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After a long day at work and a VA appt in a city 1 hour away....after that appt was done and a drive back home in the pouring down rain. I got both 4340 chromoly front axle shafts with CTM u-joints installed. And got both disk brake caliper brackets and spindle's on and torqued. And then I paused for dinner and then got back to it, I ended up getting the passenger side completely reassembled.
Grease zerks will be installed and ball joints lubed, after I am all done. Has any one heard the term "Alemite Fitting" instead of grease zerk? The ones on the bottom of the bottom ball joints always take a beating in the rocks, so I am just installing them for servicing the ball joint then removing and plugging it with the rubber flat plug they came with and a little RTV.
Well I hit a snag, I got the passenger side all back together and when doing a new lock in/out function check/rotational check (by hand) to make sure all is clear. And to check the steering knuckle stops are set correct. It seems like the new axles are riding crooked where they go in the axle tube. Almost like the new ball joints are WAY OFF causing me negative camber.
The old axle shafts/yokes were, for the most part, centered when going in and or gapped the same. On my new axle shafts, the yoke is contacting the top (of the axle tube) and I have a very noticeable gap on the bottom. The dvr side has the same issue, but less of a gap at the bottom.
So guess I am taking the passenger side all back apart tomorrow and starting over. And or checking it with the old axles 1st. I might blow it all apart and start over, but I know (or I feel that I did) followed the ball joint installation directions correctly.
I did a ton of ball joint research and these below had the best reputation. And they were available, for some reason Spicer and Moog not so much at the time I was shopping/ordering. Yes that was odd to me too.
The one issue, mentioned once about the Mevotech TTX was about the possible lack of good fit on the uppers. As in main diameter issues causing them to not fit (too big). I mic checked the uppers and they were the same as the Spicer's that came out. And they fit great, maybe it was a application error on the mentioned issue.
I got the Bronco axle shaft issued figured out and put back together....for the most part. I put on the stub shaft snap ring on the inner groove and it holds the axle shaft out just enough to stop the axle yoke to axle tube C contact issue. I have never seen a axle shaft run so out of center when floating/fully seated in the axle tube.
Hub/rotor/brake caliper and new lock in/outs are on, just waiting to connect the drag link. I first need to do some measuring of the old drag link before I reinstall it. And get the measurements for the new upgraded steering components. And then find out if I can reuse my old drop pitman arm or can use the new one. I just need to test fit the new one on the steering box sector shaft end.
Ok so BOTH sides are 100% back together. All 4 ball joints replaced, hubs/rotors back on. Brake calipers on. New TBP lock in/outs. I am now trying to get the tie rod end OUT of the end of the pitman arm. It is stuck like Chuck, so it is overnighting with a bath of Sea Foam Deep Creep and a pitman arm puller (with medium tension) to be left on over night. I need it out to start taking measurements for the upgraded steering linkage.
Yea Paul I was like WT heck also, and sort of still am. But the snap ring (put on the inner groove of the short shaft) holds the axle yoke from bottoming out in the tube end. And there is no real measurable axle/yoke deflection when the knuckle is moved/swung thru its full range of motion. (stop to stop). And this was also checked while the axle was turned (by hand power) thru normal rotational turns.
Well the tie rod end is still stuck in the pit man arm... like crazy. Even after a few days of steady puller pressure, Sea Foam Deep Creep and a few hammer whacks...still there. I am going to take the drop pitman arm off the steering box sector shaft end and work it over on the work bench. It has been off before in the past, so I hope for no issues there. No I have not applied heat, but once off the sector shaft the heat it up process is coming, maybe even try the Freeze Off stuff.
Heating and cooling sounds like your friend at this point.
I always managed to get mine out with the method you were already trying, but I sure hated to hit the Pitman Arm with a hammer while it was on the box.
That’s why I always used my dad‘s old trick, which was, two hammers opposing each other.
I never wanted to put any undo forces into a potentially delicate string box. so one hammer hitting one side at the exact same time that the other hammer had the other side. Very awkward on a bronco!
Last time I did it, I had to resort to just laying one hammer up one side, hitting the other side with the other hammer, and hoping that the resonant forces would break the taper loose, without having to put too much side force on a bearing or bushing.
Thanks and yes I hate to hammer hit a component that is connected to a steering box, especially any thing connected to the sector shaft. I am working on it more this afternoon and will try your idea. I bet it will look like a monkey wrestling a greasy football.
Well dang I forgot to try the 2 hammers trick. And I still can not get the tie rod end out of the pitman arm end. AND now the pitman arm is not coming off the steering box sector shaft. So now I have a 2 arm gear puller pulling on the pitman arm to sector shaft side. And the other tool applying pull torque to the other side tie rod end.
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