front hubs replacing

[warmpancakes]

Has anybody done this? It appears to me that the last 3/4 of an inch of the axle spline on the hub side you have to use the nut and a tool to "pull"t into place . Is this correct Ive checked all my manuals and none of them say anything about this?

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: front hubs replacing

I have alway had to do that as well (3 Suspension). I never really though too much about it...

 

[Robert Lone]

Re: front hubs replacing

I've never had an axle out of my Sy but, it's been my exp. that with all front wheel drives, you can beat the sh*t out of it to get that last 3/4" or use the wrench. I'm pretty sure this would be the same deal with our trucks.

 

[warmpancakes]

Re: front hubs replacing

cool thats what I thought I guess brute force does solve this problem.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Re: front hubs replacing

liquid wrench helps alot. Its not a lock nut so that is good. Luckily I bought the 10 dollar socket at Napa and popped it off and on with an impact gun.

Just dont hammer the axle into the bearing with a hammer unless you use a punch in the little dimple on the end of the axle. You might have a problem putting the nut back on if you slug it with a mini sledge :rotf:

 

['JustDreamin']

Re: front hubs replacing

Here's a method that has worked for me to remove a well stuck axle / front hub. Its a little off topic, but figured I'd mention it.

1.) Soak the spline / hub interface with liquid wrench or equivalent (after removing the big honkin nut). Preferably overnight or several days in advance.
2.) Apply your biggest manliest 3 jaw puller to the hub & axle, making sure that the arms have a good bite on the hub and the puller screw is in the dimple in the end of the axle.
3.) Crank down on the puller screw to put tension on the hub. Go as tight as you dare / can.
4.) Pull out your biggest hammer (I like a 2lb engineer's hammer) and whack the head of the puller (maybe several times). Usually the puller will get a little loose.
5.) Go back to step 3 & repeat until it come off or you realize you're not getting anywhere. If this doesn't work, it isn't likely to come apart. Your best bet is to replace the axle as well.


And it has been my experience that the last 1/2" or so is an extremely tight fit (like pull it on with the nut). And it should be! Any backlash here will proceed to eat / destroy either the axle or the hub or both. So, tight is good.

'JustDreamin'

 

[Robert Lone]

Re: front hubs replacing

Here's a method that has worked for me to remove a well stuck axle / front hub. Its a little off topic, but figured I'd mention it.

1.) Soak the spline / hub interface with liquid wrench or equivalent (after removing the big honkin nut). Preferably overnight or several days in advance.
2.) Apply your biggest manliest 3 jaw puller to the hub & axle, making sure that the arms have a good bite on the hub and the puller screw is in the dimple in the end of the axle.
3.) Crank down on the puller screw to put tension on the hub. Go as tight as you dare / can.
4.) Pull out your biggest hammer (I like a 2lb engineer's hammer) and whack the head of the puller (maybe several times). Usually the puller will get a little loose.
5.) Go back to step 3 & repeat until it come off or you realize you're not getting anywhere. If this doesn't work, it isn't likely to come apart. Your best bet is to replace the axle as well.


And it has been my experience that the last 1/2" or so is an extremely tight fit (like pull it on with the nut). And it should be! Any backlash here will proceed to eat / destroy either the axle or the hub or both. So, tight is good.

'JustDreamin'

*****WARNING*****

Before trying the process described above (and it really works well) read the following...

After Step 3 and before step 4, put on safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection, and as much body armor as you can find. Also, you may want to remove these items from the work area:

Glass
Chemicals
Computers
Household pets
Children
Wives
Girlfriends
Significant others
and anything else of value (be it monitary or sentamental)

Reason: Even the biggest meanest pullers explode.

Be safe,

Robert :tup:

 

[MasterBlaster]

Re: front hubs replacing

Did I miss something or where my axles just luckily not bonded to my hubs after 84000 miles? It took a "gentle" tap with a center punch in the axle dimple and after removing the three bolts the hub just came off. I replaced the bearings when I did my CBR brake kit.

Now the rear end tube axle bearings...I still have a bruise on my hand from the slide hammer o' fun. :rotf:

 

[skata]

Re: front hubs replacing

put some oil on the splines so that it slides in easier. then just use the nut to suck it in tight.

 

['JustDreamin']

Re: front hubs replacing

*****WARNING*****
Reason: Even the biggest meanest pullers explode.

Never seen one do that, but a VERY good list of suggestions. Safety (both personal and property) should always come first. I know sometimes I get lax in my usage of personal protective equipment (safety glasses, gloves, faceshields, etc) at times. Really don't want to loose an eye to learn a lesson. Thanks for the reminder.

Did I miss something or where my axles just luckily not bonded to my hubs after 84000 miles?

Could be you're lucky, or I was just unlucky. My truck is a '99 Bravada with 104k on the clock, so it should have been reasonably easy, but its also an ex-Michigan truck, which I think is the reason it wasn't.

'JustDreamin'