OK, I'm 25 hours and $750 into this F$#*ing project and I'm still trying to take stuff apart. I'm not a hack or an amateur by any means, but the U-joints on the front of this thing bent my 20-ton press and still won't come out. Just getting the clips out took an air hammer. I gave up andtook them up to a local garage and will let them give it a try.

I can't get the wheel studs pressed out of one of the rotors, either. Hammering, pressing, torching, cutting, three cans of PB Blasterand nothing works. It's like someone welded every single part together. It won't even budge.

There's also that "spacer" ring that is pressed on the front of the rotor hat with the wheel studs--I'm guessing that it will be part of the new hubs that I ordered so I don't have to get it apart, correct? If so, I'll just bag getting it apart and buy new wheel studs and press them into the new rotor/bearing assembly. Can anyone confirm that this is the right way to go?

Sh*t I hate this truck.

 

I used the power steering trick to get them out, and it worked like a champ. I spent several hours pounding before I gave up and tried it. I havn't driven the truck yet though. I had one of those rings but I took my truck to a mechanic and he threw it away and I didn't notice till a we later. My truck doesn't seem to be affected, but I will find out after I get get hub number two installed.

 

Why not just buy new studs?

 

if yer replacing the unit bearings, go with new studs, mine came with them
and i have never heard of having to remove a wheel bearing to pull a rotor
my rotors will come off as soon as a remove the caliper, but its a half ton
word of advice, if you don't have one buy a Haynes manual, mine stays behind the seat and is a godsend when it needs work

 

^^^^^^^
You've got a 1500. It's a whole different animal. You have to pull the hub bearings to get the front brake rotors off earlier model 2500's and it can be a real PITA.

 

y'all do realize you're responding to a 2 year old thread......

 

huh, ive never heard that, but the 1500 has a 44 front axle, and a 2500 has a 60 front with 8 lugs, and did it have ABS?