I wanted to quickly post my issues. Typical ujoint replacement took over 12 hours. After hammering, heat, more higher heat, we finally tried a port-o-port pushing 1/2 tons with no movement. Next was more hammering. Next was more heat. Nothing. Last we finally tried the socket / extension with no movement. Last we cut the ball joints $192, and took it to my work which had a 40 ton press. Recorded - it took 32 ton before the wheel bearing popped loose. Nothing but pitted rust. Just for all your DIY guys out there - at 110k miles, it might not be an option in your garage alone.

 

Ya,

Mine took 2 days and it sounds similar. I went to work and got a HUGE 3ft long, 3 finger puller, and pulled the hubs apart, cut the upper ball joint, removed knuckle and hammered out with a sledge

Hope you neverseized it when you put it back together

 

Ditto on the anti-seize. I have seen the old hub bearing blow apart trying to get them out. Glad you were able to get yours fixed.

 

Well a lot of the time wheel bearings aren't made to be pressed/pulled out and repacked now-a-days... most of the time they just come in a complete Hub Assembly... they usually last quite a bit longer than serviceable wheel bearings.

That's what I would have done anyways..... plus if there is rust, I would have removed the hub & Axle from the trans/diff side and just soaked the hub in a bucket of PB blaster or Liquid Wrench... but then again that's just b/c I don't have access to a 40 ton press.... All I've got is a little 10 ton bottle jack that I can rig up to work as a 10 ton press... lol

why did you remove the hubs to remove the U-Joint anyways? Unless you found out that the wheel bearings were toast before getting to the U-Joint...?

Either way the only time I've had that much trouble removing a U-Joint was when I forgot to remove two clips/snap rings (had been a long long day) that held it in there.. lol



^ Just for those interested...

 

On a solid front axle 2500 (3/4 ton), the u-joints he's referring to are the ones on the front axle. In order to change them, the axles have to be removed from the diff, then very carefully put back in so the axle seal doesn't get cut. The only means I had to get mine out, were what I described above. No attempt at regreasing or rebuilding was considered. I yanked them apart, so I had a means of dropping the knuckle after I cut the upper ball joint with a cutting wheel on a 41/2" grinder. Essentially, I ended up rebuilding the whole front end, but I did with all greasable components except for the new hubs.

Hope that makes more sense. That is the biggest puller I've used, but it did the job!!

I live in the RUST BELT, so you understand how they can get so locked in

 

lol very true... I would not be liking that job at all...

 

I have a nice pic of a seased hub under my user name, I paid a small mortgage to get upper and lower ball joints (nipple) 2 front u joints (nipple) new drag link ect ect ect Its not a job worth tackeling in your garage if you dont have the tools, My mecanic never wants to see anothier tired old solid axle front end dodge ..

sad that a 2006 is a tired old solid axle dodge.. And its the same design minus the T style stearing linkage thats on the new dodgeies

 

I found on the 1500, the front ball joints easily come loose if you have the hub turned a certain way and the suspension compressed. Take a ball joint separator (basically a wedged fork) and hammer it in between the hub and control arm till it bottoms out in the fork. Then take a 3-6" long steel tube and put it on the end of the tool and push down. It only works if you have the tires turned a certain way and you don't have to put much effort at all into it. I believe it's somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to full steering lock where this trick works. Like I said...that's for the 1500.