Front end grumble in 4WD ... what could it be?

[60wag]

I had a 60 that was peeing fluid out of the seal on the input shaft to the steering box. I was able to replace the seal and fix the leak without removing the steering box from the vehicle. I might still have the custom spanner tool I made to seat the bearing cup. LMK if that would be helpful.

 

[Cruisertrash]

I had a 60 that was peeing fluid out of the seal on the input shaft to the steering box. I was able to replace the seal and fix the leak without removing the steering box from the vehicle. I might still have the custom spanner tool I made to seat the bearing cup. LMK if that would be helpful.

I still want to go through with replacing the whole box with my spare, if for no other reason than being able to really clean all the crud with the old box removed. Sounds like I still might need that spanner though

From what I understand if there are issues with the gears themselves, there isn't a way to fix that. "Rebuilding" a box is essentially just resealing it, correct? I'd love to move to an 80 Series box, but only the later 60 Series had the same bolt pattern. My early 60 is different so I have to stick with an early 60 box. I have a little clunk when turning - it's almost like you turn the wheel into the freeplay region and then the gears catch up with the slack. It's not so much a sound as something I can feel with my hands. That could be the steering shaft u-joints, too. Haven't really tracked it down because it's not the worst, most attention-seeking problem I have.

 

[60wag]

My 84 had low power assist. I even replaced the pump with a brand new Toyota pump and it didn't help. I figured there was internal leakage past the piston that limited the power assist. Replacing the piston seals as well as the external seals should be covered in a full "rebuild".

The common "adjust the backlash" effort that is frequently done on worn gearboxes scares me. Following the adjustment procedure in the FSM is pretty specific and may or may not reduce the backlash in the center of travel. Since the gear uses recirculating balls rather than gear teeth, the same balls determine the clearance throughout the full range of travel. If the gear is worn in the middle and adjusted to be tight in the middle, it can overload and damage the balls at the ends of the travel. Those same damaged balls then affect the function of the gearbox throughout the whole range. Following the FSM procedure with the pitman arm attached to the drag link doesn't work, so adjusting the the preload with the box on the bench is the best idea.

Good luck with the t-case. Hopefully that is the core issue making the noise.

 

[Cruisertrash]

My 84 had low power assist. I even replaced the pump with a brand new Toyota pump and it didn't help. I figured there was internal leakage past the piston that limited the power assist. Replacing the piston seals as well as the external seals should be covered in a full "rebuild".

The common "adjust the backlash" effort that is frequently done on worn gearboxes scares me. Following the adjustment procedure in the FSM is pretty specific and may or may not reduce the backlash in the center of travel. Since the gear uses recirculating balls rather than gear teeth, the same balls determine the clearance throughout the full range of travel. If the gear is worn in the middle and adjusted to be tight in the middle, it can overload and damage the balls at the ends of the travel. Those same damaged balls then affect the function of the gearbox throughout the whole range. Following the FSM procedure with the pitman arm attached to the drag link doesn't work, so adjusting the the preload with the box on the bench is the best idea.

Good luck with the t-case. Hopefully that is the core issue making the noise.

Good info. I guess I should clarify that rebuilding a steering gear box on one of these doesn’t include replacing any hard metal parts. I’ve also heard that the adjustment. It on the top can do more harm than good.