just a few miles from home sunday the drivers side front axle u-joint went out. got the wheel, caliper, rotor and the 4 bolts that hold the bearing assy. on(that's all there is, right?), it will not come off. I have pounded on it with a 3 pound sledge and soaked it with pb blaster, heated it with a very small torch that did nothing. Then I put just the wheel back on and jacked up the truck higher and dropped it about 6 times. It will not budge, the bearing assy., the rotor backing plate and the thing that is held on with ball joints(don't know what it's called...) are at this point one big rusted together piece. 2.5 years ago when this u-joint started squeaking the dealership couldn't get it apart either.

any suggestions? thanks for anything!!!
I don't really want to go buy a bigger torch, I have no other uses for one, but is that the only way?

 

This is pretty common. Check this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=113317

I think the 2nd and 3rd gens are the same. Hopefully someone who knows will confirm that.

 

i used a n axle puller from otc, it still took a good inpact gun and beating on the hub. never again. next time im putting in dynatrac lockable hub conversion.

 

there's a recent thread on a certain Ujoint press, you can press ujoint cups out without removing shaft.

 

Loosen the 4 botls to the hub but dont take them out. Find one bolt that you can put the socket on and a 6 inch extentoin bar, what ya do is have a buddy start the truck and you turn the wheel so the ext bar goes againt the axle housing, and keep turning the wheel and the power steering will work like a hydraulic press and pop the hub right out. I think the top rear bolt works the best.

 

I haven't taken a 3rd gen apart, but from the looks of a split bearing that I saw pictures of, you need to make sure and apply the force to the 4 bolts on the back side to keep the bearing in tact. Otherwise you will probably just separate the bearing.

 

If its like the sencon gens it wont. The 4 bolts are in the back half of the bearing. The front half is held in by the axle nut. So pushing on the bolts is only pushing on the back side not slpiting it. If you use a puller ycan split it and possibly be in truoble. But you can use the puller as long as you dont take the axle nut off right away, that way its still being held together. Once you break it free you can then take the axle nut off. The axle will just slide out with the hub that way when useing the puller.

 

I just took mine apart about a month ago. The drivers side fought me a little but I got it just by hitting it back and fourth with a mall and a brass punch. Heating usually works, but only if you have a large enough torch to get the metal hot all the way around. The only problem with that is you don't want to get your bearing too hot. If it does start to move make sure it comes evenly so it doesn't bind. I know this doesn't help you now but anti-sieze is a life saver down the road. I put it on just about everything except steak.

 

I just changed my wheel bearing assembly about an hour ago and it came off really easy. I just got a hammer and beat in on the end of the axle and it came out really easy. You did take the axle nut off right? It's 36mm or 1 3/4".

 

leave the bolts partially in the bearing hub and rattle on them with an air chisel, put a socket on the bolt heads and put the chisel though the drive end of the socket and you won't screw up the bolt either