How to separate front tire knuckle to replace dust boot? L3800

[Bluegill2]

Ya have to drive that fork in there man!

 

[Rail Dawg]

Ya have to drive that fork in there man!

Am I going to hurt anything if I take a big hammer and really whack it in?

 

[Rail Dawg]

Does the wheel have to be facing a certain way to take off tension?

 

[Leejohn]

You didn't my chance get a fork that is to big and it is bottoming out?

 

[JerryK]

They used to sell 'lace on' boots for old cars that didn't require you to take the thing apart... Check with an old automotive parts place, maybe someone there will remember them... and ... maybe point you in the right direction...

 

[Rail Dawg]

You didn't my chance get a fork that is to big and it is bottoming out?

That could be what is happening. I got the OEM one from Autozone. Only one they had in stock.

 

[Leejohn]

The one I have only goes in using about 1/2 of the slot. If you have no slot left left, then it's to big.

 

[Rail Dawg]

The one I have only goes in using about 1/2 of the slot. If you have no slot left left, then it's to big.

Mine goes in about halfway... I then bang on it hard with a pretty good sledge hammer but it doesn't budge. Do you keep the wheels straight forward or turn them one way or the other?

I put a pretty good grunt effort into this but nothing happened. Is it possible to do damage or are these parts pretty tough?

Thanks for the help you all are giving.

 

[Rail Dawg]

There are a few tricks you can try to separate the tie rod end. You can loosen the nut and then use a floor jack on the nut and lift the front of the tractor up a little and then give the metal the tie rod goes through a whack with a hammer. This usually works well. But advise is to buy a tie rod/ ball joint separator. You could buy a HF one but I would spend a little more and get a higher quality one. I have this one, made by OTC (not my picture though). Most HF tools with threads seam to strip out or get damaged in other ways for me. But the OTC one has handled even the 1/2" impact with no problems.
View attachment 279772

I see this tool online for about $50. It will work on an L3800 you think? I will probably go this route...

 

[crazyal]

I see this tool online for about $50. It will work on an L3800 you think? I will probably go this route...

I'll go try it on my tractor and take a picture.