That’s right, you too could fix my truck. At least now you could, armed with the knowledge packed into this entertaining and engrossing 10 minute video on how to rebuild a hub and replace a spindle on a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser.
(demonstrating proper use of the Clarkson technique)
So after a long drive one day I noticed that my truck wasn’t driving like it should, when I got home I discovered that my wheel wasn’t...right. I jacked up the front of the truck, grabbed the top and bottom of the passenger side front wheel and wobbled it back and forth...which you shouldn’t be able to do. Chalk it up to one of the many problems I’m in the process of redoing thanks to a mechanic that...sufficient to say...I no longer trust.
Now I should say that although I’m very familiar with my car’s systems and I know my way around a toolbox I suffer from the same kinds of repair anxiety that many people do...
(Picture - the author before a shave...or after midnight...or both)
...Well, that’s not to say I don’t have a clue, its just I don’t have a lot of confidence that I wont get in there and run out of talent and be stranded. I like to think I’m about where a lot of car people are in their mechanical acumen; I do my own maintenance, and I’ve done the odd window regulator, bushing or vacuum line but I’m certainly not at the engine swap skill set yet...otherwise my Land Cruiser would already be 1gz-fe powered. A hub rebuild and spindle replacement was just outside the comfort zone, after all, the cruiser is my daily driver after all and I need it for going to work and things.
However, following many of the tips recently given in The Garage, like phone a friend and buy the manual, I felt pretty confident going in.
I did run into a few problems, though solveable, and I spent WAY more money doing this myself than I would have having a competent shop do it but I now have a TON more confidence that I can fix something; Important given that the Land Cruiser not only takes me to and from the office but sometimes (and hopefully with some additional frequency) to places much cool and much further away from a repair center.
Besides a lot of that money is invested in tools that I can use over and over to say nothing of learning a new skill. Funny story, because I had to do this 3 times (1st time I didn’t know my spindle was bad, 3rd time because I forgot to grease the hub...doh!) I can do the whole thing in under 45 minutes and only have to run downstairs to check the manual once...maybe twice...and I would have no problem doing this repair on the trail.
Although I’m still not ready to have my hand built anchor (what Toyota engineers call the 1GZ-FE apparently ) crated up and shipped over I’m certainly not nearly as worried to get in there and tackle the other jobs on the list. Next up, a new lower oil pan (thanks again crappy shop for stripping my plug).