Front axle seals and boots stepXstep

[Banshee365]

Glad it's going well for you guy's. I picked up my slide hammer for like $12 harbor freight. I think the more common way to remove the retainers is to find a bit piece of re-bar or a long stiff pipe and stick it through the axle and bang them out that way. Whatever works I guess.

-Kelly

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Thanks for the write-up. I'm rebuilding my front axle right now and was wondering about those inner seal. Off to find a slide-hammer...

Great Scott, jesusgatos, when I saw your Avatar I thought frodobaggins dug a new one out of his horror cabinet!

Frodo, thanks for putting this in a pdf, I too have one of these job coming up.

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Barneyszoo]

I just replaced my boots and seals, wanted to get rid of the zipped ones that were on there. Went very well, just nuts and bolt, just nuts and bolts.

 

[frodobaggins]

Great Scott, jesusgatos, when I saw your Avatar I thought frodobaggins dug a new one out of his horror cabinet!

Frodo, thanks for putting this in a pdf, I too have one of these job coming up.

Cheers,
Mark

You're welcome...like the new one ?

 

[roger-wilco-66]

You're welcome...like the new one ?

er, quite disturbing, so I guess its real good!

 

[mahdey]

this is what i used to tear mine down...great read!

 

[airmech3839]

I just wanna know how you were able to smack that tie rod out without smashing the threads??????????????? I did just as you and hit with mini sledge and it just squished it!! Now my nut wont go on and it looks like I have to buy rod ends for both sides now!!!!

By the way the nuts alone are $5 a piece!!

 

[FUSIONWELDING]

i always leave the nut on and if after a couple wacks it dosnot pop put a little heat to it

 

[FUSIONWELDING]

sry ment heat the flange not the tie rod stud dont forget heat expands so if you heat the stud it will just lock up

 

[airmech3839]

I used the nut and that is how I got in this mess....nut split while hammering and when it split it messed up threads....now I have two new rod ends and my rod is slightly bent right at the treads for end....I am having fun now!! Got one side changed but am struggling with the bent side....not to mention that I have a universal on my LH drive shaft that has a little play in it!! Wont be putting it in 6X6 anytime soon!! Gotta have it together tomorrow afternoon...leaving town on Wed morning and have to go get some WMO for my trek! Not to far of a drive and all on the highway!! Now I am just enjoying the tar out of my truck!!!! Wife has already used the phrase, "I knew that truck was gonna be trouble"....."Yes dear"!!

 

[jesusgatos]

I always put castle-nuts on upside-down when I need to knock tie-rods loose...

 

[Barneyszoo]

turn the nut over so your not hitting the castle side but the flat side and use a brass or soft hammer.

 

[airmech3839]

Well...I have finally got it all back together!! In the end it took two rod ends. I did turn the nut over but when the nut split it stripped the threads on the rod end! Next time I do it I will have a couple of boots and a tie rod tool!! I put some anti-seize on it and lubed it really good!! I will have to go back into one side of the axle cause I have a little slop in one of the universals. I also need new shocks too.

 

[atankersdad]

Thank you for posting this. Very well done.
Your true calling should have been writing TM's..

 

[rchalmers3]

Thanks to all for this piece of inspiritation! While I have worked on solid front drive axles before, I have never worked on such big pieces. Thankfully my ancient tool collection covered the big nuts and bolts encountered.

My addition to this thread is to share my new awareness: In spite of all the technical manuals, access to correct parts and an assumed deep budget, these trucks receive haphazard and incomplete service work while on duty.

During the course of a boot replacement and axle re-seal, I found worn, wrong, broken and missing components alongside newly installed parts. It is a shock to my sensibilities to find incomplete work to this extent. I was astounded and thankful for having the external leakage beckoning me to explore this area of the mechanical soundness!

As a caution to others considering this repair: Do it!!! Use this thread and have the parts manual handy: TM 9-2320-361-24P as well as access to a MV parts supplier. This will be your opportunity to find and remedy bad wheel bearings, wrong parts, missing parts, worn or broken parts and so on!!! I assumed these trucks had better service than they did, and now know differently.

Please read the above as an encouragement and not a rant.

Rick

 

[Floridianson]

I don't take the tie rods ends off cause you don't have to. The knuckle will come off just fine.

 

[Barneyszoo]

Thats a good point James, I guiss you don't. One less step is nice and don't run the risk of damage to the dust boot on the tie rode end. Can someone tell me if the 5 ton frounts are the same as the m35 but just bigger? Thanks.

 

[rchalmers3]

I don't take the tie rods ends off cause you don't have to. The knuckle will come off just fine.

The first side comes off fine, but the second side gets too bound up with all that weight on the rod, making the "lift, tilt and drop" movements almost impossible.

I got both sides off with the rod ends still attached, but I'll separate them for re-assembly.

Rick

 

[Oasis-3]

very nice post with pix's
Thanks

 

[ARYankee]

I tore mine down as well using this guide.... I did booger one of my castle nuts. I ended up cross threading it, now I need a new one. Airmech where did you buy yours at? I ended up having to throw her all back togethere due to some neighborly events but I intend on getting the driver's side completed and the passenger side touched up. I did find my outer bearings were going bad. How do you knock the races out of the hub?