Does this mean I need to replace the whole steering arm / joint?
Rainy season hasnt hit here in FL and its still pretty clean in there. Any quick fixes or solutions by way of wrapping it?
I looked, but couldnt find a write up on how to fix this. Anyone have a link?
And, lastly how hard of a job is this?
I have an 84 Tercel Hatchback ( STD Tranny ) without the 4WD
Thanks in advance.. Btw, still getting 41 MPG.. Love this car - YIPPPPEEEEEE!!!!
I am pretty sure there were a few posts on some creative duct taping and the like. If the axle isn't damaged, clicking or contaminated you can replace the boot and grease. It is not a difficult job to pull the axle. Jack up that side of the vehicle, use stands for safety. You need to remove the wheel, axle nut, caliper and lower two bolts that hold the ball joint to the lower control arm. If you do not have impact tools you will need to crack the axle nut loose (and lug nuts)while the vehicle is on the ground. Once the ball joint is free, push the axle back through the hub. Then with a large screwdriver or prybar, while supporting the axle pop it out of the transaxle by putting pressure between the axle flange and the transaxle. You can either repair the boot, if you chose not to tape it up while in the vehicle. That would buy you some time. Or replace the axle. They are not that expensive, but some members do not like reconditioned ones.
There are plenty of threads on this, but - drain the fluid first, or it will rush out of the hole left when the axle is removed...
Read the threads on the fluid replacement procedure.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit." T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
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don't really have to drain the fluid- just take every thing apart (EXCEPT removing the axle from the diff) lower the side you're NOT removing to the ground, and remove the axle. you'll barely loose a drop of fluid this way. reassemble in reverse order. good luck, hope this helps!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
You can get boot replacement kits that include a new boot, bands and CV axle grease (do not use regular grease). they cost about $20-30 or so IIRC, you have to remove the axle and clean the CV off really good, usually you have to remove one or the other CV joints and it slides off on a spline to allow you to replace the other boot. It is a time consuming and messy job, not worth it unless the CV joints are in good condition (no play at all when rotating the joint). You can get a new axle for about $60 plus shipping from rockauto.com.
When my boots go I just keep driving on them until they get so bad I can not stand the noise and rough ride and than replace the whole axle with a new (NOT rebuilt) one. I have driven on bad boots for months without issues, even a cross country trip more than once. I have tried wrapping a torn boot with plastic and duct tape, worked for a short while but did last very long. Usually if it has been running for a while torn dust and dirt has gotten in and ground up the joint. So I figure it is just as well to replace the whole assembly. I can swap out an axle in 45 min. Replacing a boot by itself takes over an hour including the cleaning time. It is a very messy job too. If you do not install it properly it will pop off in a short time and all your work is for nothing.
So I suggest order a new axle and just keep driving it as is, until it starts clunking and making bad noises (grease is gone), than put in the new one. You may drive on the bad boot for another year, or it might have already wasted the joint so it might go just another month.
agreed with rer233. i find just jacking the offending corner up enough keeps all the trans oil in the lower side so i don't have to drain the trans or worry about drips. same thing with rear axle oil seals.
also, agreed with peter, though i feel awful about it. it is less wasteful to just replace the boot if you know it's a recent tear and the joint hasn't had time to get trashed...but it's really labour intensive, and the new joints are relatively cheap. plus, you never know for certain that no fatal damage was done to the joint while the boot was broken, so i usually opt for a new joint. meanwhile, my 'green' conscience wags its finger disapprovingly at me.
Thanks for the replys.
So, I have to crack the ball joint nut to get this thing off and out.
I know replacing the bearings is a big job and was wondering if I was at all ( half ) way there if I replace the axle? The write up on bearing replacement is missing the pictures so I found it difficult ( for me ) to understand. I learn better visually or seeing pictures. Tuffy's quoted me $1050 to do the bearings on this car - saying it was all labor and sending parts out.. I was blown away.
My library doesnt have the Haynes manual for 1984. I will take heed to the advice about keeping the offending side high as to not lose the tranny oil. Crack the ball-joint nut while the car is footed to the ground? I will probably use a pipe as a purseuder to get that done and lots of penetrating oil
Thanks again
You do not have to crack the ball joint nut. Remove the two bolts (14 mm heads) that bolt the ball joint to the lower control arm. Then you pry the arm down to free the hub. Much easier.
scout, if you remove the steering hub and buy the bearings yourself, then you will just need the shop to press the old bearing out and the new one in--wayyyyy cheaper, and removing the steering hub is easy. just undo the big CV nut (24 mm, i think) while the car is still on the ground, then the ball joint (either the two 14 mm bolts like marlinh mentioned, or the 17 mm nut on the stud--doesn't matter which but you might need a ball joint puller for the latter), the tie rod end (again, a ball joint puller is useful here), and the two hub-to-strut nuts/bolts and pull the hub out. one of the hub-to-strut bolts holds the camber adjusting cam in the hub so mark its position just in case it moves at some point. bring the hub and the new bearing to a shop and it should be less than $50 for them to press them out and in.
now you can remove the CV. with the hub out of the way, you can tap a big flat blade screwdriver between the inboard joint and the diff housing. the CV will pop out a 1/2" or so and then you can slide it right out. be careful not to damage the CV oil seal, or replace it anyway just in case. just be sure to put it in to the correct depth or you'll have to pull everything apart to redo it. to put the new CV in, get it in the diff so the splines are lined up, then hold the CV as straight as possible, and use a rubber- or plastic-faced hammer to generously tap it in. if you don't have a rubber or plastic hammer, use a regular hammer with a small piece of wood over the outboard end of the joint. the inboard end of the CV has a metal clip which secures it in the diff so that's why you have to tap it in and use the screwdriver to get it out. once it's in, put the hub back on, put the CV nut on hand tight, lower the car, and torque the CV nut up real tight. go for a drive and then check for trans oil leaks from the CV seal. if all is well, you're done.
to remove the large axle nut you just need a pry bar to go through the lug nuts to keep it from turning (while the car is on jack stands with front wheel off), than a large socket and a breaker bar with a handle extender (pipe large enough to go over the wrench handle). You can "rent" these tools for free from Autozone if you do not own them, but they are worth buying for future repairs anyway.
over a thousand to replace a wheel bearing? sounds like a rip off to me, should be closer to $250 based on time and materials (unless they are doing a lot more than just replacing the bearing). You can do it yourself for less than $100 including buying the tools.
The 1985 FSM will work just fine for your 1984, all of the front axle, hub and bearing info is exactly the same. Do not buy a manual when you can use the one here for free.
Yes, all of the replys were very helpful. Thanks for the tip about keeping the offending side very high as to not lose any transaxle fluid. Good tip, and I didnt lose a drop.. All told the job took me about 2 hours with a 20 min lunch break.. It was surprisingly easy. When, I did get the axle out of the HUB, I spun the HUB and I was not happy with its performance or disposition.... It wasnt grinding, but it seemed dry and greaseless and you could sort of hear the bearings beg for grease as they labored to spin. I guess thats why I hear a low tone rumble while going down the road.
In any even, getting the HUB off is pretty simple and someone mentioned something about marking the strut as to not lose camber. Please elaborate on that point. I am going to order the bearings and try to press them in and out myself. Anyone know about how much for these bearings? Do I need an inner and an outer?
I'll search the forum for the details on " How to " on the bearings but if you know the link or feel like adding any tips to this thread.. Feel free, I'm all eyes and ears.
The two bolts that secure the strut to the spindle are 17mm the top bolt has an excentric washer on it, that has a grove cut in it(this is the camber adjustment for alignment ,with a chisle mark the strut so when you put this back together you can put this in the same spot. this way you wont need a wheel alignment Larry
Hi Scout, I managed to make my own tool for pressing the bearing in and out. I bought a piece of 3/4 " ready rod and made a puller out of it. I have saved several bearing races and large washers over the years and was able to press the bearing out and back in without difficulty. The hard part would be to find various spacers to create the tool, but then once it's done you're set. It also helps to have compressed air to run an impact gun. If you have ever heard of a 'Hub Tamer' that is where I got the idea. They cost around $400-$500. I made mine for less than $30.
The bearing is a one piece. You need to get the seals, both inner and outer. I usually add better grease to the bearing. They seem to last longer in my experience. The camber adjustment is a small offset spacer on one of the through bolts that holds the strut to the hub assembly. It has a small flat protrusion that has a linear notch in it. I use a chisel and with it held in the notch, whack it with a hammer to make a corresponding mark on the hub. If your vehicle hasn't had an alignment in a long time this spacer is usually rusted in place, but not always.
Napa has the bearings for $55.00 and then seal kit for $38... Does this sound right? Then, I'll probably have to pay someone $10 or $20 to press them in and out each side ( depending )
Advance has the whole HUB with the bearings and everything pressed in for $150 each..
i have only had the rear axle bearings pressed on/off but it was $50 per side, and that was with me supplying the new bearings and whatnot. others on here mentioned that was at the high end of the scale. seemed like $35 per side for the labour was the average. so my estimate for total cost per side (labour and parts) is $130. not too much difference between that and what advance is offering.
Last edited by dlb on Tue Feb 26, 2013 12:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
