Archived front hub axle nut

[DBentley]

Need help

Got the truck half apart to change rotors and need a big socket my 1-5/8 in dont fit :{ . Is it metric or standard and what size ?

Thanks

 

[Bart]

When they get that big meteric/sae doesn't make much difference. I use an sae on mine. Another thing you'll need is a hub knock. It's a three legged thing that screws on to the lug nuts and the center screw pushes against the axle. Kinda looks like a large gear puller. You have to beat on the arms attached to the center screw to pull it off. That's why it's called a knocker.

 

[btbuchanan]

Axle nut

The nut requires a 1 11/16" socket... 3/4" drive. Note: if you have the same experience as me, you will think the socket doesn't fit, but keep indexing the socket 1/8 turn and retrying. Wierd as hell, but my socket only fit on the axle nut when indexed to a certain position relative to the nut... I know, I know, not possible you say, but I had 3 other people independently try it and they all had the same experience. You will need the 3/4" drive because unless you have a really beefy air wrench you won't get it off that way. Mine took a 4' cheater bar and I had to stand on it and bounce up and down about 10 times.



A couple of hints: You can use a puller, but you will have about a 50% chance that you will pull the hubs apart. They are sealed units and most of the time you are not successful rebuilding them. New hubs are $360 ea. A much better way to remove the hubs is to loosen the 3 (could be 4... a while since I did it), 12pt, 9/16" bolts that hold the hub to the knuckle about 1/2" and pound them back into the knuckle with a brass or copper hammer. In doing so, you will push out the hub rather than pulling it out and taking a chance of pulling the hubs apart. Trust me, I have done it both ways and the latter is a much better way.



Good luck. PS the axle nut torque spec is 175 ftlbs and there is no backing off.

 

[Joe G.]

My air impact wrench took it right off. I used a 1 11/16" socket. Mine fit anyway I wanted. I wonder if something is wrong with the nut on your truck.

 

[SDrake]

btbuchanan says -----[A much better way to remove the hubs is to loosen the 3 (could be 4... a while since I did it), 12pt, 9/16" bolts that hold the hub to the knuckle about 1/2" and pound them back into the knuckle with a brass or copper hammer. ]----



I have seen the problem you are talking about and don't want to go down that road either. But I don't understand what you are saying. What are you pounding on with the copper hammer? the end of the axel or the 4 bolts through the knuckel? If I have it pictured in my mind correctly, you are loosening the bolts at the knuckel so you can space the hub assembly out some so you will not be pounding the axel back into the differential too far. But that would require that you put a spacer in between the hub and the knuckel which you did not mention so I think I just might not be understanding your procedure. My rotors are ready for a change so this will help a lot.

 

[DBentley]

thanks for the nut size and advice 1 -11/16 fit great. got the rotors done this afternoon in about 3 hours. Good thing i had new bearing units here. The driver side was sloppy so i used the new one from napa at 240. 00 there not cheap . The socket and extension trick against the backed off 4 nuts to the axle yoke and using the power steering as a press worked great. I still have the pulsating trouble when stopping even after rotors and new drums on the rear 3 days ago??

 

[btbuchanan]

OK, you have already done the job, but just for clarification, I was talking about pounding on the bolts to drive out the hubs. Works well, but sounds like you did fine anyway.

 

[Cooker]

Another note, I don't know what worked for you DBentley but I am pretty sure the proper size for the 12pt bolts that hold the hub on it 14mm.

 

[DBentley]

Oops i did it with a 9/16 12 point. Next time i will use the 14 mm.

 

[rbattelle]

This may be a silly question, but doesn't the axle nut rotate with the axle? If so, how do you stop it from rotating so you can take it off?



-Ryan

 

[jr7347]

Leave the front end on the ground and the truck in park. Take the axle nut loose then jack the truck up.



John

 

[CumminsPower98]

$150 for hubs at Carquest here where I am, of course this is not retail.

 

[Nate]

14mm and 9/16" is pretty much the same size. Same as 1/2" being 13mm.

Oops i did it with a 9/16 12 point. Next time i will use the 14 mm.

 

[djr99]

The truck has floating calipers. That means pistons on only one side. So the caliper assembly has to be able to move in and out freely to accomodate small variations in the rotor. The sliding surface will crud up with rust, and it doesn't take much rust to affect it. Filing off the rust and adding some high temp lubricant to the sliding area solved my pulsating brakes. If the assembly is sticky it will also cause the inside pad to wear faster than the outside one.

 

[FishDoc]

stuck bolt

I don't really have a reply, rather a question. When trying to replace the front rotors, I could not get one of the rotor hub bolts loose, In fact, I stripped the 12 point bolt head. I tried both the 9/16 and the 14 mm, both to no availe. The bolt in question is the top, rear, right one. I cranked the steering to the left to get better evposure and still could not break it loose



Any suggetions short of removing the entire knuckle, etc? It is a '99 quad cab, 4 wheel drive.



Thanks,



Fish Doc