All that tool is for is to take off the spanner nut. A spanner nut is a standard industry type nut used for many different applications, not just a Ford 4x4 spindle.

And of course the dana 50 and the dana 60 are much larger axles. Larger diameter spindles with larger diameter wheel bearings, axles, etc. So a larger spanner nut is require for the dana 60.

The dana 44 spanner is the same on the old f100 4x4's from the 70's also, if you ever work on one of those trucks.

To get the hubs off you will need some allen wrenches to take the chrome part off. You will then need snap ring pliers to get the snap ring off the end of the axle. And then you need a hook tool to dig out the retaining ring around the outside of the rotor tube that holds the guts of the hub in place.

 

Good points, Dave. I guess I assumed he had the Allen wrenches, etc. But I shouldn't assume anything.

 

Thanks Franklin, I do own a comprehensive set of Allen wrenches, some snap ring pliers and picks. So I think the spindle nut tool is the only specialty item that I need.

And speaking of tools, just for kicks here is a picture of my very favorite one. It is a 1930's-1940's vintage Plomb brand 3/8 drive ratchet that belonged to my grandfather. Aside from the sentimental value, the strength and smooth operation of it is just amazing, as well as the balance and feel. It lives in my hands while working on cars. I wish I had a whole tool set like it.

 

Nice wrench!

Some of the old wrenches are so nice. I have a 3/8 drive ratchet that my father gave me in 1965 that is my favorite. And, Brandon/Brono2 gave me a matching 1/4" ratchet. They are my go-to ratchets.

 

One step closer...

the 1981 now has hubs and a pumpkin up front...





For anyone else trying this, I started by putting the radius arm studs through the brackets /without/ the rear half of the bushing. I just put on the washer and got the nut started a thread or two. Then I jacked and blocked up the axles and got the springs in the buckets and fastened them with the retainers. Then I jacked and pried until I got the pivot arm bolts through. Then I went back and put the rear half of the radius arm bushings on and tightened the nuts. There are surely other ways to do it, perhaps faster ways, but that is what worked for me. I was doing this by myself and my best friends were 6x6 wooden blocks, a long digging bar, a floor jack, and a 8 ton bottle jack.

I still have to replace brake calipers, hoses, pads, wheel studs etc., but the main swap is done.

 

Glad you have it done. And I sure hope you get some wheels on that thing 'cause it scares me!

Anyway, thanks for the tips on front end assembly. I hope to use them soon.

 

Yes, wheels are on and it's back on the ground. I know. It looks like a redneck block job in the photos but it was actually very secure. It was on HD jack stands and wooden blocks, with a third set of wooden blocks under the cross members just in case. The crooked blocks under the axles were not bearing much weight, just propping up the axle beam a bit. I'm with you, I hate suspended vehicles. When I did the radius arm bushings on the '68 F250 it slipped off the jack onto the safety blocks. It was a very sobering moment.

 

Yes, those things will sober you up in a heartbeat. Mine was vicarious. Dad, as a teenager, put his car on cinder blocks and crawled under it. The blocks crumbled and pinned him under it but didn't hurt him. His much-younger brother would take off for the house to get their father, but return before he got there to see if he could help, only to take off again, but then to return..............

Dad told that story enough times that I got the point - absolutely NO cinder blocks, and good jack stands with backups. So, I'm glad what I saw on yours was the backups and axle props.

 

One more hint about lining up the pivot bolts....

If you are installing the axles with the springs on, like I did, the springs are not compressed and the axle is pushed down and the radius arms have to point upward. This twists the axle beam so that the hole in the bushing is lower in the front than the back. You are not going to line up both holes, so don't bother trying. Line up the one hole that you want to put the bolt through. Tap it in as far as it will go. Then put a jack under the axle out by the hub and start compressing the spring. The beam will be forced to twist to a level position rather that just going up and down in the bracket slot. With a little strategic jacking and prying the other hole will line up and you can tap the bolt through and put the nut on.

I decided not to mess with the pivot bushings this time. Mine were really not that bad, and I decided if/when I change them I want to use the poly bushings that are re-inserted into the factory outer sleeves.

 

I posted this on Facebook and one of the members there said what I had done is the easiest way except for removing the springs. With them off, the axle beam can be leveled easily and the pivot bolts are less of a pain. This is probably true, but I don't know if it is less of a pain than fighting the big crimped nuts through the spring coils. Just a thought though, Gary, since I am guessing you have the springs off already.

 

Yes, I have everything off.

 

I made a little more progress... I swapped the 9" center chunk so I now have matching gear ratios front and back (which I hear is a good thing), and I got rid of the California lean by adding the 4wd lift blocks and longer U bolts. Note that you need the 3" U bolt cap plate. The U bolts don't clear the lift block with the 2.5" cap plate.



The axle leak on the donor turned out to be just a bad seal that was damaged when installed. In hind sight it would have been way easier to replace the seals and swap the whole axle. Instead I fought those dastardly copper crush washers which had hopelessly constricted around the neck of the studs. It took forever to chisel up the edges and twist off enough bits and pieces to free the studs. What a nightmare. I replaced them with help section brake hose washers, but they were all slightly different sizes and thicknesses. Oh well, I get what I get, hopefully not leaks.





Before I took the rear end apart I test drove the front axle and it drove nice and straight, no noise or vibration even with the hubs locked. The steering is still a bit loose, but I know the center link is shot beyond belief so I'm sure it's mostly that. It still has a long way to go, but it's getting there. Next push will be gleaning what I can from the donor and getting it gone.

 

Good progress.

That seal was obviously a big problem. And I agree - swap the axle next time. Those washers aren't easy to dig out, but they sure do seal. That's why I put new ones on.

 

You won't get any argument from me there... both center chunks seem to be leaking from the front pinion seal, but the chunk to housing sealed perfectly, including the studs that go through and could leak independent of the gasket surface area. The copper washers do tgeir job well.

One benefit of removing it was that it gave me the opportunity to wipe out the inside with a rag. The oil/sludge at the bottom was pretty nasty. It's almost as if it should have a drain plug there or something

Evidently the grease worms Jim told me about will eat oil too. The 1981 (the one ~without the wheel seal leak) only had about a pint of oil in it including what I mucked out with the rag...

The center chunk that I am keeping looks like it is leaking around the big nut in the center of the yoke. Is this something that can be changed without disturbing the r&p preload?

I went ahead and bought friction modifier for the oil. It occurs to me that I don't know the state of the clutches, and adding it unnecessarily won't hurt anything besides wasting a few bucks, but if by chance they are working...

 

You can mark the nut with a punch, and mark the end of the shaft. Carefully take it off, you may find it's loose anyway, which throws the marking thing out the window. A impact is the best for getting it off.

Replace the seal, put the yoke back on and then the nut. Tighten it back up till your marks line back up. I have never had a problem doing it this way.

If the nut was loose when you started, when you put it back together get it as tight as you can. When I run across one that was loose I like to put a little lock tight on the threads.

P.S. You probably should put a little dab of rtv on the splines, they can leak oil through there.