I've read the posts... soak it in PB Blaster (or whatever that stuff is). Heat it, bang it, soak it, heat it, bang it, hammer the crap out of it... The question is - where? All the chisels I have have fairly blunt ends and the spindle comes down and seals against the knuckle with no beveled edge whatsoever. Trying to get the chisel in there doesn't do much but bang up the lip of the spindle. Trying to hit it from behind the knuckle is both super awkward and ends up banging up the lip that sits inside the knuckle hole. Somebody suggested banging on it w/ a piece of wood. Uh, and where would that spot be? Just whale on the spindle itself? Somebody suggested using a gear puller and ratcheting it down a few turns for every whack. I need a picture because I can't see it in my head. Where does a gear puller clamp onto? Can't put it on the end of the spindle attached to the spindle nuts because it simply pushes the spindle (axle) down into the hole and the wheel now wants to buckle towards the left or the right. I can sort of imagine making a gigantic U shaped bracket made out of thick steel and putting a hole through the middle of it big enough to put the spindle through, then tightening the spindle nuts against the bracket, but that seems far-fetched.

I know, heat it, soak it, pound the crap out of it... If i'm doing to do that, lets hear stories w/ specific details about where the pounding is done... I'm stumped and the car is a mess. :-(

 

What exactly are you working on?

 

what am I working on? How about "getting the spindle off"? I'm working on replacing the ball joints and the axle bearing & seals. Why would I be trying to get the spindle off if I weren't trying to do one of those things?


I've heard good things about spindle pullers attached to a big heavy slide hammer. Think I'm going to try THAT instead of whacking it and losing my sanity.

 

Front wheel spindles, left and right. whole suspension system and axles need replacing.

 

I kind of got it that you were working on spindle. Was wondering what year etc.etc. But thats okay. I wont bother trying to help you. Just keep soaking with pb blaster and beat it off.

 

I've been whackin' it like I'm a 15 year old boy. It won't come off. I'm confused....

 

Some auto parts stores sell spindle pullers...When I did mine I use an air chisel. Just had to break it apart from the knuckle and pull it right off within a few minutes. If you don't have an air chisel use a regular chisel to where the spindle meets the knuckle and start hammering it all around. You should see it start to split apart.

 

I get it that lots of people use chisels and it works, but I don't see how the chisel gets in between the lip of the spindle and the knuckle, there's no seam there to get the chisel into so I don't understand the physics involved. It almost seems like all the chisel does is provide vibration, so i'm curious why it would even work. what angle do you put the chisel at? 45 degrees to the seam, or straight up and down to the seam? I'm serious. I was trying it and all the chisel did was dent up the lip. Am I supposed to sharpen my chisel to a fine thin blade?

 

Since you still haven't said what exactly you're working on i'm going to use my imagination and assume you're working on a early 90's 4x4 bronco. When I removed the spindles on that style of axle I put a 2*4 on the end of the spindle and hit it down with a big hammer until it moved then put something in the gap in top of the spindle so it couldn't go back in and did the same from underneath and repeated until it came out.

 

Bud if you want us to help you then you need to help us... If you can, provide us with details as to the year of the Bronco, stock or modified.

If you dont know what year take some pictures of the truck and upload it.

Also take some pictures of the spindle and knuckle at different angles.

Did you even unbolt the spindle? Stupid question but at this point I feel like someone needs to ask.

There's no other way to explain it but you need to hammer the chisel between the spindle to where it meets the knuckle.

And lastly stop getting testy with people, we are not your younger brother we are just trying to get information from you, which you are lacking to provide.


Here use this too, it may help

 

Do yourself a huge favor and just buy this tool:


It's worth the money. It'll get even the most rusted on spindles off in seconds. When you see how easy it is to get the spindles off with it, you'll wish you had bought it sooner and not bothered messing around with other tools or beating on it.


You need a slide hammer to use it, so buy/rent one of those too if you don't already have one.


Make sure the ABS sensor shield thing is removed, as indicated in NewEnglander's picture (if your truck has 4 wheel ABS). Those things are a PITA and I never bother reinstalling them. The ABS still works fine without them.


And remember to coat the mating surfaces with anti-seize before putting it back together so it's easier for the next time.

 

OH. What am I working ON. I thought you mean "what are you trying to do". I figgered "get the spindle off" was sort of enough info. It's a 1995 Bronco XLT, just bought it. It's rusted silly underneath (and inside). It's been a real bear to restore. Yeah I took off all the bolts and the ABS sensor (you know what, Sears has a great "universal socket set", which is like a modified 12-point socket set, except the socket has square ridges instead of triangle ones. The 6mm socket in that set works GREAT on the ABS bolt! Grabbed it like a pit-bull. Anyhow, whacking it, hard, with a 4x4 on the end of the spindle does nothing. No hairline crack, no nothing. I ordered a puller from ebay, waiting the 2 weeks for it to get here... meanwhile, truck is up on blocks. Nasty.

 

You are coming here for help, so I advice in the future you refrain from using those wise comebacks, you'll get a lot more helpful responses that way. On to the subject at hand: You already have been told where to hit with the chisel, then you can also try a different approach, seeing the picture there shouldn't be anything holding the spindle, but you can re-check anyway, then try using a breaker bar to leverage, pushing the axle out. There is a Front End Rebuild link in my signature where I show how I pulled the axle out doing this with a tire bar, it could help you push the spindle out.

 

it wasn't clear what that person was asking, and I don't think my reply was all that naughty. Sometimes (on other forums), I get some really snarky dumb-a* replies, so I never know who is really trying to help me vs who's being a wiseacre.

Anyhow, to the business at hand: bought a KD3610 puller off eBay for $10 and a really nice slide hammer of eBay, gave it some whacks, and the small and medium whacks didn't do squat. Then I put my full might behind it and really stroked it hard. (ha ha ha). It budged just a little. About 20 whacks at full strength and it popped right off. I felt like that monkey in 2001 space oddity who killed the other monkey - like a King drunk with power. If you're a tiny man, even the slide hammer isn't going to budge a really rusted spindle.

Boy the components behind the spindle were really ruined.

so, done w/ this topic. people - use a slide hammer. Whacking it with a stick or brass hammer = poorer option.