I am slowly still servicing the front axle.
I ordered new tie-rod ball rubber cover (and super glad I did too!) while I still had it apart. (the old rubber cuber is seen sitting upside down on the knuckle on the right)
But then I just spent over 4 hours and two trips to Ace Hardware to get the tie-rod bolted back to the passenger side knuckle. The thread on the ball was mushroomed or something and no matter what I couldn't get the original castle nut to thread back on, and the tie-rod ball would just spin - even though I had it clamped as tight as I could with 2 vice grips (it was so tight it flattened their teeth =/ ) - And two more hand clamps to help keep the vice grips in place since the ball shaft was tapered and the clamps would slip upwards.
The shenanigans:
However, I could get a new grade 8 nut to thread on, mostly, (after repeated thread on/off to cut its way in) before the ball would spin in the vice grips. I turned the new nut into a castle nut via my hand grinder. With the help of Mr. Impact, I ran him on far enough before the ball would spin. But then had to take the nut back off and enlarge the crenellations.
![2015-03-14 16.58.47.jpg 2015-03-14 16.58.47.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373454-17e0514c95d4e8b30ef0afb09ecd720e.jpg)
![2015-03-14 17.05.25.jpg 2015-03-14 17.05.25.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373452-c4c749c17fcb0cda91f1bd1a8586cd07.jpg)
![2015-03-14 17.08.47.jpg 2015-03-14 17.08.47.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373453-7168a31bc15d25bd53fab0d6e2d0488c.jpg)
And started taking apart the front driver's side. Its wheel (brake) cylinder looked awesome on the inside (like new):
![2015-03-14 18.20.56 HDR.jpg 2015-03-14 18.20.56 HDR.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373457-b43327ce8353b257c4a0ba6fdbf597b5.jpg)
But I still ran the honer up and down it a few times just to be sure.
Compared to the passenger side, I can tell the driver's side leak is much worse as the crease is even more oily, and there's actually less grease. I am super glad I'm doing the axle service. Pooped, but glad.
![2015-03-14 19.10.26.jpg 2015-03-14 19.10.26.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373458-60d78c89f939a4488f37783d44143fbb.jpg)
![2015-03-14 19.37.45.jpg 2015-03-14 19.37.45.jpg](https://www.steelsoldiers.com/data/attachments/373/373459-6298fd70c97d330df514033a0151eb99.jpg)