Mr Polytech Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) Hi, all... I am the new owner an 84' New Horizon 21 ft. Toyota motor home. I just bought it a couple of months ago; but when I did; I was not aware at all of the rear axle issues w/ these critters. I was recently going through the repair receipts that the seller gave me along w/ other info; and noticed that the whole rear axle assembly had been replaced in 99' due to differential noise. This was at odometer reading 65,495. Mileage now is at 67,479. Unfortunately (after looking at my motor home) I noticed that what they replaced it with was a semi-floating 1/2 ton 5 lug Toyota rear axle assembly that (still) has the wrecking yard parts inventory # written on it in white grease pencil. There do not "seem" to be any issues w/ the rear axle at this point in time... What's stupid about the whole thing was that they spent $1095 on the replacement rear axle assembly; when for that much they could have gotten a full floating 6 lug rear axle assembly... Anyway, my question is: Can I use a 1ton 6 lug hub rear axle assembly from a Toyota "Stout" 1 ton single wheel 2WD truck as a replacement axle assembly? Or does it have to be a dual wheel assembly? How about a full-float 6 lug hub axle assembly from a Toyota 4x4??? Would this work? What is exactly recommended if the above are not appropriate? thanks in advance, J.D. Edited February 16, 2009 by Mr Polytech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Toyota 4X4 were 6 bolt but not full floating rears only a single bearing. You would have 6 bolts but the same problem. Really the only way out is a full floating rear they are easy to tell apart they have an external axle, extending from the center of the wheel you'll see a small hub with several small bolts that is the axle. It is called a floating axle because the axle carries no weight. I'm not sure what you are talking about with a single wheel 1 ton truck but you would need to look at the hub to see if it's a floating rear if there is no hub in the middle the axle is carrying the weight htat's not a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Polytech Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Toyota 4X4 were 6 bolt but not full floating rears only a single bearing. You would have 6 bolts but the same problem. Really the only way out is a full floating rear they are easy to tell apart they have an external axle, extending from the center of the wheel you'll see a small hub with several small bolts that is the axle. It is called a floating axle because the axle carries no weight. I'm not sure what you are talking about with a single wheel 1 ton truck but you would need to look at the hub to see if it's a floating rear if there is no hub in the middle the axle is carrying the weight htat's not a good thing. The single wheel 1 ton 2 wheel drive Toyota pickups where known as the "Stout" model in the early 80's...They have the 6 bolt hub which extends "out" past the rim. It is a full floating axle system; not semi-floating but was OEM w/ a single; not dually wheel system...Also, there were 1ton Toyota 4x4's back in the early to mid 80's that had a 1 ton full-floating axle system... Yes, they are rare but highly desirable amongst toyota four wheel drive enthusiasts...Both are rare and very hard to find. I live in MT and the closest Toyota 1 ton "Stout" mosel raer axle assembly I could find was in a wrecking yard in Modesto, CA. Unfortunately, they refuse to ship. Does anyone know if the guy in Elkhart, IN who is mentioned in the axle sticky above and had the Toyota Dually free-floating rear axle assembly's; still has any for sale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 If they are full floating rears and the studs are long enough there should be no reason you could not use both wheels. I'm going to say the wheels were probably 15" so you would need to find 14's of course it would not matter if the rear came with out wheels you would still need wheels any way. There is and old long bed Toyota rusted out truck not far from where I live I think I'll stop and have a look it does look a bit "stouter then the stock truck don't guess it would do you any good Maine is even further away! If it's floater it might be worth hauling better then having it pushed into the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidAmerica Landcruiser Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 If they are full floating rears and the studs are long enough there should be no reason you could not use both wheels. I'm going to say the wheels were probably 15" so you would need to find 14's of course it would not matter if the rear came with out wheels you would still need wheels any way. There is and old long bed Toyota rusted out truck not far from where I live I think I'll stop and have a look it does look a bit "stouter then the stock truck don't guess it would do you any good Maine is even further away! If it's floater it might be worth hauling better then having it pushed into the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidAmerica Landcruiser Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Sorry about the last one. Pressed the wrong button! I have a 6 bolt full float axle, wheels, and install kit for sale. I found it in a junkyard. Interesting find. The truck showed 248 miles! The coach body was gone as well as the front sheet metal, engine, and tranny. Stickers on the doors said "Toyota Vehicle Donation Program". Parts are located near Davenport, IA. Let me know if I can help. MidAmLandcruiser@qwestoffice.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BitBucket Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 If they are full floating rears and the studs are long enough there should be no reason you could not use both wheels. The thing you must look out for is the offet of the "Stout" vs the "Dual" axels. If you wish to put on duals, then the inner rim is reversed, and sits well into the axel. On the "Stout" the rim could hit the frame, the shock, or even the brake drum/cable. Single-tire and dual-tire hubs are purpose-designed so that the center of tire contact is approximately under the center of bearing surfaces. Two-tires-and-reversed-rims moves that center a bit (as motor home folks discover to their dismay when bearings fail). So, while in the junk - uh recycle - yard, you rolls up & mounts a beefy single, mark the center of the patch that would touch the ground. Then you rolls up some duals and mount them, compare. If the *centerlines* are the same, and the inner tire won't rub against anything (allow for sidewall flex and consider mud buildup and room for chains if you're going in snow) then you would be good to go. Of course, CA is a bit far to go to test out an axel for you. A shallow rim with offset-inserts (as messed with by off-roaders) allows you to get the correct center-to-center location for any axel/tire combination. I've seen THREE tires per side. Hard on the rubber when turning on pavement. But they did get the center-to-center correct (brakes were Corvette, which mount next to the differential). When considering the opposite (going from two to one tire in the rear), one of the existing dual rims cannot be used either "inny" or "outy", because either way it will greatly affect the center-to-center measurement (purpose-built rims, you see). Also, using just one tire means it has to carry the load of two, so must be rated accordingly. Usually, two LT duals will be less expensive than on HT single (not to mention the price of a new HD rim). The final consideration would be reading the laws of your state which dictate how many tires are *required* for your axel weight on the roads and bridges you drive. Probably not a consideration with your particular vehicle, but YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbo Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Sorry about the last one. Pressed the wrong button! I have a 6 bolt full float axle, wheels, and install kit for sale. I found it in a junkyard. Interesting find. The truck showed 248 miles! The coach body was gone as well as the front sheet metal, engine, and tranny. Stickers on the doors said "Toyota Vehicle Donation Program". Parts are located near Davenport, IA. Let me know if I can help. MidAmLandcruiser@qwestoffice.net Vehicles like that often ended up in high school auto shops. I remember my school receiving a brand new 1978 Pontiac Grand Prix, while another school got a '78 Trans Am. Both were slightly damaged from a train (shipping) accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Polytech Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) Picked up 1 ton rear axle assembly from Mid-America Landcruiser yesterday.. . I got the complete assembly including the spring packs and dually wheels and also included is an install kit w/ new U-bolts and nuts for the spring packs. Only 248 original miles on the unit assembly! Frame size and all other dimensions related to shock brackets and such are basically identical (the donor vehicle seems to have been some kind of Toyota courtesy bus or some such unit; but frame dimensions are identical to my motorhomes)... Looks like it should be a pretty uncomplicated change over. Nice addition is that this axle set up came w/ a rear anti-sway/ stabilizer bar, something that my present unit does not have. It also has an airlift suspension unit; which I have not decided yet if I will or will not use. I am hoping that when I pull the drums the brake shoes are still in nice shape and usable. I would think that they would be seeing as how the mileage on the donor unit is so low. I'll post a picture tomorrow; J.D. Edited April 20, 2009 by Mr Polytech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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