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Axle Facts, Questions & Answers is a place to post your questions regarding the old and new axles our Toyota Motorhomes have. 1985 and earlier Toys came with a non floating type axle subject to breaking. 1986 and later were equipped with a full floating axle.

For a complete Axle Fact article written by HeyJames451 from the Yahoo Campers group click Axle_FAQ.pdf. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. The document will open in its own window.

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  • 4 years later...
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  • 1 month later...

I had serious concerns about the axle on my '84 Odyssey and assumed that it had been part of the recall. I finally checked out the NHTSA website and found out that the recall applied only to some 180 models sold in '85 and '86. And not to the ones manufactured by General RV (which mine is).

This was a very pleasant surprise, but I'm no axle expert and now I'm curious what makes mine different.

Should I still have any concerns?

Thanks

Janna

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  • 5 weeks later...
I had serious concerns about the axle on my '84 Odyssey and assumed that it had been part of the recall. I finally checked out the NHTSA website and found out that the recall applied only to some 180 models sold in '85 and '86. And not to the ones manufactured by General RV (which mine is).

This was a very pleasant surprise, but I'm no axle expert and now I'm curious what makes mine different.
Should I still have any concerns?

Thanks
Janna


If you could, send another post and attach a picture or two of your axle, showing the lug nuts , differential, and so forth, maybe we all could compare it to what we have to try to identify the beefed up 5-lug axle.
I found a place that will actually make a brand new axle of almost any type, including the 6-lug full floating axle.
Here is the link to it : http://www.diamondaxle.com/index.htm
I don't know the prices or anything.
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  • 6 months later...
bokwus said:
I am looking at an early version (1979) of the Sunrader that is 17 feet long. Would the 5-lug axle be considered safe or should one replace it with the 6-lug dually?

Thanks. John

 

I'll see if anyone is still reading this thread! I just got a 1977 Chinook (pop-top) that is 17' long and it has single rear wheels and a 5 lug axle. The axle FAQ mostly talks about 18' and longer vehicles and the recall website doesn't seem to want to display any recalls for 1977 other than for Toyota Corolla. Any idea how I figure out if my rear axle is safe. The vehicle has 140K on it and seems to have been a lot of places, should I just not worry about it at this point?

Thanks,

OlympicMtnBoy (Toyota MH newbie)

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I'll see if anyone is still reading this thread! I just got a 1977 Chinook (pop-top) that is 17' long and it has single rear wheels and a 5 lug axle. The axle FAQ mostly talks about 18' and longer vehicles and the recall website doesn't seem to want to display any recalls for 1977 other than for Toyota Corolla. Any idea how I figure out if my rear axle is safe. The vehicle has 140K on it and seems to have been a lot of places, should I just not worry about it at this point?

Thanks, OlympicMtnBoy (Toyota MH newbie)


Its probably OK. The Chinooks weigh far less than the 18 ft Sunraders. But if it has or has had the rear welded together dual wheels they created extra leverage (bending) of the axle ends and there could be some stress damage from that. That's one of the big factors that cause the rear axle breakage in the larger units with the stock (bad) pickup axles. They keep flexing at the ends right at the bearing and eventually snap off. But like I said, the Chinooks are far lighter. If it is a concern you could replace the axles with newer heavy duty ones and replace the welded together wheels with singles and higher weight rated tires and bee good, as long as you don't fill the back up with people or cargo to the roof. Maybe someone here who owns a Chinook will throw out some first hand knowledge!
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Its probably OK. The Chinooks weigh far less than the 18 ft Sunraders. But if it has or has had the rear welded together dual wheels they created extra leverage (bending) of the axle ends and there could be some stress damage from that. That's one of the big factors that cause the rear axle breakage in the larger units with the stock (bad) pickup axles. They keep flexing at the ends right at the bearing and eventually snap off. But like I said, the Chinooks are far lighter. If it is a concern you could replace the axles with newer heavy duty ones and replace the welded together wheels with singles and higher weight rated tires and bee good, as long as you don't fill the back up with people or cargo to the roof. Maybe someone here who owns a Chinook will throw out some first hand knowledge!


Thanks Greg, it sounds like I'm OK since I have a light model and single wheels. I did some reading on the yahoo group and that seems to be the general consensus as long as I don't overload the thing. I do need to get new tires though. :-)
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  • 1 month later...

hey boys ..just pik'd up a 1980 & u guys seem to know ur stuff....its at my buddys dads garage & he (the dad mech) says it looks alright so far...i haven't check'd to c if it is the puny 5 bolt or the "beef'd up" 5 or 6 bolt...i have all the manuals / books that came with it but they are out in the truck...i'l get them 2-mor o....i geuss i'l have to "pony up" for the new axle myself ?? after reading the article i'm scared to take it out on a run....not sure how long it is but it is 2 w d,,,, has a stand up shower,,, 4 burner stove with oven & a furnace....i'm in canada so u know we need heat up here...the last owners painted this thing white...with a brush i think !!....u guys have some paint ideas i'm sure...later dood's

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think about the only thing that is safe without the good axle is the Chinooks but only if they are single rear rims and not dualie.

On another note I deleted some posts (4) in this thread. This thread is for AXLE questions and answers only. So please keep the off topic chit chat out. Sorry to do that but this thread needs to stay focused on axles.

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  • 4 weeks later...

did anyone ever get back to you about what makes yours not subject to the recall? I have a 1983 toyota odyssey and couldn't find a recall on it, but am still concerned b/c it is the old 5 bolt axle.

thanks,

lindsay

 

On 9/28/2008 at 1:49 PM, bckpckr83 said:

I had serious concerns about the axle on my '84 Odyssey and assumed that it had been part of the recall. I finally checked out the NHTSA website and found out that the recall applied only to some 180 models sold in '85 and '86. And not to the ones manufactured by General RV (which mine is).

This was a very pleasant surprise, but I'm no axle expert and now I'm curious what makes mine different.

Should I still have any concerns?

Thanks

Janna

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  • 1 month later...

Hi, I have a 1990 toyota and am getting work done to the rear axle, it is 6 lug. Long story short the mechanic can't get new axle seals from the toy dealer. He has had them bring him 3 different seals and they are all wrong. he gave them the vin and everything and they are telling him it is obsolete and you can no longer get seals for them. can anyone help me find seals or toyota part numbers for the correct axle seals? anyone ever run into this problem? Please Help

Thanks in advance

John

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On 10/8/2009 at 6:39 PM, thatwynnguy said:

Hi, I have a 1990 Toyota and am getting work done to the rear axle, it is 6 lug. Long story short the mechanic can't get new axle seals from the toy dealer. He has had them bring him 3 different seals and they are all wrong. he gave them the VIN and everything and they are telling him it is obsolete and you can no longer get seals for them. can anyone help me find seals or Toyota part numbers for the correct axle seals? anyone ever run into this problem? Please Help

Thanks in advance

John

 

Try a local bearing company they will need the old seals for dimensions but they should be able to help you out most bearing outfits do seals also.

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  • 7 months later...

Hi, guys.

Just bought a 1977 Keystone camper on a Toyota chassis. It has the dual wheels and 5-lug axle and I am about to drive 12,000 miles in it, so I am pretty positive I need to convert the rear axle. I have been trying to find a donor truck and it's been hard. I am not sure I am asking the salvage yards the right question, though. As soon as I say what vehicle I have, they want to find an axle for that year. I have tried to explain what I need and I don't think it's working. That's probably because I do not know exactly what I need, either. So, does anyone have a tip on what exactly to tell the salvage yard to look for? Is there a year range on the donor vehicle? And did anyone ever figure out how to get in touch with Chuck Nan of the cheap conversion kit? Any tips at all would be helpful. I am also unclear on what I need beyond the better axle in order to make the conversion. It's a four-speed, 22r engine.

Thanks!

M.G.

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On 6/8/2010 at 2:37 PM, FlitFlitter said:

Hi, guys.

Just bought a 1977 Keystone camper on a Toyota chassis. It has the dual wheels and 5-lug axle and I am about to drive 12,000 miles in it, so I am pretty positive I need to convert the rear axle. I have been trying to find a donor truck and it's been hard. I am not sure I am asking the salvage yards the right question, though. As soon as I say what vehicle I have, they want to find an axle for that year. I have tried to explain what I need and I don't think it's working. That's probably because I do not know exactly what I need, either. So, does anyone have a tip on what exactly to tell the salvage yard to look for? Is there a year range on the donor vehicle? And did anyone ever figure out how to get in touch with Chuck Nan of the cheap conversion kit? Any tips at all would be helpful. I am also unclear on what I need beyond the better axle in order to make the conversion. It's a four-speed, 22r engine.

Thanks!

M.G.

 

You need to ask for a 1986 or later year, full floating dual wheels. Make sure if you find one that it also has the wheels.

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You need to ask for a 1989 or later year, full floating dual wheels. Make sure if you find one that it also has the wheels.

MG.

I found Sadie's 1ton at www.toyotasalvage.com in Phoenix AZ- Don't forget to ask them to include the brake lines and sway bar too.

Shanda

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Thank you, guys! Both tips should be very helpful, especially if I can get that one in Phoenix! Oh my God, if I can put this to rest this week, I will be so relieved. Thank you again. I'll let you all know, if I get it.

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Hi again.

I seem to have found one through the Phoenix link but not at that company in particular. I got passed from one to the next till I finally found a guy, Dave, with a rear axle off of a 1990 Toyota, a one-ton dualie. It's got the brake line, needs new rubber pads, apparently, and also has no wheels, no sway bar. Total price with shipping to Georgia: $650-700. Does that sound expensive, considering I am going to have to get all that other stuff to make it work? Now that I know more what to look for, I could try again locally. Just thought I would get some input on the one I found today. I also thought I'd attach some photos of my current axle set-up, just in case you guys have any additional input after seeing these pics or if your input changes after seeing them. I'm really a novice, so I appreciate your help.

Thank you again.

MG

post-3873-12761963283354_thumb.jpg

post-3873-12761963152744_thumb.jpg

post-3873-1276196344153_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 months later...
  • 2 months later...

I am almost done my axle upgrade on my 84-85 Vangaurd. I used a 1 ton dually from a Chev van, and put lower profile tires... contact me if you want details. WARNING....IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OF THE AXLE ON A TOYOTA MOTORHOME.....DO NOT BUY IT OR EVEN TEST DRIVE IT. i ALMOST KILLED PEOPLE WHEN MINE FAILED..........

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  • 6 months later...

Hello All,

First off, I'd like to say "Hello" and that I truly wish I had chanced upon this forum before I purchased my rig!! You guys know your stuff and I appreciate the effort you put into the site.

So, here's my situation: I have just purchased a 17' 1980 Toyota Dolphin with single wheels in back and five lugs per wheel, around 130K for mileage. I have read all the literature available on the rear axle issue and, after much trepidation, have begun to hope that the rig might be OK as is. However, I'd like to get the opinions of those more knowledgeable than I on the subject. I don't plan on doing any major driving for a few months as I work out some other (hopefully) minor details, and, during that time, I'd really like to put the axle issue to rest, one way or another. Any help you can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bonner

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Take it to a scale and weigh it front, rear and total. Without that information all will be just suppositions.

Find out what Toyota says the rear axle max weight is and compare your numbers.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All--\

I'm assuming a 17' Sunrader with a 5-lug dually is not a good thing--or is it passable? I've seen a "pass" on the Chinooks, but I don't think the previous Sunrader question was directly addressed, though the Sunrader is I would assume significantly heavier than the Chinook? The welded duals can't simply be replaced with a single, right? any idea what a single-wheel axle would cost, if I want to go with that, rather than the dually? The weight is in the wheels, not the tires, right? so it wouldn't help to simply take off the inner (or outer) tire?

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See post 24. What does it weigh??? Supposedly the under 18ft rigs were exempt from the recall

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Hello Again,

I posted awhile back about my 17' Dolphin with single rear wheels, and was told to go get it weighed. So I did, and here's what I found.

From the sticker inside the driver's side door, I found the G.V.W.R. to be 4600#, the G.A.W.R. Front to be 1850#, and the G.A.W.R. Rear to be 2900#.

The vehicle itself came in at 4380# total, with the Front at 1520# and the Rear at 2860# loaded, but with no passengers besides the driver.

My question, as usual, revolves around the G.A.W.R. Rear. The rig is a mere 40# below the rated weight, and I'm wondering if this is a problem. The tires are new, and I don't see any evidence of fluid around the rear brakes or axle area.

What do you guys think? Drivable as is, or do I need to do more exploration? I'm planning to work my way through the brake system thoroughly, and I can look for other telltale signs of axle issues as I do so. Also, I realize that nobody can make this call for me, but I appreciate any info that can steer me in the right direction. Thanks for any guidance you can provide.

-BonnerA

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  • 2 weeks later...
I also just found out that this rig is equipped with the G082 axle. I've been able to find specs on it, but no weight rating. Any help?

Our 22 ft 1991 Dolphin is @ 6000# , 2300# ft , 4400# rear. If you believe the manufacturers data plate, which also says 36 front and 45 psi rear for tire pressure and boy do they ever flatten out with the rubber that low!!!

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  • 1 month later...

i have a queston for you people here on this neato forum.. I just bought a 1987 with a 88 sunrader mounted on it built by gardner -pacific corp in vallejo,ca. I have a 4x4 six lug all around and I only have single rear wheel on my axle and it is not a floating hub type axle that has been talked about. my sunrader is a 18footer and i am curious if I am ok to go or do i need to do any modifications to make it a hub type floating axle in rear.....??? now i drove this from portland ,oregon to shasta county with no problems. any feed back would be cool. I am told that if it is a 1987 a bigger axle (thicker one) was used . But i only have one wheel on my rear axle also and am wondering if i am good to enjoy this as is or what???? come on guys,,,,wheres the feedback??? thanks in advance friends ---fishman

fishbuge62@yahoo.com

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i have a queston for you people here on this neato forum.. I just bought a 1987 with a 88 sunrader mounted on it built by gardner -pacific corp in vallejo,ca. I have a 4x4 six lug all around and I only have single rear wheel on my axle and it is not a floating hub type axle that has been talked about. my sunrader is a 18footer and i am curious if I am ok to go or do i need to do any modifications to make it a hub type floating axle in rear.....??? now i drove this from portland ,oregon to shasta county with no problems. any feed back would be cool. I am told that if it is a 1987 a bigger axle (thicker one) was used . But i only have one wheel on my rear axle also and am wondering if i am good to enjoy this as is or what???? come on guys,,,,wheres the feedback??? thanks in advance friends ---fishman

fishbuge62@yahoo.com

posting up a pic would help

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  • 3 weeks later...

If you go to www.toyota.com/recall you can enter your V.I.N. and they instantly reply by telling you what that number applies to i.e year and model and wether or not there is a recall on it.

I just bought a 1983 Rader 17 footer with a 5 lug axle equipped with a 6 lug adapter and single wheels.

According to my V.I.N. there is no recall on thmine. Here is what they answer looks like.

Safety Recalls/Service Campaigns for My Vehicle

Vehicle: 1983 Truck JT5RN44D7DXXXXXXXXX

There are no open Special Service Campaigns or Safety Recalls on your vehicle.Let us keep you up to date on other important information about your Toyota. PLUS, get exclusive access to interactive videos, online owners manuals, service discounts and more. Register Today!

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The key words here are open recalls. The axle recall is no longer open, it doesn't mean it didn't happen and that your axle wasn't recalled.

With single wheels and a smaller RV you might be fine but trust me, your axle was recalled along with all the rest.

LS

If you go to www.toyota.com/recall you can enter your V.I.N. and they instantly reply by telling you what that number applies to i.e year and model and wether or not there is a recall on it.

I just bought a 1983 Rader 17 footer with a 5 lug axle equipped with a 6 lug adapter and single wheels.

According to my V.I.N. there is no recall on thmine. Here is what they answer looks like.

Safety Recalls/Service Campaigns for My Vehicle

Vehicle: 1983 Truck JT5RN44D7DXXXXXXXXX

There are no open Special Service Campaigns or Safety Recalls on your vehicle.Let us keep you up to date on other important information about your Toyota. PLUS, get exclusive access to interactive videos, online owners manuals, service discounts and more. Register Today!

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Bryan i have owned 2 wheel and 4w drive pickups i have an 1987 4 wheel drive Xtra cab the 6 lug 15 inch rim four wheel drive axle and the whole truck is built much heavier all around then the 14 inch 2wd i run light truck 235 by 15 tires a size many full size half ton trucks use the whole undergear is way heavier i regular use my truck to haul junk metal i had a load of steel on the scale the steel was one thousand four hundred thirty pounds truck road and steered fine i was shocked to find out how much i had on you could never put that load on the two wheel drive i did not hang down on the back but level for those who don't know the 4wd is stock 15 inch 6 lug no adapters if i had that under a 18 foot i my self would probably never worry.

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Also remember there is no way to "beef" up an axle; you either have double bearings (full float) or not. single bearings set fail and bam you are done. I've heard hooplah about beefed up axles or "more solid" builds etc. at the end of the day the only non 6 lug axle that is ok is the 5 lug full floating often talked about but never seen axle and only Santa Claus and the Yeti have that one, and they aren't posting pics at this time. So... have people gotten away with the single bearing set axle on shorter rigs? yes. Have people lost thier wheels in axle failure in short rigs? YES... another try at the roulette bullet or be safe for couple grand.

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