Axle Issues

Any idea why installing a new front axle would cause the hub to seize up? 6in RC lift has been on for a while. Front driver axle tapped out so tried to replace with an extended axle (Precision), but after tightening the axle nut, the hub seems locked up. It WILL drive but the hub heats up quick. Threw a brand new standard axle in and that locked up as well, so I have no idea what’s going on anymore. Any ideas?

 

How many ugga-duggas did u give the axle nut when reassembling?

 

All of them, at first. Then tried doing the “right thing” and torqued to spec. Didn’t help.

 

You probably deformed the inner race putting too many ugga duggas on it.

 

That’s what I’m thinking as well. You can buy the wheel bearing from Toyota for about $200 (or cheaper form a parts store but it will usually be an inferior part, IMO, unless you go with Koyo/Tinken/etc) but you have to have the flange pressed out of the old and back in to the new.

 

Welp, stay tuned to see if that fixes it or if I throw the entire truck in the trash.

 

Theres also a chance you have a brake issue, like a stuck caliper. Do you have an IR thermometer at your disposal? They are cheap at Walmart or HarborFright. Try driving around a little, then hopping out and checking the temp on each rotor. They will start to cool quickly, and temps with usually be different front to rear, but side to side you should be getting about the same readings.

If the one side is significantly hotter, I’d suspect a brake problem first. Inspect the pads for excessive wear - either on one side or one pad on one side.

 

Forgot to add - a 6” lift adds strain to the drivetrain and wear on the wheel bearings. Add more aggressive offset wheels (which I’d wager most folks have installed while running a 6” lift) and you put even more stress on the wheel bearings. So while the ugga duggas may have done it in, it may have been on the way out before you even touched it.

 

Does the hub turn by hand without the axle in it?

 

Spins fine WITHOUT the axle in it. Also, I think I forgot to mention, with the axle in and tightened up, it’s difficult to turn (as in steer left and right) by hand. So not only does it seem to lock up the hub rotationally, but it also tightens up the steering of the hub. And this is with the tie rod disconnected from the knuckle.

 

Fait point. I run +0 offset, but I run very heavy tires, and I drive it like a 3,500lb pre runner.

 

Does the CV move/articulate at both ends when not installed? Does the diff rotate cleanly when you put the CV in just the diff, not installed in the hub?

 

Yep. Axle feels fine on its own, articulates as expected. And it spins fine when it’s in the diff, and NOT in the hub.

 

Will be a couple days before I get another go at it.

 

Did you install after market axles? The factory ones actually allow for a high degree of angle then aftermarket ones due to the joints they use.

 

Tried extended CVs first. Then tried brand new stock. Both of them acted the same way.

 

Brand new stock non-OEM or OEM? It’s true what @ToyotaBeast said about OEM with higher angles.

To me it sounds like the CV joint at the wheel side is binding, which explains why it’s difficult to turn since the joint has to go up/down/in/out.

I’d go find a used OEM axle.

 

What do you mean by “extended axle”? The new axle should be the same length as the one you are replacing but not understanding the extended axle you mention

 

Figured it out. The diff is shifted cause I broke like…all of it.

 

Do tell?

 

Diff brackets are all bent to passenger side, so diff is off center and off angle. That’s why driver side axle is losing its mind.

 

How does that even happen?!

 

I don’t know for sure, but I assume it’s a result of the garbage Colorado roads I drive on. The strut must have taken a day off, leaving the axle to absorb a pothole, which lead to the diff packing up and moving an inch east.

 

I forgot that they weren’t factory mounts. That’s a bummer, looks like you have to replace the crossmembers?

 

Yep. Fingers crossed Rough Country is in a warranty mood on Monday.