POS wheel bearings

[canadian bum]

Well we need to do something about this get in touch with someone to build a better seal set up for these trucks as well as the FJ cruisers. I avoid the mud whenever possible and still had both wheel bearings go out in 30,000 km. And its because the seal design of having two seals run on eachother to keep crap out doesn't work. Not to mention that the lips of these seals are so flimsy.

Also i am pretty sure that Toyota packs these bearings with lithium engine assembly grease (dumbasses). I repacked my bearings with tons of actual wheel bearing grease and I am pretty sure that this will keep them alive for longer. The original grease is so thin that it doesn't take much of anything to wash it out. The only problem is that you can only pack one of the bearings properly and the outer one you can't take it out of the assembly to pack it.

I know that there are some other guys that are having wheel bearing issues as well so lets see if we can get something changed because I am getting tired of changing these and its not a trail side repair either. I am going to have a complete spare assembly everywhere I go now.

[freeze]

count me in for wheel bearing problem!

I will make a call to CJ at Marlin and see if they'll be up for a challenge!

[canadian bum]

Awesome, are you going to have your truck together for saturday?

[freeze]

nope... it's not looking good! The steering boots haven't arrived yet. I'll give you more details on this Saturday in a bit.

[canadian bum]

Pics from the last time it really piled on me haha. Sucks being towed by a chev.

http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa53/johnschultz/Crap%20Wheel%20bearing/

[freeze]

oh that wheel bearing was really bad! there's that one where your camber is super positive!

[canadian bum]

Yup it was set up for racing haha. But really I had to stop driving at 10 km/hr because my rollers started to fall out less then 2km from my shop then out came the Chevy with the trailer. Co-Worker loved seeing the Taco in the rear view mirror on his trailer haha.

[freeze]

haha....

hey here's something from Downey that would be great for us 2 gen guys... unfortunately it's for the earlier IFS trucks

http://www.downeyoff-road.com/ChassisComponents/images_Miscellaneous/02.jpg

http://www.downeyoff-road.com/ChassisComponents/MiscDriveTrain.html

[canadian bum]

The first gens didn't use a unit bearing which is why Downey could make a kit like this. Stupid toyota cheaping out on these new gen of trucks for a crappy unit bearing.

[freeze]

Well I called Marlin Friday... left a message for CJ as he's out till Monday. We'll see what he says.

[canadian bum]

I really hope that someone wants to build something for this problem.

[freeze]

How hard would it be to find a better bearing that's HD with a better seal that can take the lateral load?

If we can find one or have someone build one to spec, I bet we can sell a kit!

Perhaps a Millwright?? paging..oriontaco...Ed'syota?

[freeze]

Spoke to Marlin personally at the Round up... bearings and seals are coming

[canadian bum]

Awesome because I think the interest on my end went the way of the dinosaur. No one wheels these trucks apperently.

I'll still upgrade however.

[freeze]

Yeah it's that dang mud out here that kills it for us!

[Dante's Taco]

hmmm.

well - my front front (L) wheel) bearing just went @ 88,000 km.

Expensive frickin' things aren't they. (at least for those of us who don't have a press & lots of mech experience.) And I don't wheel like Canadian Bum - so that (the usage of truck) apparently doesn't even matter. Stupid design.:(

Sigh

Geoff

[freeze]

what? and you're mostly stock too! Did they cover it with warranty?

[Dante's Taco]

Nope. 60,000 km was a while ago

[canadian bum]

Damn man I could have done that for you just parts and a small fee. I have only done 6 pretty good at it now haha.

[Dante's Taco]

Damn man I could have done that for you just parts and a small fee. I have only done 6 pretty good at it now haha.

You're on for the next one. (and there will be a next one, apparently)

G

[canadian bum]

Don't go to far away they always crap out within the next 2 weeks of eachother.

[Tacorossa]

Spoke to Marlin personally at the Round up... bearings and seals are coming

So what kind of a setup is Marlin offering as a solution?

[freeze]

He didn't say details as I'm sure he would keep it close to home until the launch. Marlin has amazing solutions for us earlier gen trucks so I would expect the same quality in whatever they launch next.

[nlk125]

So I take it the wheel bearings aren't covered by the Drivetrain warranty then... I blew up a set on my FJ Cruiser a while ago and had them replaced under warranty. However now, I'm at 55,555MILES (just noticed the ODO was all 5's on the way back from lunch) and there is a slight, intermittent growl from the front end (not tires), and I checked at lunch, and it seems my driver front may be the culprit. There seems to be a bit of free play at the wheel... From what I recall, the warranty bill was about $1500+ for both of 'em, and I'd rather have the $$$ and do the work myself, so just how difficult is this job? And when is Marlin expected to have a solution?

[freeze]

I'm not sure when he'll be rolling out the new bearings/seals.

Man that's a bummer. When I was driving in the morning back from Banff I too noticed bearing noise that sounded like the last wheel bearing that went.

Did you get extended warranty?

[nlk125]

Ha! Extended Warranty...:) (It's a Toyota, they're not supposed to break!) Or at least that was my thought process when I was buying it...

[nlk125]

It's a bit surprising that it's a non serviceable part... IE "Sealed" bearing, rather than something you can grease/maintain yourself...

[nlk125]

SO... Is there any update on the possible Marlin Wheel bearing fix? Still haven't done mine yet, and I think I need to. But I don't want to put in the effort, and cash, just to install parts that fail.

[City_Rider]

Check the other thread, tacotaco ordered some from ebay but they ended up having the same plastic cage as previous... Apparently Timken is making some new bearings and they are staying optimistic.