I just got back from a short drive around the neighborhood. Things feel and sound alright. (Still lots of popping noises, but I think it's all from the driver's side, and I did the passenger side first since it's what failed the inspection.)

Tuesday evening to Saturday evening. 4 days for the passenger side. Anyone want to start a poll on how long the driver's side will take me? I'm going to run a stopwatch when I get going. I'm guessing 4 to 8 hours now that I've learned so much. (Maybe more if the other brake caliper is flaky, but I'm going to be REALLY careful with it and not give it much of a chance to get out of whack.)

 

It shouldn't take you anywhere near that long.

 

Glad to hear you got it FM.

The odds you will have anywhere near the problems you had this time around are small IMO.

 

Yea, you learn from the first side.

 

I started my stopwatch as I was rounding up tools, and stopped it when I went for a drive around the block. 6:46. Probably 45 minutes of that was spent looking for the right angle Zirc I dropped yesterday. Finally found it under the other front tire. I must have left it when I finished the other one and drove over it this afternoon. That was a fun hunt with all the leaves in the driveway...

I did have some weirdness with this side I think. When I torqued the bolts on the two ball joints, I couldn't turn the knuckle side to side by hand. I don't remember the passenger side being that tight. After putting the tie rod back on and starting the engine the steering wheel felt okay and the wheels seemed to turn normally. I also spent a while drilling holes in a thicker piece of steel to pull the axle with, all 4 hub studs unscrewed so I cleaned them carefully before reinstallation, and the darn axel seal still took quite a beating to remove even though I popped it out of the knuckle quickly this time.

I definitely notice a lot less popping noises when turning but apparently there are other things on the truck that make little noises.

One concern was that the steering does seem to be a bit off. Truck goes straight for the most part, but after a turn I think it wants to continue a bit in whichever direction I was just going, and on the way back from picking my wife up at work I did get some sort of swaying one time, like an overcorrection or something.

Something I need to double check, or normal for things to feel weird for a bit before settling in?

 

I bought parts and pieces of plastic pipe and made both the outer seal driver for the new designed SKF metal seal, but not before being faced with needing to drive the hub seal (the inner vacuum seal). We all do this and I did it too, I looked around my garage for something that might help me drive this seal. I had no transportation and I was desperate! You won't believe it, but my O2 cylinder cap from the torch set most of us have, worked perfectly! I know sounds nuts, doesn't it? Anyway, got drivers side together being creative, dented in my O2 cylinder cap a little and I'm back on the road! Made up a driver from PVC pipe and bought half a dozen caps. You hit the capped end with the hammer (wear safety glasses, trust me) and when it breaks, slap on a new one! Keeps the rest of the driver intact and doesn't cost $100 like the seal driver I found for sale! I'm driver and shared owner with my credit union of a 2006 f250 SD 4x4 5.4 gasser. Many others have posted how they performed ball joint, vacuum seal, hub, stub axle u-joint, and seal assembly and I thought I'd share a bit to maybe help a someone who is stuck without transportation because your working on it, like I was!

Thanks to all of you for helping me! I appreciate it!

 

Kenny, as someone who has posted some lengthy and picture intensive instructions on this forum and other forums, I wanna say THANK YOU for this PDF.

Cheers brother. If only everyone was as generous with their time.

 

This Autozone (GREAT NECK OEM Brand) rental ball joint press 270230 WILL NOT WORK.

Dont waste your time. You will be able to get them off, but not back on. The press is too small/short. It cannot reach around both cups.

 

[quote=Miescha;3206663]
Wheel Bearing:
Ford # C6tZ-3123-A $9.30 each
NAPA # B2110 $6.42 each



wanted to throw up a update, i need two bearing's and my local Napa is $12.00 a piece and my local Ford dealer wanted $26.70!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[QUOTE=SuperDutyScaler;14618155]And I bet the local bearing supply house is $4.00 ea.


Sean

 

Well I would have paid 30 a piece as lobg as it stopped that dang bag of marble sound ive had for the past two or three months. Installed new needle bearing and reinstalled and my axle shafts are now tight with no jiggle. Odd because I cleaned the original needle bearings and they seemed fine with no play and they had grease still in them from four years ago when I did my ball joints...... o well problem fixed for me

galaxy S4 using IB AutoGroup

 

Needle bearings are dependent on the shaft clearance.
That may of been growing over time and that is why you
were getting noise. Once the new ones were in and the
clearance closed up the shaft was held on the center line
much better than before.


Sean

 

Just did my entire front end (hub assy's, ujoints, upper/lower ball joints, seals)

IMO do yourself a favor and go to Harbor freight and buy one of their 12ton shop presses on sale. I personally have been wanting a press for several years but never got around to it. I had a coupon and payed 120.00. Yes it is CHINA stuff but it works and works well. The ball joints can be hammered out but the new ones "should" be pressed in.

I love this press and since I work on stuff all the time, it will come in handy.


PS......I had a ball joint tool from years ago made by OTC. Did one using this tool....went to the press for the other 3.....much easier!

 

I bought the harbor freight 20 ton shop press over five years ago and use that sucker weekly! I made my on break for it so I can bend steel for brackets etc when working on trailers or odd and ends. I probally let other people use it more than I do I always have a cousin or uncle calling to stop over and use "big orange"

galaxy S4 using IB AutoGroup

 

Hell yeah brother....I was going to go for the 20 ton but decided the 12 was ok....I can always increase it to a little bit more with another jack....but 12 ton is a lot IMO.....good deal!