100 series needle rollers

[bazza44]

Have been reading about 100 series landcruiser front hub needle rollers  needing to be greased. Has anyone on the forum done this.

Doing a google search, brings up a lot of info and I found a site showing how to make a tool from a PVC fitting. I have never greased mine so will look at this over xmas. Has anyone got any info to share on this task.?

Barry 

[jr]

Hi Bazza,
I think you will find the front wheel bearings are tapered roller bearings. If you decide to grease these bearings get yourself some special Toyota lock washers for the lock nut and outer plate gasket and possibly a special pin punch to nock out the tapered cone washers that the outer plate is located with. Also special circlip pliers to release the axle from the outer plate.
You will need small spring scales like fish scales to preload the bearings after you have added new grease. From memory with the spring scales hooked on the wheel stud and the brake caliper removed you need about 12lb force before the wheel starts to rotate.

So you can see that you need a bit of skill to do such a job.

JR

[Jack Driver]

I think that the needle rollers are on the CV shaft that drives the front wheels. They're inside the hub and most people never give them a thought.

[jr]

In the first attached drawing before you start obtain: Lock washer, Gasket and special large socket which is not to expensive at 4x4 shops.



I called the snap ring a circlip so you may need snap ring pliers
Note how to remove cone washer that sometimes can be difficult to remove.

See how to do the preload using a spring gauge.


JR

[bazza44]

Thanks JR but I am talking about the spindle rollers in the hub that the axle passes through, as Jack Driver mentioned. From what I can find they should be greased about the same time as wheel bearings.

Barry

[jr]

Sorry about that Barry,
I have greased the wheel bearings but did not even consider the needle roller bearing at the back of the hub. I notice that a lithium based grease is used like the CV so personally I would just leave it unless you had say 400,000K plus up.




I notice Toyota say use special tools to press the bush bearing and seal back in but surely it would be not hard to make up something for this job.

JR

[bazza44]

I can not remember where I first say the article about this, it may have been on LCOOL but I am not sure. If you google landcruiser needle rollers or similar plenty of info comes up. In America there has been a tool made ( that has a grease nipple ) to screw on to the axle thread after removing the bearing nuts, but then you have to reset the bearing preload etc

A tool can be made from a PVC 1 inch cap so I will go to the big green shed and see if a 25mm cap fits over the thread. See on You tube what I mean. This way eliminates the need to remove bearing nuts etc.

I will search a bit more.

Barry

[jr]

I think this is what you are talking about and how easy is that, if I still had my 100 Series I would certainly give it a go. Possibly in a few years time I will try it on my 200 Series as it probably has the same set up.

The grease must feed up the splined drive shaft into the needle roller bearing.

As said you do not need to touch the lock nut and affect the preload but I found that sometimes when checking the front wheels for free play they had some free play so usually needed to do a preload anyway.

My solid front axle Landcruisers only had a brass bearing there.

JR

[Jack Driver]

Got to say that method is certainly fast. What I am concerned about is the amount of grease being pumped in. Way more than what's needed and the old grease isn't removed. I think I'll stick with the proper method of removing the hub, washing the bearing and installing a new hub seal.

[jr]

Hi Jack,
Yes there would be a lot of grease in between the axle and hub sleeve that the main bearings mount on.

I personally think that the extra grease would not be a problem a bit like pumping grease into a ball joint until grease oozes out of the rubber boot.

The path that the grease is entering the bearing should push some of the old grease out but if it is contaminated then it would need a new seal which means doing a full stub axle removal.


JR

[bazza44]

I started this thread to see if any forumites have greased these rollers by any means and/or how often. No one has come onboard yet to say they have so I am guessing that most people have not.

What are the repercussions for not greasing.

JR if you wiped off the end of the shaft area before greasing, there should be no contaminates getting in from this end as everything in here near the wheel bearings should be clean anyway. ( unless the bearings have been severely stuffed of course ).

The other way is to use a long grease needle extension on your grease gun and by removing the circlip, push the axle back, turn steering off centre and grease from the gap made at the rear of the hub. Now I think this way may push some contaminates back in past the seal and not as easy as on the video.

Actually there is another video showing the PVC cap and a bracket made from flat steel bent around the cap and attached to the hub cap studs. Much easier than using clamps.

Barry

[jr]

Hi again Barry,
As you could see from my original post I thought you were calling the main bearings needle bearings so I was not even aware of the needle bearing sitting at the back of the hub although I had greased that brass bearing on my old 60 Series Landcruiser many years ago. Therefore I have never greased the needle bearing but when I sold my 100 Series it only had about 220,000Kms on it and was going fine.

What are the repercussions for not greasing? Best to follow the LCOOL Forum, I see that bearing as more just locating and centralising the drive shaft and as such would not need to do much heavy work but if it was to fail you would know about it as it should start to get noisy probably when the steering is on full lock.

I think if you were to do lots of deep water crossings it would be something I would grease.

I expect many 100 Series owners would not be aware of this bearing unless you followed the LCOOL forum closely.


JR

[bazza44]

JR I find it strange that a company in America has gone to the trouble to make a tool, to grease a bearing that most owners ( including me ) do not know has to be greased. --SLEE OFFROAD--SLEE SPINDLE GREASE TOOL--. Therefore there must be a demand for this tool. This makes me think it should be greased at certain intervals as part of maintenance.

Good to know you had 220,000kms with no problem here.

I am looking for a new project to give me something to do so this is it. Make a tool and clean out one grease gun, reload with cv joint grease and give it a go.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Barry

[bazza44]

Ok I have found a place in Australia that makes a greasing tool for these rollers similar to the Slee tool.
SHARPE TOOLING in Adelaide make one. $60 plus various components for Landcruisers.

They should be greased at the same time as wheel bearings. If not the stub axle and or hub could be damaged and need replacing.

Pass this on to anyone you know who owns a Landcruiser, as it is not usually done and could result in costly repairs.

Barry

[bazza44]

 

I hope there are two photos here when I finish create post.

Here is my greasing tool for the spindle rollers. The thing that took the longest was getting the cone washers to release on the cap. Greasing was easy, about 30 pumps of the gun.

To hold the axle back I put a nut as a spacer inside the PVC cap to keep clear of the grease nipple, and pushed it back by tightening the clamp I made from scrap steel. I will paint the clamp to make it look pretty. Worked well, happy now.

Barry