revisit to shattered 10bolt

[dammitmitchell]

ok so i wont do my psuedo swearing anymore sorry

but what would be the easiest way to do this? the chiltons dosent cover my solid frints and i dont feel like "experimenting" so i'll admit my own naivete and ask. . .
would it be easier to just drop the balljoints and remove the whole spindle and do the spindle work on a bench?
then pop the diff cover remove the bolts clips etc and then remove the axel and do the seal ?
is there a reference on how to maintain my warn hubs?

[FormerMember]

You won't be able to re-assemble it that way.

Take the brakes and hub off, spindle and pull out the axle shafts. No need to take the ball joints apart unless they're worn.

BTW, the inner axles will come out without getting into the diff.

[LONGHAIR]

In a word........No.
You have to start from the outside and work your way in.
Get yourself a spindle nut socket before you even start. (Around $20)
Start with the tire/wheel obviously.
Then remove the caliper.
Next the lock-out hub.
The lock nut set is next. (This is what you bought the socket for)
This a a 3-piece set, an outer nut, locking ring with many small holes, and the inner nut. The inner nut has a pin that engages the ring.
With all of the removed, the hub/rotor assembly will pull right off.
Behind that, there are six nuts that hold the caliper bracket/dust shield in place. Remove the nuts and tap the bracket on the back with a hammer. It will come off pretty easily.
The spindle is the real challenge. There is nothing else holding it on, except the press-fit. Some PB Blaster is good at this point. There is a special tool for removing these....but they are pretty spendy. It's about $50 but you need a slide hammer to work it with, so that is probably another $20 or so.
It can be done manually....some are far worse than others. To do it manually, you need something to protect the threads. A block of wood, aluminum, brass, etc. needs to be placed on the spindle between hammer blows. Hit the spindle (block) upward and downward alternately. It will take quite a bit of "wiggling" to get it off.
Once the spindle is off, the axle pulls right out. There is nothing retaining it from the inside.

The seal, on the other hand, takes quite a bit more. You have to remove the carrier (ring gear) to get to it. This means that you have to do all of the above to the other side first. That done, the seals are removed from the inside of the housing.

It goes back together pretty much the opposite...except for the hammering part...LOL Just be sure to clean-up the mating surfaces of the spindle and knuckle, there is usually rust and crud there. It is also a good idea to replace the bearing on the inside of the spindle, "while you are in there". They get neglected/abused.
Clean, inspect, re-pack, all of the bearings and replace the inner wheel seal.
The inner nut goes on first, with the pin pointing outward. Torque the inner nut to about 40# and spin the hub by hand a few times, loosen it back up. Then re-torque it to 20#. The initial "over-tightening" makes sure that everything is seated properly....DO NOT run it that tight, be sure to back the nut off and re-torque it to 20#. Now is the time for the lock ring, the one with the holes. Align the tab on the ring with the key-way on the spindle. Push it back to the inner nut with your fingers. It is very important that the rings sits flat, meaning that the pin went into one of the holes. If it does not, pull it back out, turn the ring over and try it again. The holes are slightly off-set from the tab, many times this is all that is required to line them up. If not you will need to move the inner nut, just slightly, and try it again. Once it is on correctly, the outer nut goes over it. Torque this to 50# or so, this does not have to be very exact. It just has to stay tight. It is holding the inner in place.
Beyond this, it is as simple as reinstalling the brake caliper and lockout hub parts.
This is a lot of work, especially when the inner seal is involved. If this is your daily driver, be sure that you have everything in order before you start and be prepared for snags. Having another vehicle or at least access to a ride would be a plus. If you know someone locally that has done this before, it is that much better..

How is that for long-winded? If anyone has anything to add, got for it, we can put this in the FAQs so I don't have to type that all again.

BTW, the inner axles will come out without getting into the diff.

No, it won't. The seal goes in from the carrier side.

[FormerMember]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

No, it won't. The seal goes in from the carrier side.

The inner axle (the item he broke) will come out once the spindle is off.

I didn't say anything about the seal.

[dammitmitchell]

i had not mentioned the seal in this posting it was in the other one...
sorry for the confusion =-)
but yeah basically gotta rebuild my whole front...
now with a D44 are the cailpers and such that different? i know it seems petty but my wife is gonna flip if i keep throwing money at the truck.. i kinda have to "limp it along" for a bit until i can get (afford) a d60 and 14bolt ff
.....
grrrr..
well... hmmm.. next question
who maked descent replacement for these axels?
i had looken around but not to extensivley because i keep finding for d44 and up...
any ideas?
and logn hair you know entirley too much for your own good you usually answer my random questions

[LONGHAIR]

grendel, you are right I mis-read your post...sorry.
I guess I was just in the mind-set of it makes no sense to pull the axle w/o replacing the (obviously leaking) inner seal.

All in all, though, for the amount of work involved and the cost of the axle.......If you are trying to be "cheap" about it, there are two ways to go.
1) Buy an entire axle (complete housing) from a junk yard and swap it in, it only takes a few hours. You just have to be sure to get the right gears.
2)Leave it and just drive it, until you can afford to do something else. This eliminates the 4 wheel drive aspect, but it is cheap.

[dammitmitchell]

hey can i pull that outer axel shaft and the truck still be driveable?
like i dont ahve to worry about my tires falling off or anything?
imnot looking to wheel but i need to get me around for a few more weeks until i can get time to actually repair it...
please let me know cause that broken outer peice is now loose and moving around quite a bit

[LONGHAIR]

You don't have to worry about your tire falling off....but it is a lot of work, that you would have to do twice, if you pull the axle out and don't put one back in. The lock-out hub should keep the outer axle from moving around too much....

[dammitmitchell]

i can almmoosst pull it out with the tire turned fully so im going to pull the axel shaft before i destroy everythign roudn it..
thanks guys!

[FormerMember]

The hub and wheel bearings anchor the wheel to the spindle. No axleshafts required.