I am trying to remove the hubs so I can replace the ball joints, I can't get the first one to move? I have done the power steering with the socket on the bolt, and the socket against the axle and u-joint, I tried driving it out with a socket and big hammer, I even got desparate and hit it with a sledge while appling pressure with the power steering and no luck! It has been sitting with penatrating fluid for a day and no luck? any ideas? I wonder if a sliding puller would work? also, no way it's going to the dealer!!!!

Thanks Bob

 

Do you have four hub-toknuckle bolts on the backside of your hub/bearing assy? If so, these have to come out. My Haynes isn't to specific about model years for this procedure. I am looking at Haynes #30041 pg. 8-18.

 

I have the four 12pt bolts and there out, are those the ones you mean? I also tried pushing on them, when out about ten thread, with the power steering, but no movement?

Thanks Bob

 

try to put pressure on them with the power steering trick and hit the edge or side of the hub at the same time.(Need helper to hold steering wheel) when you re assemble use never seize and clean the bore good , hope you get it.

Rob

 

ya'll will probably laugh at me... but i had the same problem on my 01... tried every trick in the book.... so i got a bottle of MAPP gass and started heating the surrounding areas of the hub assembly.. then i got a good chisel, found a little seperated area and started goin to town... heat-hit-heat-hit... 2 chisels and a broke thumb $65. Not takin it to the dealer... Priceless

 

Bob, it will eventually get out. Being you're in CT I assume salt did his "job" on corrosion. It is a 'witch" job but it will eventually come out, don't do nothing that you will regret, these parts are expensive to replace if damaged.

Just give it a little more patience and try again, I didn't have much luck with the SSteering method, I used a thin chisel and finally got it apart. Keep working it all the way around, and use a lot of WD40

 

yes... a whole bunch of WD 40... and be carefull with your spindle threads... did you get the spindle nut off yet?

 

What kind of penetrant are you using? Can you get your hands on some Kriol or Mouse Milk? WD-40 is more of a detergent than anything. I don't mean to offend the wd-40 fans but there is better stuff out there...

 

yeah i heard that PB Blaster is pretty good too... where do you get the Kriol olr Mouse Milk??

 

http://www.skygeek.com/mouse-milk.ht...FSosagodZBYjXQ

I order Kroil through our supply system (Military) so I never bought it as a civilian. The Mouse Milk works great on turbo wastgates as well.

 

I don't know if your able to weld, but my buddy made his own puller set up. I'm not sure what size hardware he used, but he got 2 bolts, welded 2 or 3 nuts on the end of each one so he could screw them onto 2 opposing wheel studs, and then used a Snapon T-puller and ground flat spots in on 2 sides of each bolt so he could slip the puller over them. The bolt in the puller will push agains the axle shaft and the puller will pull on the bolts you have screwed on the wheel studs. I've done it this way on a few dodges and it works great. Sometime you have to crank on the puller a bit, hammer on the steering knuckle a few times with a dead blow hammer, crank on it somemore and repeat the process a few times. I've even had to use a little heat, but you don't wanna go to nuts with it and weaken the steering knuckle. And always clean the parts up and antiseeze them when going back together...you wont believe how easy the stuff comes apart the next time.
And be careful when taking the hub nut off, i had one that wouldn't budge, so i heated it up and finally got it to move, but it was rough the whole way. Turns out the nut pulled all the threads off my stub shaft. You would thing the nut would be slightly softer metal than the shaft, thus just pulling the threads out of the nut, but nope, not with my luck. Took the shaft to a local machine shop and had him weld it up and rethread it, only cost me $40. Much cheaper than a new one.

 

just be carefull when using a puller u might seperate the hub.

 

Thanks for all the help! I got some more PB blaster and am going to try that, I have a new hub for replacment so if I kill this one it will be OK, it has 140K on it so it may be getting dry inside anyway. I tried all the stuff mensioned so far except no heat or pullers, I am wondering, is a puller that pushes against the axel shaft a bad idea? I thought a slide hammer puller was the way to go? of course no one local has a slide hammer puller in stock right now.

I am wondering if pushing on the bolts with a blunt air chisel would work? I had a guy tell me that was how they did them?

Also, it is very rusty, I go to Vermont snowmobiling alot, the break dust shields are all rusted away, I need to order new ones of those too.

I replaced the other side about 100K ago, so I am hoping the antisieze I used makes it come out easier!

Thanks again

Bob

 

BobQ,

Pullers of anysort are a mistake...unless you don't care about the hub. It will pull apart and you still need to get the hub out.

Patience is the tool of choice for this job.

Good luck!