Toyota Trails - March/April2015 Issue Page 19

M A R C H · A P R I L 2 0 1 5

tion, I have encountered extreme wear on
the parts replaced or fixed. The odometer
says 67,000 miles but I suspect at least
267,000.

After the drivetrain work was completed,
I finished up the job with a new shift boot
bought from one of the leading Land Cruiser
parts suppliers, which was at least twice
as thick a rubber compound as the original
boot (which was in several pieces) and very
stiff. After the new boot was installed, the
shifter pops out of gear in first and third gear
when the truck is not accelerating and is very
loose in the other gears as well.

I checked with the shop that did the work
and they think the shift lever and the other
shift lever assembly parts in the shift tower
are worn out and need to be replaced.
Unfortunately these parts are no longer avail-
able except in used condition so I am a bit
worried that it will be just more of the same
to replace used with used.

Is the shift mechanism a good place to start
and/or is it possible that there is a deeper
issue, such as worn shift forks? Alternatively,
is the new stiff shift boot the culprit?

Thanks for your help.

Richard Smith, Spring Creek, Nevada

Hello Richard:

It sounds like you are having all the work done
and not doing any of it yourself? Is that a
correct assumption? Was the transmission not
holding in gear an issue before the rebuild?

I would first have the shop remove the boot.
Then see how it holds the shifts. I am won-
dering if the shift detents are working improp-
erly or not at all. If removing the boot helps
a lot and it shifts and holds well, then the
boot is the issue.

If not, I would think the shift rails in the box
have excessive wear. Maybe the forks have
enough wear that they do not fully move the
syncro into position and the detents in the
syncro will not hold the syncro in place. Yes,
there are detents in the syncro that help hold
the syncro in gear on the shaft. If these are
lost during the rebuild, they can create some
of the issues you have described.

Age and wear of the transmission is also
in question. It may be a good idea to look
for a used transmission or at least a used
top section with the rails and forks that are
in good shape. Did the shop provide any

pictures of the shift forks? Yes, I have seen
transmissions with lots of miles and the shift
forks had some major wear and needed to
be replaced. Yes, new parts were not an
option at the time and I did look for good
used parts. It was a hunt but I did find what
I needed.

Start with the rubber boot and see what it
does. Shout if you need more help.

Thanks.

Robbie

Axle Housing Measurement

Hi Robbie,

I think the front axle housing on my FJ40 is
bent. It leaks oil from the left (driver's side)
knuckle. I've replaced the inner axle seal
twice (last time with the Marlin Super Seal).

Are you aware of any way to measure the
front axle to determine whether the housing is
bent? Is there any way to adjust the housing
back to proper spec?

Thank you.

Alan Wesley, TLCA Member #6,446

Hello Alan:

One of the easiest ways is to take your
Cruiser to an alignment shop and see what
the specs may be on the alignment rack. If
all appears to be in good alignment (caster,
camber and toe), then I would suspect the
axle to be in good shape.

In this case, the problem would be knuckle
bearings, with no shims on the top and bot-
tom of the knuckle to have the knuckle center
alignment correct. I do not really know of
any easier way to see if the ball is bent.

Almost everything else would be an eyeball
approach. Back in the day, old style align-
ment shops could straighten some axles. But
I would think you would need to call around
to see if there is an alignment shop that will
straighten axles. Most shops will not take that
responsibility anymore. Personally, I would
not waste my time trying to figure this out but
would take it to an alignment rack to see if
it checks out OK. I would then check the fol-
lowing items.

Have you done a knuckle bearing service?
Have your upper and lower knuckle bear-

ings been replaced? Do you have at least
one shim (for centering) on the bottom of the
knuckle bearing support and at least one
(typically two shims for bearing pre-load) on
the top knuckle bearing support and tie rod
attachment?

If there are no shims, then you will need a
knuckle-centering tool. Or maybe someone in
a local club has access to one. Worst case,
there may be a good Cruiser shop nearby
that has one and you can get the knuckle cen-
tered properly. Then you should be good for
a long time after having the knuckle centered.

Thanks.

Robbie

Land Cruiser Lean

Hello Robbie

My FJ40 leans to the driver's side. I have
read that this is common to most FJ40s. Are
you aware of the cause? Does it increase
with time and with use? What does is say
about the condition of the springs?

Cool Cruisers of Texas sells an inexpensive
"leveler block" this is placed on top of the
rear passenger side spring stack. Do you think
that it is sensible to place this on the original
springs? This Cruiser has 87,000 miles.

Thanks for your help.

Ted Grey

Hello Ted:

Yes, it does seem like all leaf spring Land
Cruisers have a tendency to lean (I do mean
all, 40s, 55s, 60s, 70 series). Causes
range from age of the leaf springs, to an
accident or hitting a pothole or rock at a
high rate of speed, to possibly overloading
one side or the other with too much weight.

You state your mileage is at 87,000. Is that
what reads on the odometer? If so, do you
know if it is the original miles or could the
odometer have turned at least once, making
it 187,000 or more miles? The reason I am
asking is that springs do not last forever.

If your body appears to be sitting low com-
pared to the axles (like the tires are tucked in
close to the body and the springs themselves
appear to be flat without any arch), it may be
time for a new suspension. So just doing the