About to do the axle seals, swivel hubs and bearings. HELP!!!!!!

I have just got the kit for my GQ to do the complete axle seal to wheel bearings including king pins and all the seals. I have read the Pictorial post by Tony which has been a great help and i will be using it while doing the job. I do however have a couple of things on my mind id like to know before i start.

Just to give you an idea, i have never done this before so as much help as you can give would be great. Dont be afraid to treat me as a beginner because thats what i am with this job.

I have all the parts needed i believe. I also bought a hub nut socket. What other tools do you reckon i need on hand for the job?

I know how to pack wheel bearings with grease and i guess its the same for the other bearings in the kit? How much grease and how do i pack the CV joint?

How do i set the pre load on the king pin or swivel hub bearings?

How do i set the pre load on the wheel bearings?

I realize you dont get the kingpin bearing cups with the kit. Whats the best way to get them out with out damaging the cups?

I hope im not going to make a disaster of this task. Im setting the whole easter weekend aside to get it done so i hope its drivable next week. haha.

Any advise would be great, especially if you have done this before.

Thanks in advance and a happy and safe easter to you all.

Carl

Just follow Tony's post mate and give us updates as you go ... a lot are away over Easter but we will be popping in to check if you need a hand!!

Good luck with it and I'm sure you'll be fine mate.

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Originally Posted by Burden

I have just got the kit for my GQ to do the complete axle seal to wheel bearings including king pins and all the seals. I have read the Pictorial post by Tony which has been a great help and i will be using it while doing the job. I do however have a couple of things on my mind id like to know before i start.

Just to give you an idea, i have never done this before so as much help as you can give would be great. Dont be afraid to treat me as a beginner because thats what i am with this job.

I have all the parts needed i believe. I also bought a hub nut socket. What other tools do you reckon i need on hand for the job?

I know how to pack wheel bearings with grease and i guess its the same for the other bearings in the kit? How much grease and how do i pack the CV joint?

How do i set the pre load on the king pin or swivel hub bearings?

How do i set the pre load on the wheel bearings?

I realize you dont get the kingpin bearing cups with the kit. Whats the best way to get them out with out damaging the cups?

I hope im not going to make a disaster of this task. Im setting the whole easter weekend aside to get it done so i hope its drivable next week. haha.

Any advise would be great, especially if you have done this before.

Thanks in advance and a happy and safe easter to you all.

Carl

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Circlip pliers, small flat blade screwdriver, Bearing grease, rags, cleaning solution, and allen key socket type to fit cap bolts on hub, ratchet to fit socket


Tim

there should be workshop manual around here some where, take alook at that

HTB grease for wheel bearings, moly grease for CVs, but check this, and not really sure what was meant to go into king pin bearings - read three manuals and still a bit uncertain. Used moly grease - LMM, but probably should have gone back on level on the Moly.

swivel hub bearing caps are thin sheet metal with a lip seal around the circumfrence. If you clean where they live, you will see the swivel has a couple of recesses machined in. With care and a tool that fits into those recesses it is possible to knock the swivel hub bearing cups out without damaging the caps. Otherwise $30 each from Nissan.

You might want to look for GU wheel bearing lock nut arrangement - it is a bit more civilised than the GQ. From my experience of a non genuine kit, the tab on the lock washer for the GQ wheel bearings aint to happy about the outer wheel bearing lock nut being torqued up to the specification in the manual, and I can't quite see the point of torquing to that setting. I get torquing the inner nut up and then backing it off, to make sure that all the bearing cups are seated properly.

The two issues I had were (1)getting the axle back into the diff (not the diff housing). Eventually I got a bit cranky and just wiggled it about and said rude words, and blow me down, in it went.

the second issue for me, which was easier than (1) was putting the circlip back onto the axle (the one that goes under the free wheeling hub). You may need to lever the axle out a bit to even see the circlip groove, but if everything is back in the right order, including the wheel bearing cups being set up against their stops, then all you are fighting is grease etc, and it will happen. Probably pretty easily, but don't bet on it :-)

Take care of the seal in the end of the diff housing when installing the axle and cv. If you google packing CV you'll find a couple of sites that help. All I did was put the wheel end of the axle into a vice, and squished the grease in with something very similar to a ruler on the side closest to me, while rotating the long end of the axle, until it squished out the other side of the CV.

If you are going to all that trouble, and there is anything dodgy about your brake rotors, consider replacing them now.

Swivel hub bearing pre load. I think the (dodgy) consensus is, if it worked with the shims and the old bearings, it will probably work with the new ones.

Finally, play very close attention to the scraper seal, backing seal (or whatever it is called) and associated metal work as you take it off, to make sure it goes back on in the right order, and make sure you put the new ones on before installing the swivel hub :-)

Keep track of what is happening as you undo the lock nut and then the bolt that sets the steering lock on each side - it is also one of the bolts that keeps the wiper seal in place. If you wind the bolt too far back in, you can allow the steering lock to increase to the point where you damage the CV.

If you clean the CV (I used kero and a brush, then kero in a kero gun with the compressor, and then water to wash the kero out, and then air to remove the water) and it feels clunky and yucky, that possibly only reflects that the CV is now dry. If it binds and carries on while lubed, or there are chip in the outside of the CV cup - you'll know when you see them, maybe get more advice. Pensioner mate over the road had rust and major clunks, and chips in the left hand side CV, and just chips in the RHS. Advice from mechanic was only LHS needed replacing. Make sure you get the right CVs, GU are bigger than GQ.

Hard to describe how to pack a wheel bearing but here goes.

Easiest way i found was palm full of grease (you may want rubber gloves) and massage the grease into the rollers. Push and work the bearing around in the grease so that it gets right in take your time and ensure the grease gets right through the entire bearing i dont believe there is such a thing as over greasing if you get my drift

Take your time take photos for reference and definately use Tonys post made my life easier.

Good luck with it you'll be right just be systematic

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Originally Posted by growlers71gq

Hard to describe how to pack a wheel bearing but here goes.

Easiest way i found was palm full of grease (you may want rubber gloves) and massage the grease into the rollers. Push and work the bearing around in the grease so that it gets right in take your time and ensure the grease gets right through the entire bearing i dont believe there is such a thing as over greasing if you get my drift

Take your time take photos for reference and definately use Tonys post made my life easier.

Good luck with it you'll be right just be systematic

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DON'T over grease!!!! (nice one growler!!! lol).

Everything said is perfect - you basically "cut" down on the blob of grease in your palm to fill the gaps in between the rollers on the inside of the inner and outer housing of each bearing - the seals, the outer case of the bearings and the inside of the hub only need a nice light application (about 1-2mm thick all round just to lube them). It's more important that the inside of the bearings are full. Too much grease will end up blowing through the seals ...

Good luck with it ..

Sad to say I quite like packing wheel bearings. must relate back to child hood mud pies :-)

I have been on this job today and all is apart and fine other than removing the axle oil seal. I removed the swivel housing races and cap no problem. How do you remove the oil seal? I wanto get it all back together tonight with new bearings so if any body is on the forum at the moment and have done this before id love your advise. thanks.

Hope your weekends are going good guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

I have been on this job today and all is apart and fine other than removing the axle oil seal. I removed the swivel housing races and cap no problem. How do you remove the oil seal? I wanto get it all back together tonight with new bearings so if any body is on the forum at the moment and have done this before id love your advise. thanks.

Hope your weekends are going good guys.

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Mate i got a pair of pointy nose pliers and ripped the bugger out then to get the new one in used a socket the same size as a drift and gently tapped them in

I bought a seal remover, like an old fashioned anchor shape, with the a long handle where the rope would attach :-).

I can see Growler's solution working, or multigrips to get it out

Thanks guys got it out with a two lots of bent pliers. worked ok. All sorted one side and back together. Tomorrow the other side. Feels good to have done it. Turns out mine has been converted to GU lock nut system in its previous life which was handy. Thanks for all your help!

Cheers, Carl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

Thanks guys got it out with a two lots of bent pliers. worked ok. All sorted one side and back together. Tomorrow the other side. Feels good to have done it. Turns out mine has been converted to GU lock nut system in its previous life which was handy. Thanks for all your help!

Cheers, Carl

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congrats!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

Thanks guys got it out with a two lots of bent pliers. worked ok. All sorted one side and back together. Tomorrow the other side. Feels good to have done it. Turns out mine has been converted to GU lock nut system in its previous life which was handy. Thanks for all your help!

Cheers, Carl

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Good on ya mate!! Didn't say it above, but you can use the old bearing seals to tap in and seat the new ones - saves damaging the rims of them!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

Thanks guys got it out with a two lots of bent pliers. worked ok. All sorted one side and back together. Tomorrow the other side. Feels good to have done it. Turns out mine has been converted to GU lock nut system in its previous life which was handy. Thanks for all your help!

Cheers, Carl

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Good onya burden glad its worked out for u very satisfying workin on ur troll urself i find not quite therapuetic but staisfying all the same haha

Doing the RHS (short side) and i noticed there was no circlip and the hub is different on the inside. cant put photos up unfortunately. it doesnt slide in and out when you twist the lock/ unlock mechanism like on the the other side. mmmm - is this normal?

Photos would help because that does not sound right.

Tony

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

Doing the RHS (short side) and i noticed there was no circlip and the hub is different on the inside. cant put photos up unfortunately. it doesnt slide in and out when you twist the lock/ unlock mechanism like on the the other side. mmmm - is this normal?

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my rhs definately goesn in n out. Sounds like it needs servicing mate

On closer comparison they are totaly different hubs - the RHS doesnt have the clutch thingo and is a different shape casing and not the same setup on the inside. Ive got photo im trying to get up. not sure how it keeps saying eror when im trying to put the attachment on. Ill read up some more about putting them on.

Try resizing the photos down.

Tony

The hub from the out side bellow - i think the black one is the incorrect one - whats your thoughts?

This is the inside of the black one. Any ideas?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

The hub from the out side bellow - i think the black one is the incorrect one - whats your thoughts?

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The hub still on the car in the photo is an original Nissan GQ/GU free wheeling hub. Not sure about the black hub, possibly off an earlier model Patrol? Are there any markings on the black hub to indicate the manufacturer?

Tony

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

This is the inside of the black one. Any ideas?

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With the black hub off does the splined section spin freely in the unlocked position and lock up in the locked position?

Tony

Spins on both settings... Its more like a fake hub. seems more like a hub cap to me.

I'd be trying to locate a Nissan manual hub kit. You can usually pick up all the bits you need to replace auto hubs with manual hubs as a kit second hand for about $250, this would give you all you need and a spare hub.

Tony

No brand or marking on it. it feels like a hard plastic or lite metal casing. strange. im thinking someone broke the original and put it on to keep it working. the circlip was not on the outer axle on this side either as the hub would not go on if it was there.

Yep i reckon ill be replacing it. What do you think of the after market hubs? They seem to be cheaper than nissan ones. Like all after market there is some dodgy ones out there im assuming. Any one had experience with them good/bad ones etc.

I have those manual hubs for sale Tony, any good for him?

Tim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Finly Owner

I have those manual hubs for sale Tony, any good for him?

Tim

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Probably but can't be sure until I can try them on an axle.

Burden, I've heard a lot of bad reports about AVM hubs.

Tony

Job done - found a good hub at the wreckers for 60 bucks. Thanks for your help with the job guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Burden

Job done - found a good hub at the wreckers for 60 bucks. Thanks for your help with the job guys.

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Good stuff champion - well done!!!

Well done mate, I have to do this job on mine again also. I bit the buillut and decided to fix my slow dif oil leak with new seals. That was only piece of information / skill that i did not possess. Will give it a go next monday arvo (I finish uni early)

Go for it mate - its not as difficult as it may sound. Take your time and don't give up on the getting out the old axle seal or swivel bearings out and you should be fine. Took me most of one day for the first side and only a couple of hours doing the other side once i knew what to expect and how to do it. Tomorrow im gonna complete my false floor and start making my stainless snorkel.