I used a slide hammer to get the hubs off. but my hubs were always trashed to i used large hammers too. but slide hammer was the most effective.

Max

 

well as i should have figured, found a tie rod end shot on passanger side. is there a steering upgrade kit? or should i just replace the one side?

 

If it were me, I'd also go ahead and replace them.

If you don't, wire brush everything real well, and hit them with some anti-seize, since you know you will be taking it apart again...

 

Yes there is an upgrade kit but its a lil expensive you might just do the one end and spend the money on the hub bearings

 

keep going and replace the wheel bearing unit also. I did the same thing you are doing and had a he#* of a time. Took 2 of us 2 full days to complete but man was I glad I did the bearings at the same time.
Can't imagine opening all of that up a second time to get to the bearing unit.
We had to fabricate a push/puller to get it all apart

 

I started mine today, a little over an hour and I had everything off. The rotor was more then a PIA then the hub(it was on there frickening hard). The hub only took a puller, and a BFH about 10 mins, I barely used the puller most of it was the hammer, if you know how to hit it it will come off like nothing. Got the c-clips out of the u-joint to and started pounding on it a bit before I ran out of time tonight. It is siezed in there bad. Getting lots of practice with the BFH this weekend

I am not to worried about replacing anything else, only doing 1 u-joint.

 

hmm....

 

What i'm saying is just replace what needs to be replaced, if the part is in good working condition leave it. If it is questionable at all do it for sure though. If only only u-joint is gone, do one. I mean once you done it once and know the tricks, you could have a u-joint or ball joints done in less in 3 hours, and it doesn't hurt anything taking it off.

I just never got why some people who would drop the coin do u-joints, ball joints, brakes, tie rods all at once when they only needed one ball joint. For all you know, the old parts could of STILL lasted longer then the new parts might.

Many people have over 120,000 miles on a front end and haven't touched it. Some parts might only last 20,000 miles though, it's just a guess.

And for taking off the hub anyone using the power steering method I would be SO careful. You can damage something in your steering so easy, it is NOT made to be a press! And the thing is, I spent less time my way and ZERO chance of damaging anything, with like 180 ft lbs of torque on a puller, your not going to seperate a hub.

And no offence to some people sharing there methods, but some flat out take years to do. Simple things seem hard. I'm not going to touch on anything specific but someone suggested taping the sides of the rotor to take it off(good luck with that way), when if you hit it on the back, it comes off like nothing.

Work smart not hard. There is no doubt in my mind that when I pull off my otherside, from the time I start until I pull the axle shaft will be 45 mins or less.

 

honestly if your hub doesent feel notchy or feel like its locking up i just put gear oil in mine and they are pretty smooth i think its alolt better than grease cause its always lubeing it just a thought it will save you 500 dollars

 

yea, i haven't decided yet... i like the idea of doing it all and not worrying about a thing for at least another 100,000 miles (which i plan on keeping it for) i am also going to be spending a bit of money refurbing the body (dings and rust on rockers) so having the axle squared away and done nicely for awhile sounds nice. on the other hand having 500 extra dollars is nice too...

maybe i'll clean them up slap a TON of antiseize on the hubs and hope they last alittle longer.

 

the problem with wheel hubs is you really wont know untill the weight of the truck is back on them.

 

should have checked them before they were off. i would pull the abs sensor off and grease the bearings and go from there antisieze the whole unit backtogether and if they are bad you can always replace both in a matter of 3 hours now that you have had it apart thats what i would do. grease put back in and drive it until its time for some bearings

 

I am assuming my old 95 half ton 4x4 was similar to these wheel hub bearing assemblies , First time I changed it took me every bit of 8- 10 hours. by the time I changed the last one (went thru 5-6) I had it down to 45 minutes.

 

yea, now that everything has been broken loose it wouldn't take me and hour to change both. it's just that harvest season is about here and i can't be having my truck needing repair in the middle of it.

on another note. this lower ball joint has a grease zerk set at an angle but when it set in there, i can't get the tip of the grease gun on it because its trouching the housing around the ball joint. thinking about grinding some material away so it clears... anyone think thats a bad idea?

 

here is a pic of the lower and how the zerk is set in there.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y23...O/IMG_6976.jpg