I picked up the Land Cruiser for the 2nd time this summer. Getting some long over due TLC on a car that seems to have needed little in it’s previous 20 years. However, I drove off not with peace of mind that all the necessary work had been done for the upcoming winter, but with one last nagging issue in need of work.

“You’re free wheel isn’t disengaging on 1 wheel. Got a broken spring in the hub”, says the mechanic.

Called Toyota, you can only buy 2 new hubs to replace 1 broken spring. They’re pricey. At this point I might be driving with locked hubs for a while. This isn’t all bad except that I can lose anywhere from 2-8 MPG running with locked hubs full time.

So I give my brother-in-law, John, a call. He works at Proffitt’s Cruisers in Delta, CO. They do custom Land Cruiser work for clients all over the country. They have a lot full of old Cruisers they use for parts. As it turns out, John has the spring I need. Not at work, but in his garage! Perfect, see you this weekend.

Saturday morning it’s off to Hotchkiss. Pull up in John’s drive way next to his 3 Land Cruisers. It’s a sunny fall day with views of the top of the Black Canyon and the southern end of the Elk Range. Take the hub apart, compare it to his working hub. Presto-fixo. The spring isn’t broken, just unattached. Rebuild the hub, springs in place. Test in 4WD. Check. Test in 2WD. Check. We now have a disengaging free wheel. Total time: 30 minutes.

Easiest vehicle fix ever! That’s a nice change.

A shop with a view. The mountains over the North Fork Valley in the background.

The parts at hand. 2 disassembled hubs, with 4WD clutches below toothbrush. At left, the edge of a pot of 100% bio-diesel. A great solvent.

That's looking better. Getting ready to close the free wheel up.