steering arm removal????

[71 super]

I am presently getting my d44 front axle housing ready to be blasted and rebuilt, but have ran into a snag. The steering arm held on by three bolts/nuts will not come off. Is there a trickto this? Also is there anywhere to buy a kit to rebuild the front- ball joints, inner bearings seals and u joints- and any advice when doing this by the way 72 open knuckle front. Thanks

[1tonblaze]

when i did mine i got moog ball joints and tie rods from the local parts store . the steering arm too alot of heat and pounding from a hammer . there is little locking cones that hold the arm down and after 30 + years of weather they get locked in there

[Yukon Jack]

Those can be a huge pain to break loose. Those cones will get tighter if you try to pound the steering arm up so you need to stricke the arm from the top to try to break them loose. Plenty of PB Blaster or some other rust breaker will help. I had to step up to a large sledge and ended up bending the studs when I finally got the arm off - the studs were like $45 to replace, grrr!

There are some past posts on steering arm removal that would be very helpful, if you can find them.

[Yukon Jack]

I couldn't find a thread here, but here are a few on ck5

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthr...ng+arm+removal

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthr...ng+arm+removal

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthr...ng+arm+removal

I don't know if this one will work, but this is the thread from the search I did

http://coloradok5.com/forums/search.php?searchid=845263

As you can see from the number of threads on the subject, they can be very difficult!

[jerry moss]

lots of penetrating oil and a BFH, lube the he!! out of the cones, let 'em soak for a few hours and knock the holy crap out of the side of the arm to dislodge the cones. ball joints , bearings etc. should be available at most parts houses BUT they'll ask you if it's a first design or second design--i have no idea how to tell one from the other. i swapped my axle shafts and spindles over to the 73 on up type, bigger axle shafts on the inboard side and easier to buy repair parts. around here, wrecking yards are full of 73 up style trucks so parts are easy to find for the swap.
hope this helps.

[LONGHAIR]

There is a bit of a trick to this...it is not all about brute force.

I helps if you are willing to dismantle that side of the axle a little. If you remove the caliper, rotor, and the backing plate (caliper bracket) you get far better access to the whole thing.
Then you can get your hammer in there better. You don't need the biggest hammer in the world either, it is as much about speed with the hammer.
You can't use some toy, but you don't need a 10 pounder either.
Ok, nuts removed of course.....Safety glasses are a very good idea here.
Hit the side of the arm, several times, rapidly. Listen while you are doing this. You will hear a difference, when you do, stop. One of the cones will have jumped up slightly. Take a medium sized flat blade screwdriver and tap it into the split in the cone, not too much, you will wedge it again. This will open it slightly so it can be removed. Sometimes they will lift straight up, other times it helps to "unscrew" it. Then go back to the hammer......repeat.
This will work, plain and simple. Brutality somewhat controlled....LOL

[71 super]

Thank you! I will give the last method a try first- I am already at that point calipers are off rotor ready to come off etc. Are the ujoints different from driveshaft joints? They look to be a inside lock- will a vise or press better when I get that far? Again thanks for the help as all of 4x4 stuff is new to me.

[LONGHAIR]

They are a bit different, yes. They are more like a C-clip that snaps over the outside of the cap, rather than the usual expanding type that go in the yoke.
Do yourself a huge favor and be sure to clean-up the inside of the axle where the clips fit. Take a file to them, be sure that they are smooth and flat. It will make things go back toghter much easier.

[jerry moss]

you have to be really careful not to bend the ends of the axle shaft when removing the u-joint cups. i use a torch and cut the entire center portion of the joint out of the way. the extra heat will loosen the rust around the cups making removal much easier once the C-clips are removed. as said before, clean everything very well prior to re-assembly.. i use a little grease on the inside holes of the axle shaft to make the new cups slide easier.
another thing to do is clean out the axle tubes before sliding the axles back in, otherwise you can ruin the inner seal and those seals are not fun to replace.