I am somewhat knowledged on axles and the components and i have found a supposed to be good axle out of a 85. It says its complete hub to hub with 4:10 gears and its open. I have 5.29s so would already have to change the gears but no biggie. He said he would take 300$ but im sure if i bring cash money i could get it for under 300. Im looking for some advice for what to look for when i go look at it. Also from these photos im not sure about the hubs, how there is a chrome cover around them. What exactly is that? Im use to seeing the whole hub assemble exposed?

 

its just a chrome hub cover , mine had them on the front of my 85 4runner but I took them off

 

Are you using it as is or doing a SAS? If for an SAS, you won't be using the steering linkage or damper. Or the brake rotors or calipers. Tell the guy you will be chucking those parts and just need a good axle as a builder.

I paid $200 for one that looked like that. Later found a really clean one that somebody took apart and cleaned and had all new parts for $175. He realized he got in over his head and gave up. Got another bare housing for free. Offer him $200.

Looks pretty clean. Make sure no metal in diff oil. Oil leaking at knuckles could mean axle seals bad allowing gear oil where there should only be grease. No big deal if you will be tearing it down anyway.

Make sure trunnion bearings not coming apart and grinding up the birfs. They would probably be sloppy and flop around if that was the case.

Try to see if it has been bent on either side where the trunnion ball welds into the axle tube.

Lock the hubs in and out and turn the diff and or rotors to see how it feels and sounds. It should rotate with out binding or grinding.

 

How did you remove them?

 

^^ cut it lightly with a cut off wheel lengthwise.