figure $200 for anything else that i might need (i.e fluid and such)..
And then take it to the guy that I originally wanted to take it to so he could do the rear axel seals and the bearings for only $600...

But no...
I no about my own 4Runner.
I have been drivng the thing for a freakin year...
I know all it's quircks...
Thanks to this and many other forums I know some mods that could help in the future to avoid such money disasters...

So Today I will be driving it to the other guy and seeing if it needs a complete rebuild or not...

Also, I am really starting to dislike any toyota/lexus product...
Mom to got her brakes done last feburary...
And there already starting to go...
I hear and feel grinding from the right front rotor...
I have also noticed that in any Toyota I drive There all front brake dependent....
MOM HAS 4WHEEL DISC ANTI-LOCK BRAKES!!!!
Why is it only relying on the front to stop!!!

I am starting to think I don't know how to brake, Or any way that I do is wrong...
I am not one to stomp last min because wheni did that on the olds back when I first started drvingin on my own I noticed that it was warping the rotors...
So then I started to slow down earlier, not riding my breaks, just letting the car slow down and then applying it...
But that dosen't seem to be working for me either...
I really think it was moms braking that mae it go on her car since I have only driven the thing for oh lets say about 3-4 weeks...
Brakes cannot go that fast!!!

Other questions...
Why would a gear soaked drum have to be remachined or replaces?
I would think with all that oil since the actual pad and drum are not touching just sliding over eachother there would be no wear?
Would it be just cheaper for me to go to a junkyear and find a rear axel with a e-locker with good seals and drums then replacing all the stuff on mine?
Would that be an easy thing to do myself?
I love toyota...
I really do....
But latly it just seems like what ever I do with one...
It goes wrong...
I think I just might be in the wrong place at the wrong time with it...

Wow....
Sorry for the rant guys...
But I almost to the point of tears on these issues...
I have a mother who granted did by me the car, and forks up money to do reapairs on it while I am going to school, who doesn't believe a wor dthat comes out of my mouth...
She takes it to a mechanic and listens to a explination and doesn't know one bit of vocabulary that comes out of his mouth...
Me and stepdad try to explain it to her, and even frinds of ours who have not an ounce of automotive knowledge except you put gas in the car and it runs, understand what we say...
You think that would light up something in her...

Warning to all...
October is not such a hot month...
If your having car issues...
Leave it in the driveway and take public transportation...
I will so work out better in the long run....

Okay I think I have ranted as much as I possibly can think of...

I JUST WANT MY RUNNER BACK IN ONE PIECE!!!!!!!!!!!

CJM

I am really sorry for all your problems dude, you just got the luck of the draw.

I think it could be done cheaply if you only replaced what was really needed-the shop quoting over 2k is nuts.. I would have that guy you know do the other work, yota is insane and so is the shop you got it at now.

As for premature brake wear, it could be due to frozen/siezed pistons in the calipers-but more likely its your driving style, also caused by the rearends issues.

Your mom on the other hand, probably rides the brakes..my dad is the same way, he doesnt stop till the very end and rides them things, around turns, anything he feels the slightlest need to brake he does-I just let off the gas.

I had over 33k on my brakes for my 93 camry XLE which has 4 wheel disc and is really a lexus tbh. That was hard driving, I mean really hard as I beat the snot outta that car. Infact the drivers side front wheel bearing went and so did the shocks and I had no money so I kept going. Rotor needed to be turned but the yota brakes help up!

Goodluck with everything, if you cant find a good mechanic and dont mind the drive I have the single best mechanic I ever found here in central NJ. Its only 2 hours from you.

YotaFun

Thanks...

Oh I def know it could be cheaper...
The list for the rear axel included the seals and bearings of course, the skid rotors (what the heck are those?), and a couple of other things...
The guy that I was and just dropped it off too stills ays it's probably jsut the bearings and seals which will still cost prolly $600..
And then the rear brake work of course sinc ehte pads a drenched in oil...

Yeah the premature brake wear was the rear axel issue for mine..
My moms on the other hand..
I am starting to wonder...
I think she might ride the brakes...
I know stepdad doesn't...
He drives everything like he was drivin a Big Rig...
He slows down first through the gears and then slowly applies the brakes...
Hence how his lasted 50k+

Yeah I beat my olds to ลลลล (yea yea GM i know, but dame that car was good) till I put it into a telephone poll.....oops....

I will get final verdict and cost tomorrow from the guy I just took it too..
I trust him...
Back when I had the olds...
He knew exactly what was wrong with it just by looking at the engine and going ::sniff:: ::sniff::
Granted there GM vehciles he has worked on plenty and he always gets the job done right...
The olds actually ran better after he got his hands on it...
So I am hoping the same will come out of it once he does my axel work...
I gotta find a right up for the rear diff breather though...

gapboi210

I just did one side on mine. (I had a wheel bearing going out)

I pulled the axle and took it to a machine shop to press out the old bearing.

I had to buy:
Wheel bearing-$52.00
ABS Rotor-$46.00
Inner seal-12.00
Outter seal-7.00
2 retainer rings-$6.00 ea.

I paid the machine shop $75.00 to take care of the bearings and all the stuff on the axle. I did the inner axle seal and put it all together.

User 051420

Here's a DIY (read: cheap) approach.

1-Get your 4Runner on jackstands.
2-Pull the rear drums and axleshafts.
3-Change inner seal yourself (easy)
4-Take axle shafts to machine shop to have new seals/bearings pressed on.
5-Reassemble, and move on with life.

YotaFun

I would gladly do it myself...
But moms name on the title...
Mom gets to make the repair desicions...
It's her dollar on this one...
Yet I still get the blame for something that just happens and is not intentional...
I don't get it anymore...

YotaFun

Oh so easier typed then done these days...

CJM

If your mom is paying for the repairs on her dime it serves her right to be charged out the wazoo if she doesnt want you working on it. It is so simple to do and jsut takes time, but she rather pay 500+ bucks..either way not to bad mouth anyone, but alot of people dont get that you or a good mechanic can do the same work for alot cheaper than others..

I know some people who swear by the dealer who charges them 400 dollars for breaks when my mechanic can do it for 1/2 the price and better and he doesnt check every stinking thing and recommend fixing them like a dealer does. I love when my mom had tires with 5k on them the dealer said she needed new ones, same goes for 10k miles on the brakes.

YotaFun

Yeah I know it's on moms dime...
Yes it serves her right...
But I wish she would jsut listen to me...
We need to save money...
We are REALLY slim on it...
But she just dosn't get it...

Yeah I think she is one of those that swears by the dealer...
She may not admit it...
But I think she is...
The mechanic we took it to for the rear said he would have charged half for the brake job to...
(heck I could have saved us $300 if she would have just got me the damn parts...)

Yeah Stepdad took the Runner in for and oil change...
3k later after getting it off the lot with only .5 miles on it (yeah she was right off the truck.... nice and purddy and new...)
And they said he needed a new battery...
He was like, screw you, if I notice any battery issues I will go replace it my own damn self...
(original battery is still in after 125+k)

YotaFun

::Update::
Getting the Runner back Either Thrusday or Firday!!!
Can't wait...
the guy i am taking it to is only charging me $700 and he is not only changing the bearings and seals, but doing the rear drum work too...
On Top of that...
He is going to do the Diff Breather Mod for me!!!
I looked at the Runner while it was on the life at the Diff Breather...
Yeah oil and muddy consistency blocking it all up..
So thrusday when I get paid I am going to get the parts for the diff breather mod and bring them over, maybe do it myself if he has other cars he still has to work on...

Now I just have one Question?

All the write-ups for this mod seem to be for Tacoma's,
I am presumming, hopefully correctly, that the mod works for the Runners as well (i.e. sizes and such?)?

Just curious, and thank you all for dealing with my ranting....