Front axle replacement fun!

[OddballJ]

Thanks guys. I thought I'd start by trying to clean out the holes, so I took a pressure washer to it. Nothing. Still acting like the holes are the wrong size.

Then I thought I'd try to take the yoke off. Put both tires on, dropped it off the jack stands, locked the hubs, and bashed my knuckles into the under side of the truck a few times. I got that nut off, but the yoke still seems very securely in place. I couldn't find anything in the TM saying there was an extra step, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't a snap ring or something similar keeping me from using a puller to yank it off. Thanks guys

Biker; thanks for the heads up on the impact wrench. I managed to get it with a 3ft breaker bar

 

[Matt1031]

Thanks guys. I thought I'd start by trying to clean out the holes, so I took a pressure washer to it. Nothing. Still acting like the holes are the wrong size.

Then I thought I'd try to take the yoke off. Put both tires on, dropped it off the jack stands, locked the hubs, and bashed my knuckles into the under side of the truck a few times. I got that nut off, but the yoke still seems very securely in place. I couldn't find anything in the TM saying there was an extra step, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't a snap ring or something similar keeping me from using a puller to yank it off. Thanks guys

Biker; thanks for the heads up on the impact wrench. I managed to get it with a 3ft breaker bar

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you just opened a can of worms by taking that yoke off. 10 bolts use a crush sleeve for pinion preload and it's a one shot deal on final torque. It's not a simple remove one yoke, and put a different yoke on type deal, because there's no way to change it without also changing the pinion bearing preload in the process. Pinion bearings without proper preload tend to wear out pretty fast.

There's no way to get an accurate pinion bearing preload with the carrier installed, so if you want to do it "the right way", you'll need to pull the carrier, change out the crush sleeve on the pinion, set preload with new yoke, and install carrier with same shims.

This isn't as complicated as a complete gear swap because all your shims are going to stay exactly the same, but it's not exactly a simple job either. One final note - don't reuse the pinion yoke nut either. Always set final preload with a new nut.

 

[OddballJ]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you just opened a can of worms by taking that yoke off. 10 bolts use a crush sleeve for pinion preload and it's a one shot deal on final torque. It's not a simple remove one yoke, and put a different yoke on type deal, because there's no way to change it without also changing the pinion bearing preload in the process. Pinion bearings without proper preload tend to wear out pretty fast.

There's no way to get an accurate pinion bearing preload with the carrier installed, so if you want to do it "the right way", you'll need to pull the carrier, change out the crush sleeve on the pinion, set preload with new yoke, and install carrier with same shims.

This isn't as complicated as a complete gear swap because all your shims are going to stay exactly the same, but it's not exactly a simple job either. One final note - don't reuse the pinion yoke nut either. Always set final preload with a new nut.

...Any chance I can just pretend I didn't read all that?

 

[Matt1031]

There's a rough and dirty method where you count the turns on the nut but it's a little too late for that. Since you are using a different yoke I doubt it would be any more accurate than guessing pinion preload anyway.

If the old 10 bolt with the destroyed spindle is still more or less in one piece from the knuckles in, then it's no problem.

Just pull everything from the spindles out from your replacement 10 bolt, pull the axles, and swap all the good stuff over to the old 10 bolt. The ring and pinion in your old housing should be fine unless you took that apart too.

 

[OddballJ]

And, uh, what happens if I don't do all that stuff? Am I looking at a lifespan reduction or potential catastrophic failure?

 

[Matt1031]

And, uh, what happens if I don't do all that stuff? Am I looking at a lifespan reduction or potential catastrophic failure?

Why would you want to take a chance when it's a one hour job to swap out spindles and you have two axles for parts? It's your truck you might as well take the time to fix it right.

 

[OddballJ]

Why would you want to take a chance when it's a one hour job to swap out spindles and you have two axles for parts? It's your truck you might as well take the time to fix it right.

Sadly it's not an issue of desire, but rather necessity. Funds and time are running very short before I'm supposed to be back at school for the fall. I have yet to complete even a simple job on this truck within an hour and I don't see this being the first. I'm wondering if I can drive it (safely) and just avoid using the 4wd. The alternative is to sell it, and despite all the frustration this truck is causing me, I would really rather not do that right now.

Thoughts?

 

[wikallen]

How often are you using the 4wd? Put that nut back on using the same bar and force you took it off with, chase the treads with a tap (much easier then trying to do what you did). If you use the 4wd very little, you should not have to worry about it too much, as you will mostly drive with hubs unlocked, and transfer case in 2wd.

You have the old carrier and pinion as spares for later down the road. By then you will want a d60 and 14b anyway.

 

[Matt1031]

Sadly it's not an issue of desire, but rather necessity. Funds and time are running very short before I'm supposed to be back at school for the fall. I have yet to complete even a simple job on this truck within an hour and I don't see this being the first. I'm wondering if I can drive it (safely) and just avoid using the 4wd. The alternative is to sell it, and despite all the frustration this truck is causing me, I would really rather not do that right now.

Thoughts?

Total cost is pretty affordable - two tubs of wheel bearing grease, a couple bottles of gear oil, and a tube of RTV silicone. You're only going to learn to work on these things one way - by working on 'em. One hour is how long it would take me (working with air tools, experienced mechanic) so maybe that's not a fair estimate. Even being inexperienced and working with nothing but basic hand tools, you CAN get it done in an afternoon.

While you're at the parts store buying wheel bearing grease, maybe pick up a Chilton's or Haynes book for a K5 blazer - same truck as far as the front axle goes. This isn't the Space Shuttle and I think you're making the job out to be far more complicated and difficult than it really is.

You want to know if it's safe? The only way to tell if it's safe is to inspect the parts. The only way to look at some of these parts is to get your hands dirty. Just keep the work limited to knuckles out -- Do NOT mess with anything on the old ring and pinion (yoke included). Gear setup is not a job for an inexperienced mechanic and it's probably going to blow your budget on tools alone if you have to tear into an axle that deep.

I'll PM you my phone #. I can give you a list of all tools/supplies you're going to need and I've done enough front axle work that if you hit any snags, I should be able to talk you through it over the phone. Unfortunately I'm nowhere near NC right now otherwise I'd go put the axle in for you just to finally call it done. A simple R&R should have never gotten this out of hand. It's time to get back on track.

Take a deep breath and remember - It's just a machine, it can't beat you.

 

[OddballJ]

Is all that stuff to service the axle or to replace the parts that I messed up by swapping out the yoke?
I have a few non-truck related projects to do today but plan to work on it tomorrow. Thank you for the telephone number. I may call tomorrow