Torque Rod removal - remove the tires?

[Swamp Donkey]

This is the thread I referenced in the post above.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?107370-Unhappy-Dogbone-thingy

 

[therooster2001]

Well. I received my giant wrench and socket. I went to to get the cotter pins out and broke them. I had no other great tools so the plan is either a punch, nail set, or a steel rod 1/8 or 3/16 cut to various lengths (hopefully not getting stuck in there) to get the offending cotter out. I tried the socket to shear the pin to no avail, maybe I need a big cheater. So the truck will sit for another couple of days, going to see Glen, maybe will have better luck pulling one there.

Any other suggestion on easier cotter pin removal? As others said, this is probably the worst part..

 

[therooster2001]

When I got to Glen's and finally got under a truck, I pulled two cotter pins that were so easy, bent and pulled, then done. The other two did break but was able to grip them with a pair of linesman's pliers but folding them over, then hammering up on the pliers. Came right out. The castle nuts definitely took a big 2 1/4 wrench, my big socket wasn't enough leverage to move it. After that, one side of the dogbone (the middle) came right out with a slight tap on the end. The other one (the axle ends) did not come out. I didn't have the wood splitting wedge with me, and tried crowbars and other various things that didn't work. The next plan was to remove the bracket as Warthog had done, and I have a 1 3/8 socket, but could not budge those nuts (any of them). I think they are torqued down to over 400 and there isn't much leverage underneath that thing. So, while in a salvage yard, I had the bolts cut. It worked there, but I will have the wood splitting option back at the shop. I did hit the bone holder with a sledge to no avail. I'll be use the 3/16 rod / nail set to push what's left of my pins up then do the plier / hammer trick, that worked well! I just wished the pins came out like they did at Glen's.

I'll post more when I get the truck changed out (only 1 for now).

BTW, go see Glen, he has a bunch of trucks and they are tearing them down fast. Luckily he let me pull on Sunday afternoon, and with no loader danger, which was on a rampage Monday, and was tearing off hoods / beds faster than we liked. I missed a couple of opportunities like hood insulation!

 

[therooster2001]

OK peeps. I really need your help. I tried a punch. Nope. I tried the steel rod trick. Nope. I PB Blasted everything. Nope. I moved onto the other side. The cotter pins will not even jiggle a little bit. I'm wondering what the issue is. CARC might be it, rust could also contribute, but these suckers are in there tight. After I broke my screwdriver trying to even make the head wiggle, I called it a night. I think I am down to two options. Shear off the pins removing the castle nut with my Roboimpact, and taking it to a heavy truck shop. Can anyone help with other options? I heard these cotters are a bitch, but these seems to be extra bitchy. HELP!

 

[gimpyrobb]

If your at a scrap yard, ask to have the brackets torched off.

Once you have it out from under the truck, you can work on it on a bench. Much easier to work on than under a truck!

What hardness is a standard cotter pin? I'd just drill it out if I had a hard time. No punches that would work?

 

[therooster2001]

I did have the bolts / bracket torched out at the salvage yard, but this is back at the shop. No punch would touch it. Don't know the hardness, think they are the cadmium coated ones, they don't feel "extra" hard, but they definitely won't move.

I'm down to:

Torch the nuts off, but I'd rather not have the potential to hit some metal I want
Drilling the cotters
Impact wrenching the nut, shearing the cotters
Heavy truck shop

If I do get one side off, then it will be a bit hard to take it to the truck shop without a tow, or some rigging. Not impossible, but not exactly safe.

Keep em coming. I know I can get this. Course if the shop can do this in like an hour, I'd rather pay, then deal with this impending headache. Do they have extra awesome tools that will make quick work of this? I'm always worried about the truck shops, they don't know these trucks and unfamiliarity could cost me extra money and time, or worse screw up something major.

 

[Lonnie]

Cotter pins are relatively soft.

I just drilled mine out. Cant remember the exact size I used, but around a 3/16" bit. Just be careful not to break off a drill bit in there.

 

[therooster2001]

Drilling it probably will be. I have one last ditch effort with the linesmen's on the other side, and potentially some heat. Now I wondering if the cotters I have in there are the OLD school style, which is the ones that rust. The cadmium coated ones help prevent rust, which is what I think I encountered at Glen's. Mine are painted tan so I am unsure if they are the old or new. This makes me a bit nervous now. These must be REALLY old and I have a feeling haven't been swapped. Ugh. I did notice that the other dogbones on the truck might be a different part number. I will check all of them when I get back under the truck.

BTW, I tried fastenal for the cotters. Supposedly only one place on the east coast that has them, and they are $6.44 EACH! I found an aircraft supply with the same cage code. Got 100 for $.16 a piece. Cadmium coated. So if anyone needs some, I now have plenty.

I found some old cotters of MS24665-500. Check the difference on the colors (coating). Wonder when they changed to the cadmium style. I wonder if mine are old, and if they are very original, or they used old ones during a change of the doggones. Guess I'll never know!

 

[gimpyrobb]

Ive never been a big fan of cotter pins. By design they allow water in to sit and rust. You could use something else like thread lock(on the nut), or solid rod bar bent on the ends. I doubt the nut will back itself off easily.

 

[therooster2001]

Well, I am calling it quits on my own removal. I tried to drill them out, and got nowhere, and I did break the bit. Roboimpact didn't budge them. Calling around to see who can tackle the job, and will let them cut the nut off. I've never seen a more stubborn cotter. Let you know what the charges are to help out those later. I did check and it looks like I have two original dog bones and the rest look like newer ones or have ends replaced. They look replaced as they didn't line the ends up perfectly 12 / 6 o'clock like the entire assembly ones.

 

[gimpyrobb]

That sucks man. I didn't like removing the nut over the cotter pin option as it could lead to thread dammage. I guess it doesn't matter if the new D.B. has its own nut, but what a pita.

 

[therooster2001]

Dropped it off at the heavy truck place with copies of the TM, talked to the foreman, and wrote additional instructions. Nervous MV owner. Hopefully in two days it will be back to normal.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I'm sure it will be fine. Big rigs use dog bones too, just a different mounting style(from what I have seen). I doubt this will cause the shop any issues.

 

[therooster2001]

They called, said the dogbones were good, but found a leak in the heater core and the "tanks" on the side of the radiator. So, one problem solved, one more cropped up. Don't know how much the total is yet, let you all know, but dogbone issue looks like it's solved!

 

[SLOrazorsedge]

Where do you find the new parts to rebuild your dog bones, are they readily available other than thru an auction site?

 

[gimpyrobb]

They called, said the dogbones were good, but found a leak in the heater core and the "tanks" on the side of the radiator. So, one problem solved, one more cropped up. Don't know how much the total is yet, let you all know, but dogbone issue looks like it's solved!

I'd get estimates up-front! You could very well get hit for a grand...

 

[therooster2001]

Yeah no kidding. I asked for the estimate on the dogbones, they said $600 max, called me about the radiator said everything was done, but didn't have a cost. Called this AM to ensure it was done. they said $1400! and that's with no radiator repair, just a pressure test. Going up there to get to the bottom of it. The radiator to me feels like a couple of loosened bolts, and then the heater core is probably just like most, leaking, so I plan to shut it off and repair it. Grr....

 

[therooster2001]

Where do you find the new parts to rebuild your dog bones, are they readily available other than thru an auction site?

I got some dogbones at Glen's, but also a NOS. They are available at auction and a couple of people here.


EDIT: I just saw you asked how I rebuilt them. I did not rebuild the ends (yet). I used a complete NOS assembly on one, and another full assembly I took off another truck. I can't find ends anywhere, and the ones I did, I was able to get the whole dogbone for about $20 more than the cost of two ends (no rod). Seen a lot of people swap them who have the press (7.5 ton needed, so usually a 10 ton press), but several recommended just buying the whole thing. Lot less work, but if you have the ends, the time, and the beer, go for it. I am all about reuse. I did reclaim the rods and if I stumble across the ends, probably have them fitted just in case.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yup, I'd go up there to give someone an earful.

 

[therooster2001]

Well, their labor charge is $160 an HOUR! They did both front dogbones on each side, so I got two done. I am calling tomorrow to at least ask why the heck didn't they call when it exceeded 2X of the estimate. GRRR... Again, buyer beware, and ALWAYS get a WRITTEN estimate is my lesson learned. The truck did great coming home on a 95 degree day. The big fan did kick in. WOW, I had never heard it, but glad I did hear it. As some have noted, the truck seems a bit less bouncy. The truck is finally working the kinks out. Probably start a thread on tire wear and post some pictures, the front driver's tire has odd wear. We thought it was the tire, but seems to be the road, the pressure, or some sort of alignment issue.

They radiator did not leak one bit (nothing on the outside) and I found a missing nut, which was very obvious. I'll tighten them down and then call it good. It didn't pass the pressure test, but I have a feeling the nut tightening will fix it. The heater core on the other hand was a mess. I shut the in and out hoses off at the engine (love that they were there) and that stopped it from continuing to drain things, but it made a spectacular mess all over the wheels, the suspension, the engine, the fender, and then while putting it back in the garage, backing in, at a slight angle, these rest ended up on the passenger floor. Yuck. I mopped it up the best I could and will be removing things, then probably sending it a radiator shop. I've seen some good success on here for good costs. I should have grabbed one when I was at Glen's but ya never know what is going to go. Good to see that the radiator was not leaking. I am going to flush it soon I think.