front wheel bearing

[mark777]

Jason,

Yes....And I would think that you would want to.

You will have to disassemble front hubs completely. I would do one at a time and if you loose your way, the other side will guide you back to the proper order in which re-assembly is critical. It can be done in an afternoon. Taking your time and organizing the parts removed, cleaned with solvent and inspected for wear and rust. After doing the first one you should find it not too difficult.

Regards, Mark

 

[Jason_MI]

Thanks Mark. Looks like we're going to try just that tonight....removing the shaft from the top and taking it all apart. Anything special I should watch out for, or more specifically, NOT do?

thanks again.

 

[Cord]

Yea, don't disassemble both sides at once. Tear down one side and reassemble it. Then do the other side. If you kick your pile of parts, you could go insain trying to figure everything out.

 

[mark777]

Can't think of anything that would stump you. Don't force anything and use a dead-blow hammer for pieces that need a little friendly persuasion.

 

[Jason_MI]

Well, this is stumping us; we cannot get that top steering arm off. It's keyed, probably on a tapered shaft. We heated the crap out of it three times, beat on it, used a bearing puller, etc. It is frozen, frozen, frozen. A guy from the shop is going to bring me a pickle-fork tommorrow, so I'll give that a try. I don't really want to cut/torch it off it at all possible.

Also, we pulled the whole upper/lower hub assembly off, which includes half the front axle. Is that press fit into the gear in side the upper hub do you think? Or is it another clip or ring?

 

[mark777]

Jason,

It sounds as though you are trying to pull the top drag link assembly off the top....It is much easier to remove bolts on the bottom of "Hoyes diagram PN#45" remove castle nut and shims, heat if necessary, reverse nut flush with top of PN# 45 and hammer assembly down.

Pushing the shaft down instead of pulling steering link up will make the job easier. Make sure care is given in protecting the threads, and the shaft is not tapered where the key stock is located.

The shims and nut apply the proper compression for the hub seal and also the steering stiffness. The weight of the assembly assists (gravity) in breaking the top link loose.

Mark

 

[Jason_MI]

I understand what you're saying; put the nut on the very top (which is at the very top where its tapered on #45) and hammer down after removing the bolts on the bottom. No go on that; that was the first thing we tried. We'd still have to get that steering arm off, but it just ain't budging.

Do you think it's possible that all those gears coming in from the axle at the top, and the ones on the bottom are all holding it in place? I mean, there's a lot of links in there....

And by the way, I appreciate you continuing to answer my questions as I work through this. Thanks.

 

[Jason_MI]

Okay, so I pulled the whole hub (upper and lower), off the front axle casing. With it came half of the front axle (from the differential). I was able to get the top steering arm off by using the pickle bar (and actually, it came out/off very easily with that. However, you guys make it sound (and Mark, your profile says you have an 1401D), as though I should be able to just pull that whole shaft down from the bottom, and it'll come right out. Uh.....no. I mean, maybe it should, but it doesn't.

It's still in there solid as can be. I mean, stuff turns and works (I cleaned it up, so it doesn't work great, but none of the gears are frozen). I can take this whole thing down to my mechanic and have it pressed down (from the top), and get it taken apart, but I'm a little concerned that's going to mess up the gears inside; plus, with the shaft coming in from the side, isn't that going to kind of keep everything together? Or maybe I'm just being a wuss and not as mechanically inclined as I 'should' be (hey....I build houses, not cars).

So what do you think; press it out from the top, or is there something else I'm doing wrong. I've attached a pic, I think, so you can see the axle going in, and the shaft on the top (which goes all the way through and is attached to that plate on the very, very bottom.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

[Jason_MI]

Oops. Sorry about the size of that picture folks. Did I tell you that not only was I not mechanically adept, but I also suck at computers......????

 

[gbirky]

From the diagram, it appears that there are needle bearings, spacers, and washers/shims on that shaft as well as the gears and larger bearings. I would guess that there is enough rust or hardened grease/lube that the shaft just doesnt' want to move inside all those parts. It appears that removing the shaft leaves everything else behind. It looks as though the only removal method is to either use a hammer to drive the shaft and plate down, or put it on a press and press it down. I don't think you are going to break the gears.