17 replies to this topic

[Jamz14]

Last night I lifted the car up and started on the rear suspension rebuild. The right side went smoothly, everything unbolted with ease.

Moving to the left side, I was unable to pull the knuckle and hub assembly off of the half shaft. It slide right off on the other side but no luck on the left. Took a gear puller to it and nothing. Am I missing something here or is it just frozen you think on the half shaft?

James

[Glenn]

Last night I lifted the car up and started on the rear suspension rebuild. The right side went smoothly, everything unbolted with ease.

Moving to the left side, I was unable to pull the knuckle and hub assembly off of the half shaft. It slide right off on the other side but no luck on the left. Took a gear puller to it and nothing. Am I missing something here or is it just frozen you think on the half shaft?

James

Take it to your local shop and have it pressed off! Very common if its never been apart. When you reassemble use plenty o anti sieze!

[Jamz14]

Thanks Glenn!!

[Austin Robison]

How big of a press do shops usually need to get the shaft out of the upright? I've got a 20 ton harbor freight press that I thought was going to explode trying to press mine out. (Or maybe I just chickened out before it broke free?)

[Keith Novak]

How big of a press do shops usually need to get the shaft out of the upright? I've got a 20 ton harbor freight press that I thought was going to explode trying to press mine out. (Or maybe I just chickened out before it broke free?)

They can freeze in there. I helped a friend swap a torsen into a 1.6 and we bent the 10 ton press. Then we heated it with an oxy acetaline torch while it was in the press fully loaded. It finally broke loose when the temp reached about 800*F and when it came loose, we both hit the deck and nearly had to change our shorts. Amazing how a little corrosion in there can essentially weld it together.

[dstevens]

How big of a press do shops usually need to get the shaft out of the upright? I've got a 20 ton harbor freight press that I thought was going to explode trying to press mine out. (Or maybe I just chickened out before it broke free?)

The pro shops aren't using an HF. A 20 ton Dake or Bailleigh will work better than a 20 ton HF. The 20 ton HF isn't really 20 tons working, but for the money it's not a bad deal. I was able to get mine out with my 12 ton HF but it was straining. Be extra careful with the HF plates though, they are notorious for shattering. SWAG sells a replacement set if you are going to use them much. http://www.swagoffro...ess_Plates.html Troy at SWAG is great to work with.

If you can't get them off for 20 bucks or so you should be able to have the local machine shop do it. My guy has a 10 buck minimum and before I got the HF he'd do a few pieces for the minimum. Depends on who you use and how they charge. I use Dan Fultz in Vega and he and his crew rock.

[Jamz14]

Ok, so I was going to remove the half shaft from the diff to take to the machine shop,headed to the FSM to read how and pry bars are suggested. Head down to pry a little ( and a little more than a little ) and nothing on either side. Before really laying into it I thought I'd check with you guys first. So just pry away?

[Glenn]

Ok, so I was going to remove the half shaft from the diff to take to the machine shop,headed to the FSM to read how and pry bars are suggested. Head down to pry a little ( and a little more than a little ) and nothing on either side. Before really laying into it I thought I'd check with you guys first. So just pry away?

Press! The trick Wheeler taught me is to put a load on the shaft, if it doesnt move waiit about 10 mins and WHACK it with a BFH. The shock will always work, just like removing ball joints and tie rod ends.

[Jamz14]

Thanks Glenn,

Tried the BFH this evening , and voila!

Thanks

[Ken Nesbit]

I've actually had the knuckle snap in half trying to press one out with a B-F press ... ditto on the plenty of anti seize when re-assembling.

[Jamz14]

Well I just took the half shaft to a machine shop and reached the limit on a 50 ton press without it coming out. Sounds like I'm screwed and should plan on a new knuckle and half shaft. Sound right? I mean the knuckle was flexing and that can't be that good for the bearings.

Thanks all,

J

[Tyler Dahl]

Did you try using a hot wrench?

[dstevens]

If it's not coming off at 50 tons on a real press the material has been fused. Even if you were to get it off the heat distortion/ friction that caused it to bond in the first place likely has damaged at least the fit of the part if not the integrity. Being fused that hard is going to affect the mating surface will likely render it unusable or require some machining if it is repairable. The usual SM salvage suspects should have a reasonably priced replacement.

I think this touches on what some of us were saying in another thread about need to tear down all moving parts on at least a semi regular basis to make sure a) they can still be disassembled b ) are sound and within spec for the application. Anti seize is our friend. I like Permatex. http://www.permatex....Lubricant_a.htm

[Jamz14]

Dstevens,

Agreed,scraping the whole shaft and knuckle.

Thanks,

[Glenn]

The Wheeler trick is to put pressure on the shaft let it sit with some PB Blaster.............and ............WHACK it with the BFH. Works EVERY time. May be too late since you probably bent the uprite. Unlessssss, a little extra camber maybe..........

[LarryKing]

What Glenn said PB Blaster and time - works like a charm. Anytime I think I'm going to repair something that may be rusted or seized I start by hosing it down daily with Blaster for at least a week ahead.

+1, antiseize upon reassembly means you only have to go through that once.

[davew]

Glenn is only telling you part of the trick.

I have a 20 ton H-F press and have never gotten stuck.

You have to use flat press plates under the hub flange. If you try to support the knuckle, you will pinch the bearing and make it even tighter!

If it will not press out with just the press power, let it sit for 10 minutes with pressure. Sometimes it will just POP and away you go. After 10 minutes, repump the press. Take a BFH, dead blow type prefered, and give the flange a couple of good solid wacks. If it still won't come out, wack the opposite side of the flange (ie turn the press around). If it still does not work, release, repump, and wack it harder with a bigger hammer.

It may take a few pump-wack cycles, but I get every one apart this way. I do NOT use heat. As soon as you use heat you should put in a new bearing. Too much heat and you should replace the hub. The shock load on the splines is what makes this work. That and putting all the press power into the hub and not into the upright.

Dave

[dstevens]

You have to use flat press plates under the hub flange. If you try to support the knuckle, you will pinch the bearing and make it even tighter!

I did mine with a 12 ton, no PB Blaster. Blaster makes Liquid Wrench look like a toy solvent... But, 50 tons is a lot though if they didn't set the plates properly I can see how it would bind the bearing and snug it even more. Glenn and Wheeler have far more experience with the chick car than I though at this point I'd cut my losses and get some salvaged parts and move on.

Says the guy that's had a stripped NA tub and 10k in SM parts in his garage unfinished for 15 months....