I am having trouble removing my front axle joints...I can't get the hub bearing out of the knuckle. I removed the 1 11/16" nut on the front and the three 12 point bolts at the knuckle. I followed some directions on pavementsucks.com.
I tried hitting it out in all different directions and spinning it it loose. I tried hitting sacrificial bolts where the 12 point bolts were with a short handle mallot. I tried bracing the sacrificial bolts and using the power steering to push it out. I tried prying it out by hitting the end of a hatchet to separate it. I have had it soaking in rust penetrant for several days, applying it several times a day.
I am out of ideas. Anyone have any other ideas that may get these out. The only other thing I can think to try is to heat up the knucle with a torch...will that cause any damage? My axle joints are shot, so i can move the axle in and out a little. The only thing I can think of is that the rust is really holding these in place.
Anyone have any other ideas?

 

heat the knuckle with a torch, and beat on the sacrificial bolts. rotate the torch around the bearing to try and get it hot all around. it should expand a little when hot. it wont hurt the knuckle.

 

^+1 for dhvaughan

 

There's a trick to put a bar between it and your steering linkage then turn the wheel and it'll pop it out.

 

Well I'm gonna be attempting the same procedure on my '97 in about 2 weeks time. What is the exact size of the "scarificial" bolts that I'm gonna need? I want to get them ahead of time. Diameter, length, and pitch would be appreciated.

 

i had the same issue. go rent a slide hammer. that will knock the bitch right out. use a chizle to try and seperate it first. it all fails pull the knuckle of and take it to a shop to have them press it out. make sure they dont bend it though. good luck

 

ive replaced many axle joints, and bearing assmeblies, and never have i ran into anythign like this before...i guess im just lucky.
i have had the same problem with brake rotors though, and i always held steady pressure on it then beat on it with a hammer, and its always worked for me, but it does take time, and sometimes an extra pair of hands.

 

I forget exactly but it may have been a 14mm X 1.5 X 100mm...a little longer would have been better, like a 120mm The bolts they replace are 14mm 12 point bolts. The axle nut requires a 1-11/16" socket that I found at the store chain that sells tractor supplies.

I tried banging on it, heating with a torch, rust penetrant serveral times a day for days, slide hammer, splitting it with a hammer and hatchet...nothing worked. I found it to be much harder than getting off old rusted brake rotors.

I was going to take off the whole knuckle, but didn't have the right wrench and was running out of time to work on it. I ended up putting the truck back together and bringing it to a garage. It took the garage 7 1/2 hours to get it off with air hammers and chisels, they didn't charge me that much...but the book time is 4 hours. I knew people said it would be difficult to get off, but this was like it was welded on. I ended up having to replace both hubs as well at $200 each.

I hope you have better luck than I did.

 

Oh yeah, I also tried prying or pushing it out using the power steering and that didn't work either.

 

^ damn. when i did mine i had nightmares beforehand that i'd have those same problems. when mine just popped right out with no trouble i prayed to the grease gods.

they owed me one though. when i did my daughter's 4 runner i couldn't figure out how to get the bearings out, so i removed the entire knuckle and took them to the local machine shop.