IdahoDoug Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 New member hello and intro here. So, I've always liked these clamshell designs, and I have a few classic Toyotas and once worked at Toyota HQ in the US. We've been camping and adventuring around the Pacific NW and Canada for 15 years in classic VW Vanagons. First a Syncro, and now a Wolfsburg tin top. We always marvel at the space efficiency as it has an actual queen bed, and with a cassette toilet it pretty much makes a perfect all weather base camp. So when an 82 Sunrader with 32k miles popped up on CL, we went to look on Sunday morning. The snow has pushed the roof down, cracking the roof vent seals and leaking water into the interior for years. The cabinetry is warped, the floor is spongy, the original wood veneer ceiling is coming down. We hemmed and hawed about it, but I'd brought overalls to crawl under and to my surprise there is an intact metal floor under the interior floor, which meant floor replacement was simply a matter of laying down fresh plywood as a base. Interestingly, there was no mold, and no mildewy smell - defies logic. The Toyota cab is pristine - nearly new looking. It's also a 4 speed, and combined with the venerable 22R means I will have zero work on the chassis. So we bought it for a crazy low price of $1500 figuring we couldn't go wrong. It started right up, and drove like a champ all the way home. One mishap was it was nearly out of gas so I stopped to fill it up. More fuel ended up on the ground than in the tank. I bent down and could see a pop can with hose clamps held onto the filler hose in the wheelwell. With a 6 foot diameter pool of Premium rapidly spreading. I opted for the cowards way out and simply hopped in and left rather than needing to fill out some environmental spill paperwork or whatever the station might have had in mind for me. I watched a few videos on people stripping them out down to the bare fiberglass and building an interior, so that's what our plan is. We want to keep the bath/shower as it's right sized, and the enclosure looks very well designed against leaks. We'll also keep all the appliances and tankage. The ceiling is a mess and I will be gutting the interior to redo it - so months away from actual use of the vehicle. The moisture also messed up most of the cabinets on the right side of the vehicle, so I'll be using them just for templates to make new, and shrinking them by a few inches here and there to open things up. I actually think the Sunrader has too much hard space dedicated to storage, which significantly shrinks the interior. By that, I mean the overhead cabinetry is a little much, and as ours is a rear dinette model, the overhead cabinets back there seem to shrink the space. The lower level cabinetry is pretty huge, and the hanging closet is as well. The flooring is soft in spots as well, so will lay down new plywood and start from there. I'll find a way to add some foam insulation to isolate the wood thermally from the metal floor, but I suspect I will end up with a thinner solution than the original with today's higher grade and stronger choices. Good news on the classic sagging roof is that I experimented yesterday with a floor jack to see how easy/hard it is to move the roof back up and it's pretty easy. So I'm going to add curved external metal ribs to hold its shape and make it strong enough to walk on and load kayaks, etc. A custom welded aluminum rack might also do it, but that requires a level of precision I'm not sure can be achieved. Meaning if I mount the rack and then find I cannot get the roof pulled all the way up to mate with the rack's curved crossmembers, I will have created a leakage and wind noise nightmare. My plan is to make a curved "ram" to push up the roof every 18" or so using the floor jack inside. And curved 1" aluminum pipes up on the outside I'll form with a tubing bender from Harbor Freight. I haven't ruled out other options for those strengthening external ribs, so let me know if you have other ideas. I don't want to do internal ribs due to the loss of headroom, and the need to have them anchored to the sidewalls - creating issues with each rib going through cabinets, the bathroom, etc. The interior ceiling will have a thick 1" wide aluminum strip to spread the load of the fasteners against fiberglass. I'll bed the ribs in 3M Marine bedding compound for a decade of waterproof sealing. The emphasis on the roof is twofold. First, I'm not sure anyone's ceiling is near the height it was and I was amazed how high I was able to raise it with my experiment. It really changed the feel in there - I lifted mine probably 2.5 inches, and I really liked that sudden open feeling where I had a few inches above my head, vs brushing it with my hair (5'10"). Second, we are still active and will carry kayaks, it can then handle our snow loads, and we may also sit up there. So I like the idea of being able to turn the roof into a utility area. I'll install stout tiedowns on the ribs for securing things, and may build a simple pulley system to lift kayaks up the side to roof level - again using the ribs as a solid hard point/foundation. Lots to do, but those are the bones of a plan at this point. I've read some of the forum info, also. One item I'm trying to figure out is what does this thing weigh with all the tanks full as I'm looking at tires? Ours does not have the 1 ton axle and I don't plan to change it at this point as after one season of use, I may consider lifting it and converting it to 4WD with solid f/r axles. Since the axle issue is rooted in wheel bearing failure, I'll see if the rear bearings are (hopefully) the old fashioned repackable type and just keep them in good nick for now. So, happy to be here and happy to see some other nice folks willing to share information and the like. I'm pretty mechanical, and hope to contribute on that end as well! Tally Ho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 Switch to larger single wheels and tires like this and your wheel bearings will no longer be an issue Thunderer Ranger R402 215/70R15 109/107R D (8 Ply) AS A/S All Season Tire (prioritytire.com) Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted May 30, 2023 Author Share Posted May 30, 2023 Happy thats considered an alternative - any 15" wheel favorites come to mind? I'm interested in basic looking steel - not a fancy wheel guy.. I was actually going to lift the vehicle a bit - using the torsion bars twisted tighter up front and adding airbags at the rear for those days we find ourselves on poor dirt/forest roads. Which happens a lot. Just an inch can make all the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 (edited) I’m running 15” white wagon wheels with Thunderer 402’s in size 195/70R15. Added some inexpensive abs wheel covers to match the front 14” to the back 15”. Your wheel is a standard 5x4.5 bolt pattern. Plenty of aftermarket wheels to choose from. Your rear wheel bearings cannot be repacked. New bearings and seals will be needed. Edited May 30, 2023 by fred heath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 Yeah, just learned these are the "replace and forget" type rear wheel bearings. Bummer. All my Toyota LandCruisers over the years were the repackable type, so I was hoping these would be also - allowing me to closely monitor the rear wheel bearings for issues by annual repacks or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 When you go to press the old bearing off the axle shaft be sure to remove the small snap ring on the shaft just inboard of the bearing. Easy to miss when covered with old grease. Very difficult to replace if damaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 Thanks. Looks like there is a tool available for pressing the axle off. Is that a necessity or is there a work around with common items around the shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 The problem with the foolie rear end isn't the bearings, it's the axle that fails. Worse is that they are no longer available so you just can't replace them as a preventive measure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 1 hour ago, WME said: The problem with the foolie rear end isn't the bearings, it's the axle that fails. Worse is that they are no longer available so you just can't replace them as a preventive measure. The bearing body is the weakest link in the failure chain. The rollers weaken from the flex allowing even more flex to occur. Changing the wheel bearing is a good first step if you intend to continue use of the axle. A new bearing won’t correct any fatigue issues with the shaft, but will give it much better support. TheGO82 axle shafts are not available anywhere. You break a shaft, your axle is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, IdahoDoug said: Thanks. Looks like there is a tool available for pressing the axle off. Is that a necessity or is there a work around with common items around the shop? I always use a shop press. Keeping everything equal all around makes for a smooth removal and installation. You can pull your shafts, buy new bearings and seals then take to someone with a press to have the old pressed off and the new pressed on. Don’t forget about that snap ring….. New bearing assemblies are over $100 each side. Not something you want to take a chance with. Edited May 31, 2023 by fred heath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 Just checked and those snap rings are available online from a number of places pretty cheap. Not a disaster if one gets damaged pressing off the bearings. At less than 5 bucks a pop I'd get new ones anyway Snap Ring- Toyota OEM Rear Axle Snap Ring (1979-2006) 90520-36045 (yotashop.com) Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 I have a press, but wondering if anyone's done the replacement without the tool? Thanks for verifying availability. Dizzying array of bearings for Totota truck rr axles - anyone have the p/n for the 5 lug foolie axle bearings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred heath Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) I’m pretty sure the GO82 and the F292 (71/2” r&p) are interchangeable. It’s been years since I’ve done this work so don’t quote me. Plug in your year of manufacture and see what shows up. The early cab and chassis were known as special purpose vehicles. If only one listing shows up, go with that. If you have a local Toyota dealer their parts department can find the correct number using your VIN or chassis identification. You don’t need to buy from them, just get the correct part number. I might be putting the cart ahead of the horse. I’m assuming you have the GO82 axle. That’s what most of the motorhomes use. Check for a metal ID plate usually attached to the drivers side inner fender or firewall. I’ve attached mine so you know what to look for. Also added some axle info from my FSM. Mine’s a 1978 but assembly should be the same. Edited May 31, 2023 by fred heath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted May 31, 2023 Author Share Posted May 31, 2023 Fred, Thanks - correct I have the G082 rear axle. For reference for others, this is the weaker 5 stud axle with the 'foolie' dual tire setup that proved not up to the task. Wheel bearings would overheat, fail and the wheel separates. I'm planning to keep using it as my Sunrader has only 32k miles and will be monitoring it for the slack that precedes bearing failure. So also for reference, the dealer tells me the factory Toyota P/N for the bearings is: 90363-40020-77. They are no longer available through the Toyota parts system but many sources have them. So, to my question on DIY these. Has anyone been able to replace these with a press and piece of pipe, etc? I watched a guy make a tool on Youtube, but I can't weld. Seems like a heavy plate with 4 holes in it to span my press would be strong enough to do it? Dunno... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 So getting back to your thread. Your axle that was unavailable for a very long time is back. Worse case scenario it can be replaced. Toyota has done this before 42311-35060 - Toyota Parts Deal Also the bearing part number your Toyota dealer gave you was wrong. Your bearings are available 97144-06308 - Toyota Parts Deal Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IdahoDoug Posted June 26, 2023 Author Share Posted June 26, 2023 Linda, Thanks - appreciate your tireless support of our project and many others! I'm up against the gun on a couple projects here at home that I committed to getting done before the Sunrader. I have a great file going already on things and am accumulating parts. The sliding window weather stripping you recommended arrived today, so that's in the box for install. I will order a new seat of bearings and seals (and thanks for the head's up on the snap ring Fred) as I won't be relaxed driving it next summer without knowing for SURE the bearings are in good nick. On many of the roads we drive, if a loss of control happened due to a snapped rear axle, there are few guardrails and unsurvivable dropoffs. It just happens that's where the real beauty is, you know? In the meantime, we're enjoying the summer camping in the vehicle we're replacing. We restored this 8 years ago and have had many years of memories. It's a 1988 Vanagon Wolfsburg Weekender: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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