I've got a 2.7l 96 4runner elocker w/ 393km (~245k miles). It's still driving good but it's getting pretty old and suspension is getting sloppy. It's my daily driver but I'm not interested in dumping money into it. I've got no time to wrench anymore.

I've got the typical rear axle seal leak on the drivers side. I found my diff breather was plugged up with dust and crud and wasn't venting. I topped up my gear oil, but hadn't lost much. Wheel bearing still feels fine.

The parts for this job add up pretty quickly even if doing everything yourself.

I was wondering if it's a feasible idea to find an axle out of a known wrecked 4runner for cheap. Then I would only have to change the seals.

Is there differences between the abs gear or axles in the different years? I couldn't figure out what years would work with my truck.

thanks!

 

Parts $$ add up?? If your description of your situation is accurate you need one seal that costs less than 20 dollars. Maybe a set of brake shoes,

 

I was under the impression that the grease ruins the bearings pretty quickly if they've manage to leak past the seals. I don't actually know how long it was leaking for before I noticed it. Long enough that the brakes were soaked and are sticking at times.

thanks

 

You are willing to take your chances on a used assembly that will cost several hundred minimum and may be worse than what you've got.

I'd take a chance on that washed 30 dollar bearing. It might last for years/

 

Thanks for your thoughts. Sounds reasonable.

 

You're talking the drum and axle shafts? At first I though you meant the whole axle, which would be like asking "my valve covers are leaking, should I just find another engine to swap?"

I think you'd be taking your chances, unless by "known" wrecked 4Runner you mean you knew the person who owned it and that the bearings on it were in great shape.

I've only owned my truck since 2015, but friends of mine owned it the rest of its life, and I know it had a leaking axle once with each of them, to where the brakes were grabbing. Neither one of them needed to replace the wheel bearing, so hopefully you're good!

 

+1. If only a small amount of oil has been leaking, it's probably not going to be an issue. Take it apart, replace the seal, put it back together again.

Worst case scenario is that the bearing ends up going bad much later, then you're in the position you're in now.

And if the clogged breather was the problem, you might not even need to replace that seal - maybe just take the drum off and use brake cleaner to clear out the oil. Best practice to replace the shoes, even better to replace them on both sides (so it brakes more evenly)... but depending on how you drive, the rear brakes don't do all that much. Give them a good spritzing with brake cleaner and slap the drum back on.