Finished front axle work - 89 XLT
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 208
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From: Stockton USA
Finished front axle work - 89 XLT
While replacing the tie rod ends last week found the str knuckle ball joints to be worn with too much 'play'.
I collected all the parts for a complete 'make over'; upper & lower ball joints; inner and outer wheel brgs and seals; spindle seals; axle pivot and contorl arm bushings. Haynes repair manual says you should replace the rubber boot and clams on the pass side axle shaft that covers the slip joint - Ford didn't have, so I re-used mine, it seemed to be in good shape - I just took off the clamp on the inbord side and slipped it off with the outer axle shaft.
I bought one of those large 'c-clamp' bushing presses from Harbor Freight (on sale $30) - without a press, you can't get the ball joints out and back in! Got a 15/16 inch ball joint 'pickle fork' also - needed it too. I needed a 1-5/16 and 1-1/8 socket for the ball joint nuts, also. Also, you need one of those special spanner sockets to get the wheel brg nuts off/on. A large, flat ended chisel for pounding out the old wheel bearing cups also helped. Most other tools are common to most tool boxes.
Everything came apart without much trouble. The snap rings in the hubs can be a bit tricky till you get the hang of them. Also, there is another snap ring on the axle, just outboard of the wheel bearing lock nut - if you don't see it and start taking off the nut, it will all the sudden get tight as it hit the ring...tighten up the nut again and dig out the snap ring - then everything comes off easy!
Remove the brake caliper, wire it up out of the way and slide off the hub/disc unit. Remove the tie rod end - I use a small press thats made for pitman arms - works like a charm! Remove the nuts that hold the spindle to the knuckle and remove spindle. You can now slide the axle out. Remove the upper ball joint nut and pop out the tapered dowel that fits in the camber adjuster - re-attach the nut a few turns to keep the knuckle from falling out all the way. Remove the lower ball joint nut and use the pickle fork to loosen the ball joint - remove upper nut to remove knuckle.
Remove snap ring from lower joint and press out joint, then the upper joint. Clean things up and install new joints in rev order. Pound out the wheel brg cups from the hub - inner and outer, and inner seal. Replace seal on spindle - there are small needle bearings inside the spindle - mine were in good shape, so I didn't replace em' (you need a special slide hammer brg puller). Install new brg cups - use the old cups as a tool when pounding in the new cups. Be sure to grease up the new bearings good before reinstalling.
While I had the knuckles, etc. off the axle, I replaced the pivot bushings...After removing the mount bolts, I used the ball joint press. I had a large socket that just fit inside the old bushing shell - just pressed the old rubber with inside insert, out as a unit. I pushed out the rubber and center of the new bushing from their shells, and put it into the old shell on the axle pivot. While the pivot was loose from the frame, I removed the control arm bushings...I unbolted the front sway bar 'U' brackets (below radiator) and wired it up out of the way. I used a come-along to force the axle housing ends - forward far enough to get the arm bolt end away from the frame bracket to remove/replace the front of the bushings. I had to use the come-along going to the rear, to get the arm bushing compressed enough to get the back washer and nut started. I then put the pivot bushings back in place and took a breather!
Re-installing the knuckles, axles, spindles, hubs, brake caliper, tie rod, etc. went by the book. Don't forget to lube the ball joints (if you have that type) before you install the axle shafts.
All this took most of the day, between phone calls and customers at my battery shop - sure glad thats done! Having the right tools at hand really makes a difference! I'm off to the alignment rack tomorrow to make sure everything is lined up true and straight. I can't believe how nice and tight the front end is now! My Bronco has 143K miles on it, and it drives like new again! I used to get that high speed 'wander' - no more, cured that problem!
I collected all the parts for a complete 'make over'; upper & lower ball joints; inner and outer wheel brgs and seals; spindle seals; axle pivot and contorl arm bushings. Haynes repair manual says you should replace the rubber boot and clams on the pass side axle shaft that covers the slip joint - Ford didn't have, so I re-used mine, it seemed to be in good shape - I just took off the clamp on the inbord side and slipped it off with the outer axle shaft.
I bought one of those large 'c-clamp' bushing presses from Harbor Freight (on sale $30) - without a press, you can't get the ball joints out and back in! Got a 15/16 inch ball joint 'pickle fork' also - needed it too. I needed a 1-5/16 and 1-1/8 socket for the ball joint nuts, also. Also, you need one of those special spanner sockets to get the wheel brg nuts off/on. A large, flat ended chisel for pounding out the old wheel bearing cups also helped. Most other tools are common to most tool boxes.
Everything came apart without much trouble. The snap rings in the hubs can be a bit tricky till you get the hang of them. Also, there is another snap ring on the axle, just outboard of the wheel bearing lock nut - if you don't see it and start taking off the nut, it will all the sudden get tight as it hit the ring...tighten up the nut again and dig out the snap ring - then everything comes off easy!
Remove the brake caliper, wire it up out of the way and slide off the hub/disc unit. Remove the tie rod end - I use a small press thats made for pitman arms - works like a charm! Remove the nuts that hold the spindle to the knuckle and remove spindle. You can now slide the axle out. Remove the upper ball joint nut and pop out the tapered dowel that fits in the camber adjuster - re-attach the nut a few turns to keep the knuckle from falling out all the way. Remove the lower ball joint nut and use the pickle fork to loosen the ball joint - remove upper nut to remove knuckle.
Remove snap ring from lower joint and press out joint, then the upper joint. Clean things up and install new joints in rev order. Pound out the wheel brg cups from the hub - inner and outer, and inner seal. Replace seal on spindle - there are small needle bearings inside the spindle - mine were in good shape, so I didn't replace em' (you need a special slide hammer brg puller). Install new brg cups - use the old cups as a tool when pounding in the new cups. Be sure to grease up the new bearings good before reinstalling.
While I had the knuckles, etc. off the axle, I replaced the pivot bushings...After removing the mount bolts, I used the ball joint press. I had a large socket that just fit inside the old bushing shell - just pressed the old rubber with inside insert, out as a unit. I pushed out the rubber and center of the new bushing from their shells, and put it into the old shell on the axle pivot. While the pivot was loose from the frame, I removed the control arm bushings...I unbolted the front sway bar 'U' brackets (below radiator) and wired it up out of the way. I used a come-along to force the axle housing ends - forward far enough to get the arm bolt end away from the frame bracket to remove/replace the front of the bushings. I had to use the come-along going to the rear, to get the arm bushing compressed enough to get the back washer and nut started. I then put the pivot bushings back in place and took a breather!
Re-installing the knuckles, axles, spindles, hubs, brake caliper, tie rod, etc. went by the book. Don't forget to lube the ball joints (if you have that type) before you install the axle shafts.
All this took most of the day, between phone calls and customers at my battery shop - sure glad thats done! Having the right tools at hand really makes a difference! I'm off to the alignment rack tomorrow to make sure everything is lined up true and straight. I can't believe how nice and tight the front end is now! My Bronco has 143K miles on it, and it drives like new again! I used to get that high speed 'wander' - no more, cured that problem!
