Hey Guys, I know it's been some time since I've been back on the forum. Been a busy year moving to a new town and in with the girlfriend, changing jobs, schools, etc.

Anyway, to get down to business... Discovered my strut mounts needed replacing, but upon there removal I opened a can of worms. Turns out I was way past due on getting some new pads/rotors, struts, upper/lower ball joints...you know the usual. I also discovered that my hub assemblies were starting to go, so I ordered a new set of Timkens yesterday.

Everything was going fine, until I went to remove the Hub Assembly itself, along with the Knuckle/Lower Ball Joint. I got all 3 bolts off the back of the assembly with no issue, but for the life of me I can't get the Hub Assembly to budge. Plus, the Knuckle is pretty well jammed on the lower ball joint.

I've looked at several Hub Removal tools and just about all of them are based on the principle of pushing against the CV/Axle spindle...but, of course our RWD Daks don't have anything at all to push off of...sooo, yeah. I've seen the slide hammers, but I'm not sure if it would be much help with how bad this thing is stuck on. Any of you had a similar problem and or know a good way to get this sucker off?

Oh, and I havent gotten there yet, but I'm assuming a pickle fork should work just fine to get the knuckle off the lower ball joint, then get a loaner ball joint press/puller from the local parts store.

As always, any ideas or suggestions are very welcomed. Hope y'all are doing well this year!

 

I replaced the wheel bearing on the passenger side last year, it was a serious pain. I ended up breaking off two of the three bolts in spite of heating with a torch and using about a drum full of penetrating oil. I gave it a very serious treatment of BFH induced violence to no avail. I ended up removing the steering knuckle with the bearing, using blocks I set up the knuckle so the wheel studs were pointing at the ground and attacked it from the back of the bearing with the BFH and I think I had a scrap piece of pipe that I was using as a big punch.

It was not a very fun day for me! Of course, YMMV.

 

Above is the easiest way. Get that spindle upside down on the shop floor and give that bearing a beating. It'll come out.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Pretty much what I'm leaning towards... Although, as much as I love to have a good excuse to go out and get new tools; I'm trying to avoid spending a couple hundred bucks on a tool that I'm rarely gonna need. That being said, I wish there was a local place I could borrow or rent one of these Hub Removal tool sets. The Hub Grappler... it works by grabbing the Hub Assembly through the splines from behind, then as you impact the bolt out and away from the knuckle, the outer arms are pushed against the knuckle itself. (I'll try to attach a link to a YouTube video)

 

They make it look so easy, don't they?

 

i dont have any suggestions not said previous, just kinda in awe that so many people have stuck hubs. i had so much trouble with the lower strut bolt that when i did both my hubs i figured i was in for a fight. both of my hubs came off with 5 or 6 wacks with a 2.5 sledge.

if one uses any sort of logical thinking the randomness of stuck dakota front end parts has to be because someone(s) on the assembly line isnt applying anti seize when they are told to.

to those person(s) i say"i hope your mother is but raped by a pack of illegal immigrants"

 

Get a piece of 2x2 square bar about 2' long, drill 2 5/8" holes corresponding to your wheel studs, then drill halfway through with a 7/8" drill bit on one side. Put two lug nuts on, and beat the **** out of it with a sledge. I used 2x2 square tub, if I had to do it again I would use solid because I bent the **** out of that .250" wall tube with my sledge.

 

I was thinking of doing something along that route... came across this video on YouTube last night...

It reinforces one of the most fundamental laws when it comes to pretty much any kind of repair (automotive or otherwise)... With most any jobs, such as the one in question, it's all physics...applying the needed force in the right amount (newtons), right direction (angular/multi-plane trigonometry), right time (i.e. hard whack vs slow pull), right surface area (i.e. a fat mallet vs sharp spike), and arguably most importantly...the right amount of leverage...

"Gimme a lever long enough, and I'll move the world" -Archimedes

 

Interesting video, but them hubs didn't look anywhere near as rusty as the ones were on the front of our '05 Dak. In fact they look like they had never seize on them, especially the back one.
It's worth a try, make one up and have at it.

 

I had the same issue, I broke all 3 bolts clean off, Everything was heavily rusted together. I ended up putting it hub down, and wacking the back side of the HUB, not knuckle, after about 4-6 hits with a 10 pound sledgehammer it came loose, and slide out with afew more hits. Not sure why, but it worked. Got like 5 dents in the driveway, before i started todo it on the street lol