GEOz2k7

so i filled my knuckles with grease about 1 month ago. put about maybe 500 miles on it and one was basically empty. do u think since i just changed to grease for first time it just worked into the bearings and it needed filling again. reason i ask is i went to fill again to check, driver side was half empty or more. and the passenger only needed about 8 pumps. also, i finally got my weber on running correctly thanks to lcengineering. guys are great if u call them its a lot better then ordering online i think. my 4runner is a 84 with a 3 inch trail tough leafs up front, and a addaleaf back in the rear. I still have my load leaf with the addaleaf. Any input on if i should take the load leaf out? time to start with exterior mods and drive train. any inputs help thank u! i have done lots of research. but i am daily driving all the time. its a fun lil 4runner clean as can be. lemme know guys! and gals. ahah

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

sounds like he is using the inspection hole on top of the knuckle..
edit: putting the great though the hole in the front of the knuckle just below the steering arm?

to pack the bearings etc you need to pull the front end apart

abecedarian

nevermind... just realized the forum.
I'm used to IFS. /me out

GEOz2k7

i just started pumping grease into my knuckle and it was takin over 2 tubes to fill it. meaning its empty? and the other one just a good 8 pumps. make sense?

from what i was told it was best to put grease in the knuckle/ fill the knuckles all the way up? it made my steering tighter and my wheels feel way more solid. care to explain?

my dad works at toyota, and a lot of people who offroad which is basically all yotas around here do it. it packs in the bearings more and makes drivability way better. but i also am somewhat of a mechanic and it works out, but is there any reason it would be empty on one and not the other? any other things would u recomend to what else i said

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

What does the FSM say?
http://ncttora.com/fsm/index.html

Seems your method is pushing the grease past the inner seal and making soup with the gear oil.
What does your diff oil look like when you check it?

But I guess you are good to go.
What did your dad say since he works for Toyota?

GEOz2k7

the factory service manual calls for gear oil. but thats irrelevant as i told u why i used grease. my entire consern is just as it being very low after i filled it once before not so long ago, as if it when more into my empty hubs maybe and just needed more? or if it is rly leaking that bad out the back seal. Another question is, is it smart to take shims out with having stock steering and what not due to loose steering? i hurd less shims = stiffer knuckles.

ThatGuy1295

umm! the shims are for kingpin bearing preload. The only reason you should adjust that is the bearing preload. As far as grease in the knuckles goes, where did it go. Grease doesn't disappear very easy'lly

Maybe you have bad birf seals and gear oil is washing it away and into the axle housing.

Different issue but you really don't have to fill the entire knuckle, especially with the longfield axles. Their pre greased and theres no other reason to pump 4 tubes of grease in there. I just got the wiper seals and kingpin bearings good and gooey and walked awaaaayy!!

GEOz2k7

thanks a lot. my buddy said that the bearings wear out over time like normal stuff u know? so he said that takin a shim out will tighten it up due to a older high mileage bearing.

ThatGuy1295

It will help with loose bearings. Just don't want them to tight. Make sure you can still turn the knuckle back and forth by hand.

GEOz2k7

do u recommend takin 1 or more shims? i have like 230k on my chassis idk what all maintenance wise has been done. and is the drop drag link worth getting. i am trying to not have much down time with my 4runner. i am just trying to get a few mods at once. i got a weber now. i got a 3inch lift. and now i m debating what else. should i take out my load leaf also?

ThatGuy1295

Id leave the load leaf alone, or you'll get some nasty axle wrap. Maybe some new springs if your unhappy with them.

You'll have to check the knuckles to see if they even need to be tightened up first. If theres slop then try pulling one shim out. If you go for two shims you should pull one from the bottom and one from the top to keep it even.

GEOz2k7

alright ill try the one shim, and reason i ask about load leaf is my add a leaf is on top of load leaf which makes it a pretty rough ride. just checking suggestions. thanks!

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

yes, the differential needs gear oil.
The grease is relavent to the bearings and the Birfield. Pumping too much grease into the inspection hole is going to blow the inner axles seal and mix
the Diff Gear oil with the grease and makes the soup...not what you want.

hence why you take the spindle etc apart to pack the bearings and birfield/knuckle with grease and not through the inspection hole on top of the knuckle..

http://ncttora.com/fsm/1985/1985FSM_OCR.pdf
FA-46 (page 593) shows some of the bearing stuff.
FA-53 + (page 601'ish) shows the preload on the knuckles
FA-58 (page 605) shows packing the Knuckle by Hand not pumping it throgh the hole..

you should be setting the shims up correctly or your camber etc is gonna be fubar...what kind of scale are you using?