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So does anyone have a tips/tricks on getting the caliper mounting bracket off of the spindle hub? I'm having a front axle rebuilt and cleaned up etc....and want to clean all the parts up and replace the dust cover shields for the rotors and don't want to just beat the things a part and wreck something.
So does anyone have a tips/tricks on getting the caliper mounting bracket off of the spindle hub? I'm having a front axle rebuilt and cleaned up etc....and want to clean all the parts up and replace the dust cover shields for the rotors and don't want to just beat the things a part and wreck something.
What year, series? If this is an F250, does it have single or dual piston calipers?
Lotsa luck finding dust shields for any 1970's trucks, they've been obsolete for 30 years and no one has any NOS
There are other ways but this is one option I would use.
Securely clamp spindle in a suitable vise with aluminum or wood lined jaws so as not to damage it. soak it down with penetrating oil and let sit overnight if you can. Or do 2-3 cycles of Heat, Penetrating oil, Cool, Heat, Penetrating oil, Cool etc. This is best if you have oxy/acetylene torch but propane will work though take longer. One last heat up focusing heat on the caliper bracket itself around the hub, hit the caliper bracket in attempt to break it free from the spindle ( important to have spindle tightly secured in vise) with a dead-blow hammer or hammer and piece or 2x4. If its really stubborn you might strike it in a manner to try and get it to "rotate" back and forth a little on the spindle first. Once you get it to move continue with penetrating oil and you're on your way.
I'd go ahead and sawzall the left over heat shield off to get it out of your way...What ever you do, you do not mess up the threads or the bearing inner race contact area. If you are going to hammer on it, put the old bearings (inner and outer, use big washers to take place to fill in the rotor gap) and nuts back on tight against each other and right on the end to protect the end threads and X100 on a 2x4 between the hammer and what ever area you are beating on. Since you located some dust shields you might want to see if that have a spare spindle or two.
There are adapters that thread on to the spindle, then to a slide hammer. Usually you would remove the spindle with the knuckle on the axle, then continue on the removing the knuckle.
In this case, I would clamp the knuckle in a big vise, then use the adapter & slide hammer. They usually come out fairly easily.
First thing take a grinder with a wire brush on it and hit the rear of the spindle. Rust is whats holding it on. I always use an old big screwdriver without the handle sharpened real sharp and get in between the two and start driving it in. Once you get it moving start prying around in a circle. It will come off. Be sure to do the spray
Penetrating oil after you hit it with the wire brush. You could also de-rust it with Electrolysis. Google--- rust removal by Electrolysis. looks easy enough. I am going to try it on a 429 block later this summer. One of the guys here at work used it on his 3? dodge engine block turned out great.
Google--- rust removal by Electrolysis. looks easy enough. I am going to try it on a 429 block later this summer. One of the guys here at work used it on his 3? dodge engine block turned out great.
I've done it with cast iron small parts, tea pots, frying pans … stuff that will fit in a 5 gal. bucket … with great results and new looking items, but a 429 block> Gonna be interested to see that setup.
There are adapters that thread on to the spindle, then to a slide hammer. Usually you would remove the spindle with the knuckle on the axle, then continue on the removing the knuckle.
In this case, I would clamp the knuckle in a big vise, then use the adapter & slide hammer. They usually come out fairly easily.
I’ve got the spindle hub removal tool. It threads on to the spindle and used the slid hammer to pull the spindle/caliber bracket off of the knuckle. Worked like a charm. About the 10th hit with the slide hammer and it came right off.
Good idea to put the spindle hub tool on to protect the threads!
I'd go ahead and sawzall the left over heat shield off to get it out of your way...What ever you do, you do not mess up the threads or the bearing inner race contact area. If you are going to hammer on it, put the old bearings (inner and outer, use big washers to take place to fill in the rotor gap) and nuts back on tight against each other and right on the end to protect the end threads and X100 on a 2x4 between the hammer and what ever area you are beating on. Since you located some dust shields you might want to see if that have a spare spindle or two.
X2 on heat, penetrating oil, soft face dead blow.
Bud! You make some good points! You need to have a little faith in me brother! A spare spindle or two? Yes there are new spindles available. Let’s hope I don’t need any!
I have faith in YOU, I am just saying that with my luck (if I was doing this) "I" would have to know there are spares out there.
I am sending you all the "hope" I have, finger crossed, rubbing my lucky rabbit foot, doing the ya ma ha ma lucky one foot chicken hoop, hello Henry Ford be with me now, while we go down this road of battling rusty and tight fitting parts. I say come apart easy you devil of a 2 stuck together pieces of Ford-ness! Yield to the slide hammer or the tap of the mighty dead blow! LOL I am NOT drunk. I am hoping, and when I am hoping I get into it.lol x2
I have faint in YOU, I am just saying that with my luck (if I was doing this) "I" would have to know there are spares out there.
I am sending you all the "hope" I have, finger crossed, rubbing my lucky rabbit foot, doing the ya ma ha ma lucky one foot chicken hoop, hello Henry Ford be with me now, while we go down this road of battling rusty and tight fitting parts. I say come apart easy you devil of a 2 stuck together pieces of Ford-ness! Yield to the slide hammer or the tap of the mighty dead blow! LOL I am NOT drunk. I am hoping, and when I am hoping I get into it.lol x2
All your hope and prayers and rubbing of the lucky rabbit foot etc.......IT ALL PAID OFF! Thanks!!!!!!
Soaked it for a few days with PB blaster. Heated it up with the actyelene torch did a little tap tap.....soaked it a couple more times.....heated it up again and was hitting it with a 5lb lead hammer (we use the lead hammers at work. That gave me a nice dead blow and the lead being real soft if it hit anything critical it wouldn’t damage anything) and I noticed it started to move. The old dust shield was loose. So I went and got a couple of my home made thin metal scrapers. Tapped the scrapers in on the backside (from where the caliper mounts) and just kept tapping up with the lead hammer etc...and working all the way around etc... As the gap got bigger I would put a heavy washer/s to help fill the gap and tap the scrapers back in etc...just kept working it and presto! Popped off. No damage to anything!
Other than it soaking for a few days with PB blaster I probably only have an hour of time into it.
Driver side done.....now I’ll work on the passenger side time permitting.
Yes I had it mounted in my bench vise in between 2x4 blocks with a piece of wood underneath the bottom of it so the threads of the spindle wouldn’t bottom out/touch the metal vise at all.
Thanks for the encouragement and the good luck charms!
New dust shields will be here next week. They are brand new ones from Auto City Classic Parts and are suppose to be better vented to help cooling!? I’ll take some good pictures of them when they get here and post them up so guys can see them.
02-14-2019, 07:21 AM
