I'm trying to install gears into my dana 60, but I can't get the spindles off. I have taken many d44 spindles off in the past, but none were as stubborn as these 60 spindles. I have ruled out the hammer and chisel method, and the rubber mallet method. I have heard of building a rig that bolts to a slide hammer and screws onto the spindle threads. So my questions are:
1. What methods have ya'll used to remove stubborn spindles?
2. Does anyone know the part number for spindle nuts?

Passenger Spindle which has not been messed with.

Drivers Side which I have pounded on.

 

take a block of wood and put it down on the end of the spindle (over the threads) and hit it with a bfh. Then work around in 90* incriments. It might take several times because it looks like the disk brake backing plates have completely rusted out.


Rich at Welcome to Complete Off Road can help you with your spindle nuts if your local autoparts store cannot.

 

Thanks for your input, but I actually have already tried that. I don't mean just tried it, but worked at it diligently. The bracket was pretty rusted and when I heated up the the spindle and knuckle with my torch the bracket just melted right off.

 

at this point I dont think a slide hammer deal will help you. Maybe you can build something on the order of this SPINDLE PULLER TOOL DANA 30,44 MORE or its time to get a bigger F H.


I know they are PITA. My D60F came from Ohio and was quite rusty.

 

soak every inch of that seam and backside of the thing with pb blaster and come back tomorrow. If you have already tried this then heat it up real hot, not quite red, but hot, with a torch and dump cold water on it immediately. I know it sounds craZY but I have seen a few welding and machine shops do it and it cools fast enough to shatter the rust. some times it takes a few trys but I would try the blaster oil first. Another idea is water. Believe it or not, water can loosen rust. It creates it and it can loosen it too.

 

Probably not the safest way but I had to use something very narrow and hard. I took a file and ground it to look like a knife and took the BFH to it and just kept working around it. It worked very well and it never broke. The file is very hard steel.

Good Luck

 

It has been soaking for days, and is stubborn as ever, I ordered a spindle nut today. This weekend im going to weld a pipe to the spindle nut. Weld a bolt to the pipe and take my slide hammer to it. I will let ya'll know if it works or not.

 

I really think the only way off is to drive something in between them. They are tough to remove without the 35 years of rust.

Good luck and be careful.

 

I know it is extra work but take off the upper and lower king pins and remove the spindle and take it to a press or BFH. Being that rusty the king pins probably need attention also. Be sure to coat all the mating surfaces with wheel bearing grease and it will fall off next time.

 

This is a ball joint axle unfortunately, I have tried to drive several different chisels between the knuckle and spindle with no luck. Maybe the slide hammer idea will work.

 

Had to be a ball joiint!!!! I actually use a 4 lb Brass hammer. I dont use a block of wood. I hit on the part behind the outer bearing and once it moves a little, start using the chisel and alternate hitting from the top and bottom also.

 

have you tried an air chisel?

 

No I haven't tried an air chisel If my slide hammer doesn't work then I'll try an air chisel.

 

i used an air chisel. i HATE working on stuff after its a few years old. pittsburgh winters will rust anything together. bolts are the worst. usually just end up cutting and redrilling and tapping.