Removal (Tacoma & 4Runner)

Raise and support vehicle. Remove rear wheel. Remove brake drum. Using a dial indicator, check axle shaft bearing side play and hub out of round. Maximum axle shaft bearing side play is .028" (0.71 mm). Maximum hub axle shaft bearing out of round is .004" (0.10 mm). Replace axle shaft bearing or axle shaft as necessary.
Remove ABS speed sensor (if equipped). Remove brake shoes from backing plate. Disconnect parking brake cable from backing plate. See Figure. Disconnect and plug brakeline at wheel cylinder. Remove backing plate-to-axle housing nuts. Remove rear axle shaft with backing plate from axle housing. Remove "O" ring from axle housing.
On all models, remove serration bolts from backing plate. Discard backing plate-to-axle housing nuts. Grind retainer and sensor rotor surfaces. Using a chisel, remove retainer and sensor rotor. Install serration bolts.
On models not equipped with ABS, remove snap ring from rear axle shaft. Install backing plate-to-axle housing nuts. Using press, press rear axle shaft from backing plate. If replacing outer oil seal, use slide hammer to pull outer oil seal from bearing case. If replacing inner oil seal, using slide hammer, pull inner seal from end of axle housing.
If replacing bearing, press bearing from backing plate. Using dial indicator, check rear axle shaft and runout at center of rear axle shaft and at flange. Replace rear axle shaft if shaft runout exceeds .079" (2.01 mm).
Using dial indicator, check flange runout at end of flange near wheel lug nut stud on rear axle shaft. Replace rear axle shaft if flange runout exceeds .004" (0.10 mm).