yeah, im still on my way to the ball joint... i have the haynes manual, but am not finding it very helpful... it says to take out the lock ring, and i can see where i would pinch it (and have) but it is clearly behind something else. There is a circular thing with a 2 flatter sides opposite eachother with things that i can get a small screw driver under and pull them out, but thats it. Does anybody have any idea what I am talking about? I bought the large 4x4 hub tool, but i dont think im at the stage to use it. I can clarigy if you need.

BTW 92 full size bronco.

Send help fast.

 

If you do a search on this message group you'll find everything you want to know. Its been covered a few times and in some really good detail.

 

Check this link out. Helped me alot when I did mine.

http://www.off-road.com/ford/bigbron...balljoint.html

 

billybob...

i went to that link you referred me to and found it helpful but... i get to pic 4 and i cant seem to get the thing out. Mine is auto locking and the one shown is manual, but he says they differ only slightly... am i just not using a big enough hammer? is there something i have to rotate or pinch, or what?

thanks

 

Here yah go man, this should help you out I hope Its step by step for the auto hubs, I had to take mine off not to long ago....its really easy once you know how they come apart.

Im going to give you the low down on the hub assembley.
Now that you have the 3 torques screws out and the 4x4 cap off, you then have to take he silver cap off which is held into place by a BIG snap ring. Just clean out all the grease around it and you will find a slot in it, thats were you just pry it out with a screw driver or what not and just pull that cap out . You will then see a yellow c-clip on the axle shaft...near the threads. Pop that out with a screwdriver. Then 2 washers will come off after that, (actually there is 3 i think, but it only looks like 2 cuz two of them are little tiny shims and are stuck together with the grease) ANYWHO, lets get on with it.
Then there will be another clip, i guess you would call it a retaining clip, it keeps the nut from loosening. If you clean all that grease out the best you can you will see it looks like a C but at the TOP it is kind of flat. Were it is flat is were it goes into that small nut with all those holes around it. In order to get it out you have to use either your hooked screw drivers or a set of needle nose and pull it straight out torwards you. (IF YOU DONT NOT TAKE THAT CLIP OUT FIRST BEFORE LOOSENING THE LARGE BEARING NUT, YOU WILL BREAK THE CLIP) OOPS
Then once you have that retaining clip out it is just a matter of using your special socket you bought and loosing up that large nut.

Thats it, then the whole hub/rotor assembley comes off.

It is really easy actually, the other side knowing how to do it now will probably only take you 5 minutes to get apart.

 

AHH HA! Autolocks....yep a bit different. Snow has it for ya.

 

snow....
i hate to sound ignorant but I really did not see much of what you spoke of. After I got the dust cap off I popped of a snap ring that held on a larger spring. that came off and i had the outer thing where the screws went (btw pulled on these AWHILE)- it as has a gap in it where there are two prongs that pinch together but apparently need to be dealt with after this piece is out- inside that is something that is circular but on opposite ends has flat sections. In these flat sections are clip like things that can be pulled up and seem to be connected to eachother. It has larger teeth on the outside that match up with the first ring mentioned and smaller teeth on the inside that have another tube inside that. I am going to keep banging my head into the wall here. Thanks for the help

 

so i finally got it off!!! turns out (and maybe you guys said this but I just didnt speak the same language) i had to pinch the 2 prong thing at the top, and then pull on the two screws i had re-thread. then the whole rig came right off. I used the big tool i bought and took off both nuts. the caliper was next (the shoe came un-clipped, i dont think that will be a problem), and then everything else. I took the 6 nuts off the spindle but the thing is pretty well rusted and sooted on. I'm letting it soak in a WD-40 like thing over night (plus i lost light), and i'm going back in tomorrow.


The dealer said the ball joints were "seized"... does this imply that its going to be tough to get them off? Any tips...

BTW anybody in this forum deserves a humanitarian award of some sort for getting me through this (up to here- not done yet!!!)

Thanks again...

 

Save your self alot of head aches...for the spindles, using a piece of 2x4 and a hammer, tap on the end of the spindle at the axle end, first up then down then side to side and start over again. This will work it off without destroying the threads and easier than trying to just pry it off.
As for the ball joints in the knuckles, take em to a machine shop. Napa here has one in each store. They can press out the old and press in the new for about $30. And it will take them all of about 1 hr depending on how busy they are. Then all you have to do is re-assemble.

 

so you recommend not renting the ball joint press and just taking it in? Will the service at the pep boys do this? They just happen to be closer... i guess i can just call. $30 sounds worth it to me. THanks a ton again...

i should be harrassing you net week for the steering gear or tail gate!!!

 

Yea don't bother with the press. I did the same thing and said screw it. Didn't lose any money since i got it all back...just the way Autozone rents tools. If you Pep Boys service won't do it, look for machine shops in your area. Most of em do mostly automotive stuff anyway. Look for a NAPA if you have one there.

Steering gear - Haven't done......tailgate - ask away!

 

so i take the joints out of the knuckles right? got that... now for reassembly...


when i took out the long rod after the spindle (btw, needed a BFH to get that out) a good bit of what appeared to be oil ended up on the driveway... how should i deal with this. Also, i imagine i need to lube everything VERY well, right? any tips here, things to watch out for etc?

pretty excited to just to be at this point...

later

 

also, there are a few parts (brake shield etc) that look pretty well rusted... should i just go ahead and replace these while im here? anything else i may want to look at?

 

Brake shield is nothing more than a flat piece of metal to help keep crap off of the rotor. A good scrubbing then throw it back on will do.

The long rod after the spindle is you front axel for each side. You will get a bit of oil on the ground when you yank em. It just means the seals were doing their job. After you get it all back together, you can remove the plug bolt from the differential and refill to the edge of the hole with diff fluid.

Re-grease your bearings before putting the rotor back on and a little more grease right by them before you slide it all back together. Just make sure you don't grease the hub parts with axel or bearing grease. You want to clean those parts real good with brake cleaner then soak the parts in tranny fluid. If you grease the parts, then the hub may not move correctly and not engage or disengage completely.

Make sure you don't over-torque the axel nuts..the first is supposed to be tightened down til the rotor just stops turning with easy force, back off about a 1/4 turn...then the large washer, the the outer nut. the outer you can torque down. I believe it is supposed to be about 50 ft lbs. Check around or ask at the parts store to make sure. Other than that...you should be ready to go.

Nice job!

 

billybob...

yeah it was quite a task getting the knuckle off. On the top i broke a ratchet, then bought a 18" breaker bar which did the trick. Pickle fork came in handy. WIth the bottom one the breaker bar wasnt even working so I went out and bought some black plumbing pipe (another 18 in), and it finally budged. We ended up sawzall-ing the ball joint when it wouldn't come. Good times.

What about replacing the tie rods while I'm here?

thanks again...