kawi600

I started the rotors on my truck yesterday and in doing it, stupid me, I used a gear puller to pull what I thought was the rotor carrier out of the steering knuckle area and it seperated the wheel hub assembly!
Sooo, 224$ later I continue and spent an hour and a can of PB blast today pounding on the back side of the drivers side wheel hub to get at the rotor.. at least this one was straightforward.
I noticed Im leaking gear oil on the passenger side, needless to say Im happy as heck now that Im looking at needing a drivetrain shop to pop in a new seal for me.
Any of you folks know how bad seal replacement is on the passenger side? Looks like I could get in thru the CAD area and whack it out with a long drift, but how to get the new seal in? And what about any rust in the open area of the axle where the seal is pushed in? know a good place to get replacement seals online? I figure I can keep adding oil for short trips till im ready to replace it.

alaskanassassin

I just got done doing mine. I got the seal from local NAPA, part#16015. You have to access the seal through the four wheel drive actuator on the axle. I saw a good website for changing the front and rear seal, but could not find it. They used a large socket and a long piece of all-thread to install the new seal. Was a pretty easy job. Good luck.

alaskanassassin

Here is the web site: http://dieselpowerman.tripod.com/Fr...Axle%20Tech.htm

kawi600

Heh, this looks like just what I need. Thanks!

Geico266

Yikes! and I was thinking of starting to replace my rotors also..... think I'll take it in.

kawi600

Its a pain since the hub assy needs to be pulled to get the rotors off. Then you whack the studs out to get the rotor off
What I ended up doing was pounding on the 4 bolts that hold the wheel hub onto the carrier and eventually it broke free. Grease the heck out of the shoulder so maybe it wont be so bad the next time in there.
This writeup alaskanassassin posted a link to makes the axle seal job look easy with a long bit of all-thread to use for a drift and a seal driver. I might try this one myself.

infidel

More than likely there is nothing wrong with your seal, oil just leaked by it when the axle was cockeyed during your struggle. Oil in axle tube that got past the seal will continue to leak out for quite some time. I would give it at least 500 miles and can almost guarantee that there will be no more leakage. Make sure to only fill the diff to the Dana recommended 3/4" below the bottom of the fill hole.

The trick to popping the rotor off the axle is to leave the big nut tight, remove all but one of the four bolts that hold the bearing to the rotor, leave the last one loose, wedge a deep socket, or regular one with extendsion, in-between the loose bolt and the knuckle on the diff, start the engine and turn the steering wheel to pop it loose.
Built in hydralic press!
The tight big nut prevents the bearing from popping apart.

kawi600

OH my god.. so **** simple. that woulkd have saved me about an hour of hammering with a 5lb sledge.
I think in this case it may be toast. checked the diff and Ill drive it for a bit and watch just in case. The half-shaft came out a couple times in the process of doing the wheelhub and it got banged around and forced a couple times Im sure. probably popped the spring off the seal lip or distorted it.
Heh, I see those double jackstands. Mine are rated for 3ton, but I dont trust anything with so much weight above. I even kept a floor jack under the diff.

Geico266

Just to get this straight. Leave the big single axle nut on? When do you take it off to get the rotor hub assembly off the vehicle? I'm confused.

kawi600

the axle will keep it from falling out, but it will slide out a little. Then you can use an impact on the nut to get it off.
Theres nothing holding the passenger side axle in there like in the rear diff where you remove those little C-clip things, so it will pull right out.
Man, now I feel even more stupid!

gmctd

Anyplace, besides Chrysler\Dodge, to get the hub\bearings assembly?

infidel

After you hear a loud pop.

I usually break the large nut loose beforehand with the tires on the ground then re-tighten it. The nut can be very difficult to get off sometimes. Take caution, if you need an 8' cheater bar to remove the nut you are likely to take the male threads off the axle at the same time = new axle. Before you go for the cheater bar try heat or splitting the nut.

To avoid all the hassle next time coat everything well with anti-seize when reassembling.


Most any autoparts can get them for you but the price savings may not be much.
Pays to shop around.

gmctd

Thanks, Bill - so far, Dodge = 250 bucks, 4wd Dodge site = 290-400 bucks (with 3 sockets); trying NAPA next, as they carry same oem as Dodge.

BTW - serious ingenuity (that's 'common horse sense', in shade-tree lingo) on the 'hydraullic press' scheme

slayerfish

I just did my '99 -I posted in the 24 valve section. I disagree with leaving the nut on. I removed the nut using a 7 ft cheater bar and wired the axle so it wouldn't come out. Did the hydraulic steering "press" and the hub almost fell out. I suppose if the axle shaft were stuck to the bearing it might cause trouble,but that was not the case here. Studs pop right out of the hub with a 3 lb sledge.

Geico266

When you say you knocked the studs out did you reuse them? Protect the threads is any way? or just wack them out? I just don't like screwing things up with a hammer.