front end beam axle rebuild HELP

[85bj71]

SO yesterday me and a mate sat down with a side each and replaced all the worn parts in my front end

new swivel housing kit
wheel bearings
cv's


Id never done this before but seemed quite straight forward

everything was stripped cleaned and new parts installed,

we got 90% done yesterday (wasnt a very productive day being crate day and 23degrees)

this morning iv put the brake calipers back on and the manual hubs, and iv noticed while turning the steering it is tight , when I 1st jacked it up to start the rebuild and took the wheels off the steering wheel would almost free spin from lock to lock with no effort, now its like turning with no power steering and its still on axle stands with no wheels on,

Im questioning whether something hasnt been done right

Or the new parts need to be worn in and free up a little?

also the half shafts had movement in them when the manual hubs were missing the week following upto the rebuild and i could move them up and down a couple of mm , now they are tight on both sides, iv got 1 manual hub back on but the otherside the half shaft wont line up sqaure for the manual hub to slide on,

I have put it it 4wd and let it drive while in gear and everything turns freely with no dodgey noises etc


I dont know wether to just put the wheels back on it and take it for a drive or start pulling it all to bits again which I reeeeeaallllyyy dont want to have to do


has anyone experienced this before and could they please shed a little light?

cheers
brad

[tomsoffroad]

The swivel housing wants to be reasonably firm to rotate. You should be able to turn it (with a little effort) at the rotors.
If it is to tight or loose then you add or remove the shims on the king pin caps

[85bj71]

I can turn it with huge effort at the rotors,

I rung the diesel mechanic from work and i think iv found the issue,

My mate who assisted me said this was a peice of piss to do and I trusted him he did work at firestone doing this sort of shit for 5 years,

he advised not to change the king pin bearing shells/caps what ever you call what the bearing seats in as these looked in good condition, so we didnt bother . . .

Looking back this was pretty stupid as new bearing . . old shell I should have known the clearances wouldnt have been right


Now iv gotta pull it all down again FML

[kbushnz]

Buggar to a tear down again...
As a rule of thumb.... Always replace new shells and bearings as a set, they are matched when made.
Did you put back the shims on the top and bottom as per when you pulled them apart.
These serve two purposes, puts a bit of preload on the bearings and also moves the knuckle up and down a bit to set the position of the Cv / drive shaft.

Also is the felt wipe dry?? as it will bind on ball.....
I soak the felt wiper in light oil, fits easier and its all pre lubed ready to do its job...

There are plenty of write ups on the net...
Here's a good Toyota one...
http://www.hilux4x4.co.za/front-axle-re ... /index.php
Have fun Calvin

[85bj71]

these the shims you on about? well similar just a sample pic




2 of these when under the high steer arms

[ClassicCruiserSpares]

these the shims you on about? well similar just a sample pic




2 of these when under the high steer arms

Thats the ones they have them top and bottom, and yea use the new shells.
Also when setting the kingpin preloads do it without the wiper seals on etc.

[kbushnz]

these the shims you on about? well similar just a sample pic




2 of these when under the high steer arms

Yup and if the preload is too loose...
Remove the same size shim from top and bottom
Or if too tight add one to top and bottom...
They should come with a few different thickness's...

Oh the fun is about to begin....

[J_Dub]

my understanding is just use the original shims

[Sadam_Husain]

the swivel housings have little slots in them to punch the old shells out with a drift so can do them at home without having to get them pressed out... its a piece of piss you just have to clean all the old grease and shit out so you can see what your doing

when you put the shims in always keep the shim thickness even between the top and bottom kingpins