I'd appreciate any sound input or advice.

I've been advised by some Toyota dealership mechanics that all of the bearings are bad in my 98 4runner rear end. They've offered me a new Toyota rear end installed at $1,900 plus tax (12,000 mi. warranty). -or- A used rear end installed at $1600 plus tax.

A reputable self employed auto mechanic told me there's no way to tell for sure if all of the bearings are bad unless you pull the rear end apart. He suggested that I might want to have the axle bearings replaced first and see if that solves the problem and if it doesn't to go on and pull it all apart.

My 4 runner has 165,000 mi. on odometer, I purchased it used at 127,000 mi. in Feb 07- I changed diff oil at 130,000 mi. and 165,000 mi. Symptoms are, some whooshing / whirring bearing noise at all speeds and some howling at about 50 miles per hour and worse howling at 70mph. A rear end low frequency vibration or drone at high speeds has also become noticeable.

I recently replaced the rear u-joint and didn't find any play at the pinion flange. There are no leaky seals. There are no grinding sounds or large metal shavings in the diff oil. The diff oil was very dark with a very fine black or dark grey residue in oil.

I really appreciate this web site.

Best,
Chris in Ohio

 

Wow thats rediculoul prices. Just take it apart and take the axles with the bearings still atached cause your gonna need a tool for this... to a shop and have them press the old out and put the new in. then get new axle seals, and put it back together. its really easy and those prices are way to high if you ask me

 

x2 on doing it yourself! It's not rocket science!

 

The Dealer is talking about replacing the whole rear end, housing and all, ...except for the brakes, shocks etc.

 

Yours is just fine though. Your gonna spend almost $2000 when you can spend $200??? sounds crazy. why not just drive out here give me $1800

 

There was a dealership in Texas that recently was selling complete TRD Rear ends for $900 because they got an awesome deal on a pallet load of them.
There should not be a reason to replace your housing unless it it is bent.

Why not either have some one rebuild your third member or order a new one from some place like http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/diff/pickup_diff.htm and replace the axles seals and bearings while it is apart.

I am a 10 thumbed mechanic and I got my rear end apart in about 30-45 minutes.
Undo the brake lines and emergency brake cables, 4 nuts on each end of the axle housing and 10 nuts on the rear third. Pull the axles out and than drop the third.



Here is a link to some online Factory Service Manuals

it is about an 80 MB down load but pretty much step by step

 

Not to be a forum Creeper--that was not my intent--but i have a new rear end out of my Rolled 4runner with a True Track LSD (4:10's) It has 3k miles at most on it--set up by inch worm gear--i would sell it for a pretty good price.

Let me know and you can also look up my seller reputation--

Henry

 

P.S.--that is abou the same time mine when out on my 4runner--165k

 

hross14 , Thanks but I found that my gear ratio is 4.300,

In my case one advantage to replacing the whole rear end is that this 4runner has lived in the rust belt for 10 years and the rear end does have a significant amount of rust scale on the outside casing.

decisions decisions...

Thanks for all the input...much appreciated...

 

i just dropped my rear diff for third second time in a few months cause i snapped a stud last time putting the welded rear in. really not that hard and my trail rig has lived its whole life in the rust belt..i would just buy a good junkyard axle and replace drum to drum..

 

Have your reputable mechanic replace the bearings first, if the noise doesnt go away you replace the gears.

Maybe 500 bucks worth of labor and parts for BOTH items. You dont need a rearend!

 

I would definitely rebuild the differential. The rust is just on the outside and is surface rust. Mine probably looks the same. Just replace all the nuts and bolts when you put everything back together.

 

Why??? Sounds like a bearing problem not the 3rd. I bet the rearend sat and right when he drove it the bearings went. Same thing happened to me after letting my truck sit for a few years.

 

Don't be so sure it's surface rust. There are several places that gather road salt/dirt, etc. The worst of which is around the brake line bracket on the rear housing. I just had a rust-through pinhole leak which for the moment is fixed with JBWeld. Read more here:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/t.../#post50875063

If it were me I'd start with the bearings.

 

The truck didn't sit at all while I've owned it, I drive it almost every day.

When I replaced the u-joint and I had the drive shaft off I rotated the wheels and didn't notice any sounds like large gears grinding. To me it sounded like roller bearings, a sort of whooshing or whirring sound. The pinion flange had no in and out or side to side play. There was minimal slop in the pinion and differential gear meshing. I may try to listen to it again more closely.

So at a minimum the parts I'd need to try and resolve this are 2 axle bearings and 2 inner and outer axle seals, right? Any other gaskets or bolts I'd need?

Thanks

 

I'm not sure that I understand this part of the process???;

"Grind the retainer and sensor rotor surfaces using a grinder, then chisel them out" ...Will I have to purchase a new retainer and sensor rotor to replace the old one's that are ground and chiseled out?







A local auto salvage yard has a matching used rear axle assembly from a 97 4runner- 46,000 mi., available for $600




*

 

all that is, it the bearings on the wheel sides are junk.

need new bearings, and new abs rings plus labor and juices/grease

600 dollar job (if that) if taken to a pricey mechanic

 

u will see the abs ring gear practically glued to the shaft. it has to come off. a new one will slide and press on, but the old one will not come off. you need to split it and pop it off, or cut a slot into it so it will release it's grip. that's why when you get new bearings you also get a new abs ring, cuz the old abs ring must have been destroyed to get it off

 

Just buy the parts, take the axles out, and take them to a machine shop and have them press the old bearings off and new ones one. $40-$80 for both sides + $ for parts and you time.

Much better than $1000+

and for the axle housing if the surface rust is bothering you, wire wheel and new paint!