frozen hubs.....sharing the misery

[Bartlett]

I know this has been discussed before but i must share what a suck ***** job this has been so far. I have read all the previous threads about this and figured it wouldnt go too bad. WRONG. I have 57k on the truck and wanted to do some front end work before installing my Ricksons. I have been putting it off for obvious reasons but in the last week or so the steering wheel has been bouncing around and binding when taking turns so I knew one or both ofthe axle ujoints was going south. I hade been spraying the front bearing assemblys daily for a week or so prior. I took tires brakes etc. off and removed the 4 bolts attatching the hubs on both sides. I put in 4 bolts most of the way in and proceeded to start wailing away. The thing did not budge at all. I tried air hammer,3lb sledge hammer, 20lb sledge hammer, puller, slide hammer, power steering method and a combination of all of the above and even some other tricks. I have done several of these and have never seen anything this bad. I should have expected this as it is MY truck. I ended up cutting thru top ball joint studs and using a zip wheel on the lowers. Now that the knuckles are off it would be an easy removal. Once again I grossly underestimated the power of three maine winters of salt and other ice fighting chemicals. I tried heating up one of the bearings and driving out but that was a no go as well. Both knuckles are at the machine shop to see if they can get them out. This was NOT a pleasurable job and its not over yet. Ok I will stop the belly aching for now. :{

 

[Jeepstang]

I have a trick that works

and it is really simple. it has been awhile since we did one here but what I think we did is put the hub bolt in loose in the threads and turned the steering wheel while it pressed on the axle housing or knuckle somehow and it pressed them off. it will bend the bolts so you may want to have new bolts ready or find the correct ones before starting. we purchased a huge special slide hammer for these and it did no where near as good as the bolt method. let me know how it works for you.

 

[Bartlett]

Well I tried that to no avail. Just got back from machine shop and drivers side popped on the press @ 15 ton :-laf

 

[rbattelle]

Bartlett, I feel your pain. I'm getting ready to do exactly the same job on the passenger side. The driver's side took me over 3 weeks to get apart.

I'm in the process of making a tool that I hope will make the job easier. Basically like a slide hammer that uses a sledgehammer. Of course, I plan to post the results.

Remember to anti-seize the SNOT out of the new bearings before putting them in. I also spent about 45 minutes with a ******* file and a wire wheel cleaning up the knuckle.

I'm rather disheartened by the fact that the 20 lb. sledge didn't work for you. My sledge is only 14 lb.

Godspeed...

Ryan

 

[AlaskanCummins]

WOW!!



I feel for you guys! I have to say though, I just recently installed a part-time hub kit in my truck, and I was dreading the "frozen" hub dissassembly part of the job, but luck was definately on my side as mine almost fell out in my hands after I took out the 4 bolts holding them in.



I don't mean to brag, but I have to say that I'm very thankful that I didn't have to go through what you guys are working with. Maybe karma was on my side for once! :-laf :-laf



Wayne

 

[MLisle]

What special tools are needed for the part-time hub conversion? Did you go with the kit from Dynatrac or some other vendor and did the give a turbodiesel discount??

 

[Bartlett]

Ok everything is back together and all seems fine. I plan on doing the part time kit in the future but had purchased these parts last year. I never siezed them as well as glass beaded after pressing both hubs out. Fortunately there was room to cut the ball joints. I guess it is hit or miss as to how some of these will come apart but hearing other results i think salt/ calcium makes removal more difficult. Thanks for listening to me whine. Misery loves company!!:-laf

mike

 

[AlaskanCummins]

I went with EMS Offroad and they are AWESOME!! First rate parts and 550 dollars less than Dynatrac. The spindles and hub assy's are perfectly made, tolerances right on. No special tools if you have everything to pack bearings on a Dana 60 axle. Same bearings, races, nuts/lock-nuts. You need the standard nut tool for the job.



Oh, I went with 30 spline, which is standard Dana 60. My truck will never see any true offroading and/or rock crawing. She's basically a highway queen that has gained about 2 mpg so far.....



No TDR discount, but truthfully, I didn't ask.



Wayne

 

[KCanepari]

I just wasted all day trying to get the hub off my '00 2500. I tried the steering wheel method and pounding on everything (probably took some life off the bearing). I guess I have to take it in the shop. I did them on my '96 and they weren't bad, but this makes me wish I had a different truck.

 

[RJWEST]

ditto on the ems hub conversion, gotta love the REAL bearings. .

Barlett, I hear from the Mainer's ( highway guys ) that the new deicer salt
don't work so good, so they have to really lay it on heavy... .
Any truth to that, and do you think it will eat up the trucks quicker...

 

[Cattletrkr]

At 57K your 7/70 warranty wouldn't cover it?

 

[Tinman]

I thought someone make a puller tool for this job. EMS maybe??? I remember seeing it in some photo here. Looked pretty slick. I went thru this when I replaced the ball joints on an 01 and I feel you pain.

 

[rbattelle]

I thought someone make a puller tool for this job.

I made 2 tools that can be used. I discuss them in this thread.



So far, no one has taken advantage of my offer to borrow these tools for the cost of shipping. The downside is they almost certainly will destroy the bearing on removal.



Ryan

 

[MickeyMiller]

I have to recommend Ryan's description of his hub removal extravaganza. It definitly had me prepared when I tackled my Dynatrac install. I even set up an anchor and a 20K hydrolic ram as a back up! I could have ended up with a 'wide track' Ram! Fortunatly, I had a truck that was in Montana and California (No Salt)... and, with the 8K puller, they came off OK.



Ryan's post allowed me to have all the tools I might need on hand and had me prepared for the worst, but it wasn't that bad.



When I become King, I will eliminate salt... . right after time zones and day light savings time!



Mickey

 

[Tinman]

This is what I was thinking of:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...discussions/183401-ems-hub-install-color.html

 

[rbattelle]

This is what I was thinking of:



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...discussions/183401-ems-hub-install-color.html

That puller will work great, unless the hubs have been welded in place (like mine were). In that case, the puller will simply separate the bearing.



That's where my second tool comes into play - it will pull a welded-in race after the bearing has been separated.



Ryan