Ball Joints without a press
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,398
Likes: 4,213
From: Clayton MI
If you take the axle nut off, you can pull the hub/bearing first, and then slide the axle out. Not having the bearing on there, makes it easier to deal with the u-joint, once the axle is out. (it just pull straight out. Easy once everything else is out of the way.)
I'll update tomorrow on how it's going/any other questions, Thanks again!
I did the trick, it worked on the side bolts, but the one ontop isn’t coming free easily, or at all really... I broke a socket trying to do that one. Also I just noticed that my ball joint nut is stripped pretty bad, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get that off. I think I’m gonna reassemble everything and try again when I have all the right tools. Ugh, what a money pit
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 105
From: PA
You have it started, spray a bunch of penetrating oil in there... then use a chisel and place it in the opening you made and try to work it off - just a little at at time. you are sooo close now.
Just as reference, this truck will shake between 30-45, recently it’s gotten better, still shakes, but not as bad, and before I did the tie rods and drag bar, it literally was an earthquake. So I’m glad most of that is fixed, the only major issue right now was that caliper, which I just replaced with another brand new one, see how that goes. I’ll keep this updated as I learn more. Again, thank you guys, I’d have no idea what I’m doing
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 105
From: PA
Yeah, you can't pry it off with screw drivers. You have to push it off. I used a small-ish chissel, and drove it parallel to the face of the knuckle. It starts narrow and gets larger as you go, so I just wedge it in and smack it a few times with the mini sledge... Worked my way around the circumference. Honestly it took about an hour to get the hub off, but I got it off undamaged - mine would have been at least $130 a piece for good name brand.
BTW I couldn't push on all the bolts either, D60s have 4 bolts equally spaced. When you do get it off, and you will, make sure you clean the rust off the hub and knuckle hole, and coat that sucker with alot of anti-seize... so next time its a breeze to work on.
BTW I couldn't push on all the bolts either, D60s have 4 bolts equally spaced. When you do get it off, and you will, make sure you clean the rust off the hub and knuckle hole, and coat that sucker with alot of anti-seize... so next time its a breeze to work on.