Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
rbattelle
TDR MEMBER
I thought I'd take a little time to talk about my own personal Hell that I just went through in the hopes that others might learn from my pain.
Having noticed a loud grinding noise when turning (but no vibration whatsoever, interestingly), I set out on October 13th (Friday the 13th) to replace my driver side front axle universal joint. Had I known where this project would take me, I might not have begun it.
The main problem was removing the hub/bearing assembly from the steering knuckle. I knew this would be a problem, but set out optimistically on the 13th to start beating on the bearing in hopes that over a period of several hours I could work it loose.
Here are some things I learned along the way. I hope they help you.
1. The axle nut is 1-11/16". I strongly recommend getting a 3/4" square-drive breaker bar, 8" extension, and a 1-11/16" 6-point socket. Don't use a 12-point; the torque on the axle nut is 262 ft-lb. I used an Armstrong 22" breaker bar (p/n 13-918) and a Williams 1-11/16" impact socket.
2. The cotter pin in the axle is 1/8". Get at least 1. 5" length - I used a 2" stainless for replacement.
3. The caliper adapter mounting bolts have red Loctite applied from the factory. For those unfamiliar with red Loctite, it is "permanent" strength. That means there are no mechanical means of removing the fastener if the product has been properly applied. Having said that, I managed to remove the lower bolt using every ounce of my strength with my giant aforementioned 3/4" breaker bar; that's how I discovered the bolts were Loctited in place. To remove the upper one, I applied heat with a propane torch (Loctite specifies 490F for 5 minutes). Note that heat application is complicated by the close proximity of the ABS sensor to the upper mounting bolt, but it can be done without damaging that sensor or otherwise melting anything.
4. DO NOT replace the Loctite on the caliper mounting bolts with anti-seize! After 1 week as such both of the mounting bolts loosened up on me. That was pretty stupid of me (Dodge engineers screw up so many things, who would've thought they'd get that one right?). When replacing the bolts, clean them up good with acetone or some other degreaser and apply medium strength (usually blue) Loctite (which can be removed with ordinary hand tools).
5. Some good news. Even after 4 winters in a salt bath the axle probably will not be fused to the inside of the bearing assembly.
6. To pull the bearing you will require a gear puller large enough to grab the wheel flange, which is almost 10". I used an OTC 1038 , which is a 7-ton 2/3 jaw model.
7. 7-tons is not enough force to remove a bearing that has been sufficiently fused with the knuckle. As Steved pointed out to me in another thread, the axle will move back into the differential during the press so that the axle yoke contacts the axle tube, so there is no danger of damaging the differential by applying so much force.
8. No amount of pounding with a 2. 5-lb sledge, no matter how strong you are, will loosen the bearing. I was able to severely deform one of the mounting bolt holes by this method, with absolutely no effect on the bearing. I spent no less than 8 hours actively pounding on the bearing with the 2. 5-lb sledge and had absolutely no effect whatsoever on it. I might as well have spit at the bearing for 10 minutes.
9. No amount of hammering with an air hammer had any effect. I was able to make some interesting indentations and deformations in the bearing with my fancy new Chicago Pneumatic 715 air hammer, but these were just that - interesting to look at.
9. The bearing finally budged with a combination of: 1) 7-tons force applied to the puller, 2) massive repeated blows to the backside of the wheel flange with a 14-lb sledge, and 3) extreme heat applied liberally to the knuckle with an oxy-acetylene torch. This caused the bearing itself to separate, but (thank God) just before it separated the part that was stuck in the knuckle moved out of the knuckle roughly 1/32" (indicating the rust had been broken).
10. It is apparently all right to crank the wheel all the way to one side during the above carnage in order to provide room to swing the sledge. Near as I can tell, no damage was done to anything from doing this. We'll see in a few weeks if my tires start wearing funny from bad ball joints.
11. Once the bearing has separated (and hopefully the part still in the knuckle has budged at least a tiny bit), the bearing can be worked the rest of the way with about an hour worth of cold chisel (use a BIG chisel) and 2. 5 lb sledge work. The bearing will not "give up" until the last 0. 001" has been hammered out.
12. I used a half-round ******* file to clean up the steering knuckle. It had so much rust in it that the new bearing would have needed to be pressed in. With about an hour of careful work, I was able to clean the bore enough that the new bearing slid in with no pressure whatsoever.
13. This process will almost certainly destroy the brake dust shield, which is sandwiched between the bearing and the knuckle. Order a new one ($14 at one of the online dealers) before starting the job.
14. Driving around without the aforementioned brake shield installed won't hurt anything. Note that it will, however, cause the axle to sit roughly 0. 030" farther toward the differential, which means the axle seal will be running in a slightly different position. Mine didn't leak, but it did make me a little nervous (if you think the hub/bearing removal is hard, you should see the procedure for changing an axle seal!).
15. Quite a bit of force is required to pull the axle out of the differential. I assume this is because it has to squeeze the axle seals on removal. Pull HARD. For whatever reason, it slides back in at the end of the job with almost no effort. Apply some good quality grease to the axle before sliding it back in.
16. For reassembly, buy yourself some of the highest quality anti-seize lubricant you can find. Personally, I like Nickel based. The nickel particles seem to stick like glue to things (including your hands). I bought a 1-lb can of premium "Saf-T-Eze" for $40. It has super-fine Nickel and the consistency of peanut-butter (it looks good enough to eat). Whatever you buy, SLATHER it everywhere. My personal goal was to pack so much anti-seize into the knuckle that there simply isn't enough room for any water to get in. There is no such thing as "too much".
17. If you remove it, wrap the differential-end of the axle with some rags to prevent damage.
18. The threads on the end of the axle are 1-1/8", 18TPI.
This job was the single hardest, most painful (I think I fractured a finger), horrible mechanical experience of my life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm not joking around. Everything that could go wrong, did. And the bad news is I know the passenger side is not far from needing the same work.
I've spared you the details of some of the bad luck I experienced, but the purpose of this thread is to help others learn from my mistakes. Above all, be prepared well in advance with all the tools and parts you'll need and the tremendous amount of force that will be required!
Here's a quick list of the items I used:
1. 1/2" ratchet and various extensions.
2. 18mm socket for the bearing bolts and caliper adaptor bolts.
3. 1/2" socket for the caliper bolts.
4. Pry bar or long screwdriver for removing the caliper.
5. Some sort of straps to secure the caliper to the truck while you work. I used a couple cargo tie-down straps and tied the caliper to the upper control arm.
6. 6-point 3/4"-drive 1-11/16" socket.
7. 3/4" breaker bar. The longest you can find.
8. At least a 6" extension for the 3/4" breaker bar.
9. A 1/2-to-3/4 drive adaptor.
10. A 3/4-to-1/2 drive adaptor.
11. A torque wrench capable of at least 250 ft-lb. Axle nut spec is 262, but I figure 250 is close enough.
12. The heaviest sledge hammer you can find. Mine is 14-lb.
13. The heaviest short-handled sledge hammer you can find. Mine is 2. 5 lb.
14. A minimum 7-ton gear puller with minimum 11" spread. Prefer 3-jaw.
15. Oxy-acetylene torch outfit.
16. Some medium strength Loctite for the caliper adapter bolts.
17. A propane torch to heat up the factory red Loctite. You could use the oxy-acetylene outfit, but I think that's a little too much heat.
18. The best anti-seize lubricant you can afford. Get a lot of it. Apply it to everything (except the caliper adapter bolts).
19. A big half-round ******* file and perhaps a second-cut mill file for cleaning up the knuckle.
20. A series of needle files and thread files in case you damage any threads (like I did). Note that the axle threads (1-1/8"-18) are specialty and would require a special-order ($$$) hex die.
21. A friend to help. Anyone in the Dayton/Cincinnati/Columbus area can contact me. I'd gladly drive an hour out of my way to prevent someone else having to suffer this way.
The picture of the inner part of the bearing doesn't do justice to the wretched state of corrosion it's in. In real life it looks like it's spent a lifetime lying at the bottom of the ocean.
Ryan
Having noticed a loud grinding noise when turning (but no vibration whatsoever, interestingly), I set out on October 13th (Friday the 13th) to replace my driver side front axle universal joint. Had I known where this project would take me, I might not have begun it.
The main problem was removing the hub/bearing assembly from the steering knuckle. I knew this would be a problem, but set out optimistically on the 13th to start beating on the bearing in hopes that over a period of several hours I could work it loose.
Here are some things I learned along the way. I hope they help you.
1. The axle nut is 1-11/16". I strongly recommend getting a 3/4" square-drive breaker bar, 8" extension, and a 1-11/16" 6-point socket. Don't use a 12-point; the torque on the axle nut is 262 ft-lb. I used an Armstrong 22" breaker bar (p/n 13-918) and a Williams 1-11/16" impact socket.
2. The cotter pin in the axle is 1/8". Get at least 1. 5" length - I used a 2" stainless for replacement.
3. The caliper adapter mounting bolts have red Loctite applied from the factory. For those unfamiliar with red Loctite, it is "permanent" strength. That means there are no mechanical means of removing the fastener if the product has been properly applied. Having said that, I managed to remove the lower bolt using every ounce of my strength with my giant aforementioned 3/4" breaker bar; that's how I discovered the bolts were Loctited in place. To remove the upper one, I applied heat with a propane torch (Loctite specifies 490F for 5 minutes). Note that heat application is complicated by the close proximity of the ABS sensor to the upper mounting bolt, but it can be done without damaging that sensor or otherwise melting anything.
4. DO NOT replace the Loctite on the caliper mounting bolts with anti-seize! After 1 week as such both of the mounting bolts loosened up on me. That was pretty stupid of me (Dodge engineers screw up so many things, who would've thought they'd get that one right?). When replacing the bolts, clean them up good with acetone or some other degreaser and apply medium strength (usually blue) Loctite (which can be removed with ordinary hand tools).
5. Some good news. Even after 4 winters in a salt bath the axle probably will not be fused to the inside of the bearing assembly.
6. To pull the bearing you will require a gear puller large enough to grab the wheel flange, which is almost 10". I used an OTC 1038 , which is a 7-ton 2/3 jaw model.
7. 7-tons is not enough force to remove a bearing that has been sufficiently fused with the knuckle. As Steved pointed out to me in another thread, the axle will move back into the differential during the press so that the axle yoke contacts the axle tube, so there is no danger of damaging the differential by applying so much force.
8. No amount of pounding with a 2. 5-lb sledge, no matter how strong you are, will loosen the bearing. I was able to severely deform one of the mounting bolt holes by this method, with absolutely no effect on the bearing. I spent no less than 8 hours actively pounding on the bearing with the 2. 5-lb sledge and had absolutely no effect whatsoever on it. I might as well have spit at the bearing for 10 minutes.
9. No amount of hammering with an air hammer had any effect. I was able to make some interesting indentations and deformations in the bearing with my fancy new Chicago Pneumatic 715 air hammer, but these were just that - interesting to look at.
9. The bearing finally budged with a combination of: 1) 7-tons force applied to the puller, 2) massive repeated blows to the backside of the wheel flange with a 14-lb sledge, and 3) extreme heat applied liberally to the knuckle with an oxy-acetylene torch. This caused the bearing itself to separate, but (thank God) just before it separated the part that was stuck in the knuckle moved out of the knuckle roughly 1/32" (indicating the rust had been broken).
10. It is apparently all right to crank the wheel all the way to one side during the above carnage in order to provide room to swing the sledge. Near as I can tell, no damage was done to anything from doing this. We'll see in a few weeks if my tires start wearing funny from bad ball joints.
11. Once the bearing has separated (and hopefully the part still in the knuckle has budged at least a tiny bit), the bearing can be worked the rest of the way with about an hour worth of cold chisel (use a BIG chisel) and 2. 5 lb sledge work. The bearing will not "give up" until the last 0. 001" has been hammered out.
12. I used a half-round ******* file to clean up the steering knuckle. It had so much rust in it that the new bearing would have needed to be pressed in. With about an hour of careful work, I was able to clean the bore enough that the new bearing slid in with no pressure whatsoever.
13. This process will almost certainly destroy the brake dust shield, which is sandwiched between the bearing and the knuckle. Order a new one ($14 at one of the online dealers) before starting the job.
14. Driving around without the aforementioned brake shield installed won't hurt anything. Note that it will, however, cause the axle to sit roughly 0. 030" farther toward the differential, which means the axle seal will be running in a slightly different position. Mine didn't leak, but it did make me a little nervous (if you think the hub/bearing removal is hard, you should see the procedure for changing an axle seal!).
15. Quite a bit of force is required to pull the axle out of the differential. I assume this is because it has to squeeze the axle seals on removal. Pull HARD. For whatever reason, it slides back in at the end of the job with almost no effort. Apply some good quality grease to the axle before sliding it back in.
16. For reassembly, buy yourself some of the highest quality anti-seize lubricant you can find. Personally, I like Nickel based. The nickel particles seem to stick like glue to things (including your hands). I bought a 1-lb can of premium "Saf-T-Eze" for $40. It has super-fine Nickel and the consistency of peanut-butter (it looks good enough to eat). Whatever you buy, SLATHER it everywhere. My personal goal was to pack so much anti-seize into the knuckle that there simply isn't enough room for any water to get in. There is no such thing as "too much".
17. If you remove it, wrap the differential-end of the axle with some rags to prevent damage.
18. The threads on the end of the axle are 1-1/8", 18TPI.
This job was the single hardest, most painful (I think I fractured a finger), horrible mechanical experience of my life. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm not joking around. Everything that could go wrong, did. And the bad news is I know the passenger side is not far from needing the same work.
I've spared you the details of some of the bad luck I experienced, but the purpose of this thread is to help others learn from my mistakes. Above all, be prepared well in advance with all the tools and parts you'll need and the tremendous amount of force that will be required!
Here's a quick list of the items I used:
1. 1/2" ratchet and various extensions.
2. 18mm socket for the bearing bolts and caliper adaptor bolts.
3. 1/2" socket for the caliper bolts.
4. Pry bar or long screwdriver for removing the caliper.
5. Some sort of straps to secure the caliper to the truck while you work. I used a couple cargo tie-down straps and tied the caliper to the upper control arm.
6. 6-point 3/4"-drive 1-11/16" socket.
7. 3/4" breaker bar. The longest you can find.
8. At least a 6" extension for the 3/4" breaker bar.
9. A 1/2-to-3/4 drive adaptor.
10. A 3/4-to-1/2 drive adaptor.
11. A torque wrench capable of at least 250 ft-lb. Axle nut spec is 262, but I figure 250 is close enough.
12. The heaviest sledge hammer you can find. Mine is 14-lb.
13. The heaviest short-handled sledge hammer you can find. Mine is 2. 5 lb.
14. A minimum 7-ton gear puller with minimum 11" spread. Prefer 3-jaw.
15. Oxy-acetylene torch outfit.
16. Some medium strength Loctite for the caliper adapter bolts.
17. A propane torch to heat up the factory red Loctite. You could use the oxy-acetylene outfit, but I think that's a little too much heat.
18. The best anti-seize lubricant you can afford. Get a lot of it. Apply it to everything (except the caliper adapter bolts).
19. A big half-round ******* file and perhaps a second-cut mill file for cleaning up the knuckle.
20. A series of needle files and thread files in case you damage any threads (like I did). Note that the axle threads (1-1/8"-18) are specialty and would require a special-order ($$$) hex die.
21. A friend to help. Anyone in the Dayton/Cincinnati/Columbus area can contact me. I'd gladly drive an hour out of my way to prevent someone else having to suffer this way.
The picture of the inner part of the bearing doesn't do justice to the wretched state of corrosion it's in. In real life it looks like it's spent a lifetime lying at the bottom of the ocean.
Ryan
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I let the dealer do the passenger side in 2009 to the tune of about 900 bucks (459 for the hub alone). I do not want to pay them a grand or more to do the driver side. Has anyone come up with any more good tips for this job?
