I was making good progress getting down to the axle shafts and ball joints on my Dana 50 TTB on an '89 F250. I got to the spindle, removed the 5 nuts, but the spindle is completely froze to the knuckle. I tried the cold chisel and the block of wood method but nothing has budged it. This was after several applications of PB Blaster. I keep reading about using a spindle puller with a slide hammer. I just can't imagine that is going to bust that joint apart if pounding on it with a small sledge hammer and block of wood didn't break it loose. Any suggestions? I don't have anyway of heating it. Now is there room to swing a larger hammer. I already split a piece of landscape timber in 3 pieces smashing on it.

 

I've got a method that's never failed me, but it is a little capital-intensive. The hard part is to get a steel plate with a hole that just barely fits over the spindle. I milled a hole in a piece of 3/8" steel because I have access to a milling machine at work. A hole saw could work too if you've got a LOT of patience.

Slip the plate over the spindle, putting some solid standoffs between the plate and something really solid on the steering knuckle. I used some pieces of 1/2" steel rod, but deep-well impact sockets work too.

Then slide the toothed washer that was between the two spindle nuts over the spindle and spin one of the spindle nuts snug against it. If all of that didn't make sense, what your going for is the spindle nut holding the plate against the steering knuckle. And it's helpful to put grease where the spindle nut contacts the washer.

Now take the spanner wrench for the spindle nut and tighten it down as tight as you can. In a perfect world putting that tension on the spindle would pull it right out of the knuckle, but if it was that easy you wouldn't be on here asking for help.

Now take a big hammer and smack the plate HARD right at the standoffs. Hit it once or twice on each standoff.

Then tighten the spindle nut again. Every time i've done this I've been able to just BARELY budge the nut after whacking the snot out of the plate. then keep repeating that cycle. As long as you're getting a little movement on the nut (and you're not bending the plate or mushrooming the standoffs) you're making a little progress. Eventually it will come.

 

That's got to be the hardest possible way to remove the spindle. Here are two much easier ways:

Rent a slide hammer with a spindle puller attachment from the auto parts store. 4-5 good hits and it will come off.

Use a 3-jaw puller. Put the spindle nut back on and hook the jaws around the nut. Position the center of the puller against the end of the stub shaft. It will come off pretty easy.

 

We use to pull off tons of them in the early 80's by taking a foot long 2x4 plaing the edge against the spindle about 4 inches out and alternating whacks with a baby Huey hammer, sounds primative but it won't hurt the threads because the wood is tons softer than the steel threads , it comes off easily once the rusty seal s broken and it really doesn't take more than a couple of good whacks , I regularly break u joints on my Dana 44 and the spindle is still in excellent shape, but use only if the other gear is not available or you are really stuck.

 

Agreed. Auto zone sells one that fits dana 44, D44HD, D50 and D60

part number 27104 is the socket that threads onto the spindle then the slide hammer threads onto it

 

I tried the wood and hammer method as well as trying to break the metal "seal" with a chisel. I had very slim doubts that something as simple as a slide hammer would do the trick. AutoZone right up the street had the hammer and the spindle socket 27104 in their loaner tool. I had to pay $85 but will get it back when I return. I brought it home, set it up and started hammering. About 10 minutes of slide hammering and it broke loose. I'm amazed that actually worked. I spent a good two hours doing it the other way and didn't get a crack in that seal. Oh and BTW, my passenger side axle u-joint was completely froze. I could not move it at all. I think my ball joints are actually ok. I still need to do pads and rotors for sure. Anyone know of a good right up on that process? It looks like the rotor is attached to the hub!?!

 

To each their own. As I said, it wasn't the simplest to get the hole in the plate. But for me it was an easy, cheap tool and now I have it. As far as being hard to do, it's never taken me 10 minutes to hammer a spindle off like it took the OP with a slide hammer. Nice to know that's available and that it works almost as well as mine. And it's definitely easier if you don't have access to a mill.

As far as a 3-jaw puller, I can't imagine that would have worked on any of my trucks. Up here in the rust belt things get STUCK. I've used 3-jaws on a few things, and I've never had them work on anything close to a rusted spindle.

And to the OP, sand down the rust on the spindle and knuckle , then coat both with antiseize before reassembling it. It'll come apart a lot better the next time.

 

I haven't worked on a Dana 50 but my rotors were held on with the wheel studs. Drove out all of the old studs and knocked off the rotors. Used new wheel studs to attach the new rotors.

 

The spindle socket costs like $20 and the slide hammer is a bit more (but also works for lots of other jobs). You can rent or buy. But its the bees knees for this job. I'd buy it twice for the time & spindles it saves.

 

My Dana 50 is the same.