Its not that bad. I would absolutly toss the junkyard idea in the garbage. Youll get an axle and unless u plan on doing everything you talking about to the used axle, u will be in the same situation fast. If you get the seals from any dodge dealer I think it was like 70 for both, Or 8 and 10 dollars at advance your choice. U joints, I would do spicer. ($50 advance auto) at check out put this code in TRT30, you get 30% off $50. These are non greasable original. It goes like this, the originals lasted you this long (proof in the pudding). Plus moog could kiss my *** for what it put me through. Ball joints are the biggest pan in the ***. I will tell you they DO NOT, DO NOT come out easy. A hammer is not the answer either. You will bend the axle ear if they are in there good enough. (from experience on my work truck). Those should be correctly pressed out. I know you are in a huff over the seal tool but would give it a shot without it. I did it with a threaded rod and thick washer on my work truck and on my other truck with the axle gutted (which it will be) I went in through the drivers side axle tube (before put that seal in) with a few 1/2 inch extensions and the correct size socket on the end. place the seal in and set it up then slide the socket in the seal and pust the extensions in the socket. From the drivers side with some one looking under the truck hit the extension with a hammer to drive the seal in. If you use the advance auto seal and screw it up its only 8 bucks. If you bring this to someone to do they gat a bunch cause the diff has to come out. You dont need a tool to do the drivers side. So even if you did the driver side yourself and brought the truck to some one to do the Pass side. You would save a bit. You dont need to pull the diff for the pass side. You have to work through The CAD hole in the Axle. hope this helps (sorry for the novel)

 

Im thinking if I can knock it out in 3 days, thats not too bad to have it laid up. Much longer than that and I will start hearing about it. Not full on 8 hour days either. I plan on spending about 6 hours a day cracking at it. I am hoping it can be completed in around 15 hours. That would be ; the seals on both sides, U joints on both sides, cad bushing, Ball joints, and maybe bearings and shocks. If the rest takes me forever and wears my patience too thin, I could always come back in for the shocks, but if the bearings need love I think this would be the time. What else should I pile on ? Anything else that I will need to look at while im all up in this ?

 

We have ski resorts....... Just, not around here.

 

You're braver than I. I too live in apartments (who can afford houses???) and have done many jobs outside with the biggest projects being steering (T kit and Redhead) and shocks. Everything else was done at a friends or I took it in. There's no way I would tear that far into my truck in a parking lot. I even took my truck to a shop for bearings because with a lift, right sockets, air, etc. they can knock it out much faster and better than I. But more power to you! You'll have a ton of parts and tools all over the place and what will you do at night? I have to bring everything in and lock/alarm it since there's crime everywhere. And that's at a "nice" $1200 one bedroom place on a lake. Like I said, you're brave. Wish I could come down to help ya.

 

Thanks man. Its pretty mellow here crime wise. I dont have too many other choices. I will NOT be working on it at night. LOL It gets cold at night here, year round. 55 would be normal night temp in the middle of july. I gotta get it done and paying some one else to do all this stuff would cost more than I payed for the Truck. Its a decent truck still. Less than 200k is like a new truck out here ! She pulls my 18 foot boat over 10,00 foot passes all summer long.

 

So far my parts shopping list looks like this:
Seal kit with tool (both sides)
U joints (both)
Shocks
Steering stabilizer bar
Cad bushings
Front bearings Inner and outer both sides (Only if need)
Ball Joints Upper and Lower Both sides (only if needed)
Hopefully that does it. Should be about 4-500 bucks in parts.
Then I will also need some new treads. That should be another 400 at best. After that I hope shes good on all big repairs till next year.

 

Bearings? Are those wheel bearings? So far as I know, those are not easily rebuildable.... usually it's the whole assembly, hub and all.

 

100%. Whole Hub. I would do Timkin for those, ive never heard of anyone disecting them. Unless he has lockouts?

 

No lock outs. I thought the bearings could be replaced individually. Although Im not even sure if they are toast, I thought there was a good chance of it since the seal and joints are in need of attention. No ? I guess I wont know for sure til I pull the wheels of and check it out. I sure hope I dont need to replace the hub and all. Im guessing those are a bit more spendy than $50 in bearings (for all !) I was looking at. Still freezing cold and dumping snow up here. I wont be able to buy the parts for another week, so by the time they get here, and I have time to tear into it, it will probably be warmer. Im hoping sometime around the 20th of this month. Should I document the carnage ? LOL

 

Normally you would hear bad bearings in the hub. I know I did. When you take it off roll it and check for smoothness. They are a bit pricey, the advance auto brand is about $100 ea. With the coupon code ($40 off $100) online you can get them for $60 a piece approx. Just a quick tip. When you get the hub nut off dont go grabbing the flat chisel to spit the hub from the knuckle. Best way I found is loosen the three 12pt bolts behind the knuckle that hold the hub, and with the socket over the bolt head, tap the socket with a hammer lightly. Do this for evenly all three and the hub will come off evenly. The avoids the chisel burs on the knuckle and cutting the backing plate that is sandwiched between. Also note how the backing plate comes off. It is easy to put on backwards. Ive done that not paying attention and had to pull the hub twice and turn it around. I would document the job. There is a lot of knowledge here and pics are worth a lot. Good luck