30 spline Longfield install with pics.
 

I figured I'd document it here instead of the other thread about install questions.

That thread is here:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f115/longfield-30-spline-install-questions-88188/

I had hoped to get out of the sun & into the garage to do this, but my truck being over 7 feet tall wasn't going to fit.
So I took the tires off the '89 4runner & put them on the '85 in hopes of getting the front in the garage for some shade. Nope. The tires wouldn't turn when I got them on so it looks like I have to get this done tonight where she sits, (I hope) before it gets hot tomorrow.

So here's your comic relief for the day: :pat:

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OK

Removed the tires & set axle on jack stands:

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Temporarily postponed due to rain & lightning...

Brrrmmm Brrrrmmmm,
Lets go Speed Buggy ol pal,
sure thing Tinker

Song



Sorry couldnt resist.

BTW did you see the article in 4X4 builder about the Longfields? pg 62

Speed Buggy- I knew somebody would come up with something good :chairfall

Hey Wabbit, I'm amphibious, not lightning-proof! :eeek:

So I start working on it again today:

Got the hub removed & axle clip, then removed the brake caliper...

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This thing was grungy dirty...

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After a little brake cleaner...

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Axle clip...

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Then I took off the brake caliper bolts (2)

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Then guess what. Boom! Thunder & lightning all over again. I barely got everything picked up before the bottom dropped out...

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thats what i hate about south carolina in mid summer, thunderstorms come from outta nowhere all the time....good luck on the rest of the install.... :rockin:

Thanks Brandon, I'm about to get back at it, the storm has passed it seems...

lol.....sounds like typical work on the truck day... :chairfall

You ain't finished yet? :hillbill:

:guitar:

haha...i plan my wreching aroun the weather so i know how you feel...i don't have a garage to work in....but i do get a good tan while i am at it... :great:

Not quite, I had a hell of a time getting the inner axle seal out. I am thinking I am not going to rebuild the knuckles with the rebuild kit at this point because it looks like it requires SST (tools I don't have) & I don't want to muck anything up. So basically I have the passenger side out & ready to re-assemble now. I'm going slow to take all these high quality pics to follow...(hint hint Wabbit) :laugh:

That, and I have to have a few beers while I work. :drink:

damn dude I have no idea whats going on with the rig but its I hope that isnt being too much of a bitch... cant wait to see the rig sometime this weekend

OK made some progress in between beers...

Cone washers came off next...

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Then the Hub ring..

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Before cleaning:

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After:

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54mm socket to remove the lock nut...which BTW didn't fit with the lock washer on...

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It's going good. Nothing's broken, just upgrading to the best axles made... :D

I should be good to go for Sunday at Gulches barring any probs I run into.

Good thing you went in when you did...that pea soup goo means the seals were GONE. It's supposed to be grease, not soup. :hillbill:

What do you need a SST for?

:guitar:

Since the socket didn't fit, the lock nut came off with a screwdriver & a hammer. :drunk:

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Then the lock washer:

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Then the adjusting nut:

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Then the thrust washer:

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Then the outer bearing:

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Once all that junk's off, I was able to pull the Axle hub with the disc off:

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which exposes the dust cover:

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sounds good man.. educate me on what the hell a spline is lol. Im gonna try and wheel my truck but im afraid im gonna eff something up until i start upgrading the armrour (aka tjm15 and budbuilt skids and what not)

I'll do something though

You beat the tabs flat on the star washer than take off the nuts. Hammer and screwdriver... :nono:

Are you upgrading to the IFS brakes while you are doing this? Perfect time to go to the bigger brakes. :hillbill:

:guitar:

Something in the FSM about tearing down the knuckles, I also don't have a brass punch, but looking at all that goo, I really should rebuild the knuckles....just me not wanting to bite off more than I can chew is all...(it looked complicated in the FSM)

NOW you tell me... :dunno:

Grasshopper learns from Wabbit... :laugh:

I have the drilled rotors, just not the V-6 calipers...if only the '89 had been a 3.0...(not)

Nah, you can probably just clean it all up, put in the new seals and such and be good to go, but while you are in there perhaps rebuild the knuckle. It looks like a LOT, but w/ the FSM and online help, I bet you can do it. It looks overwhelming but it really isn't hard at all.

We'll see how well my work held up when you get to the other side. :laugh:

:guitar:

I done showed you once. :hillbill:

You can upgrade the brakes when you do the high crossover steering as you gotta take the rims off again anyway. I'm going to do mine soon...as I actually thought I already had. :pat:

Looks good so far. :bigclap: I'll catch you tomorrow...lots of work to do.

:guitar:

So once the wheel hub assembly is off I could remove the seal & inner wheel bearing:

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Now I remove the knuckle spindle dust shield:

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Which allows the whole dust shield to come off: I set it on the leaf spring.

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I hear ya...get some sleep, us whipper snappers go all night... :great:

Work? You must be fabbing an exo for me right? :bigclap:

I bet the other side is fine, I may only run half a longfield... :jk:

Later!

Looks like it has been a LONG time since all that stuff has come off/out...maybe never. Replace all the stuff that came in the knuckle kit...like that rusted spindle dust shield.

:guitar:

Yeah, I am going to rebuild the knuckles. I got the time & can get the tools tommorrow. I'd be shortcutting at this point not to.

Once the dust cover is off, the knuckle spindle can be removed:

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Which exposes the objective, the axle shaft... :great:

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I felt like I was delivering a baby.... :baby:

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Here she is:

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After delivery...

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Inner axle seal: (this little thing gave me quite a headache, I didn't have a seal puller)

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Splines turn the axles, they are attached to the gears. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong)

Wheel what you can, don't worry. I went to Tellico & rode the easier trails, I had just bought my truck & knew it wasn't built for the harder trails (yet). No worries, we'll have a good time. I still have to take it easy because of my stock steering.

Ok, sorry this is taking longer than I thought, but I have to stop every few minutes & clean the grease off to take a pic, then upload a few while the info is still fresh in my mind. My "helper" is out of town this week so be patient & I'll be done soon.

After a hour of hammering on the knuckles, I decided not to remove & rebuild them. Too much of a PITA... I have to do all that stuff when I do the steering mod anyway.
So the plan is re-install the new 30 splines with the new hub gears & ride tomorrow.

OK, so I put the new seal in. I tapped it in with a piece of wood so as not to damage it.

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all seated in...

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Time to put these in:

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put them together & tapped it in

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insertion...:smokin:

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Got it almost all the way in & hit the diff: :complain:

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so I reached around & turned the driveshaft & then it slid it all the way. I think this is fully seated: :banger:

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So I have to repack the knuckle with grease & button her back up using some new parts from the rebuild kit & change out the hub gears & then do the other side. :hillbill:

ok lunch time. Plus I have to get a seal puller for the other side, I ain't going through that again.

So I pack the knuckle around the birf with gease:

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then apply sealant to attach the spindle:

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I bolt the spindle on so the sealant cant take hold:

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While all that stuff is drying I clean out the wheel hub for the new bearings:

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Grease it up & put it in:

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Then the seal:

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Same wood handle from a paint roller...

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Flip it over & pull the old crap off:

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Sealant:

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New crap:

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Then back on: (this is where I first noticed what was a problem, the whell hub would not slide all the way back to where it sat originally & bolted to the caliper...

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Bearing: (yes I added grease no pic)

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Now to put this junk back on:

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Here is where I run out of room:

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Have I not seated the axle all the way?

That is the only thing I can think of why it wont go on. I have tightened it down so much now I can't even spin the wheel hub.

Any ideas or see anything I did wrong?

Around the birf once it is seated...fill that area FULL of grease...as better to have too much than too little. Good thing is on the other side you can still pump in some through the grease fitting cause IMO that wasn't enough.

Looking good. Now if you could only sell my tires. :pat:

:guitar:

Only thing wrong for no room...birf ain't in all the way...their a bitch. :hillbill:

:guitar:

Well it looks like I am going to have to pull it all back down to the birf... I swear I thought it was seated (see pics) One way to tell I suppose is put it in 4wd & spin the shaft, if the axle spins I'm in right? :pat:

Is there a certain way to put the wheel hub back on that I may have overlooked?

When you sell your tires you're getting a set I reckon... :great:

That is the only reason I know of that everything won't fit...the birf isn't seated. Remember how much fun I had seating the other one...you are swapping that one out anyway, take the other side off and see how far it is in (seated) and compare.

Yes, the shaft should spin. There is a spot where it feels in, but it isn't, then there is that last little fit in where it is in the diff spindles. We had to turn the d-shaft and the axle to get things lined up just right, remember. Make sure you got the smaller dust shield turned the correct way, and everything else.

:guitar:

sounds good, I'll pull that other side & compare. It's pouring buckets outside now so It'll have to wait AGAIN... I won't chance that lightning, I swore too much today after it didn't fit... :ignore:

Did the smaller cover look wrong to you?

I put the spindle on as tight as I could, I'm looking back at the pictures & it has to be the birf not seated. Damn, I wanted to wheel tomorrow.

That stuff goes on one way pretty much, so it has to be the birf.

I spent all day cramming a 1st gen roll bar into a 3rd gen 4Runner...not quite finished but it fit like a glove after I got it modified...should finish it up after it and some sliders get powder coated and then installed. I'm sure pics will be up eventually.

:guitar: