1008 steering kingpin tension spring help!

[Rich Johnson]

I am trying to replace the steering preload springs on the kingpins. I have the four bolts off the steering arm on on the drivers side knuckle, but I cannot get the steering arm to come loose off the knuckle.
I have pried on it a bit with a big bar but it wont come loose let alone come off.

What do I do to get this thing off to get that spring and plastic cone out?

 

[ranchhopper]

First put the nuts back on just a few threads then tap on the rounded edge along the top where they are strong enough no to dent. If that doesnt work tap a sharp screwdriver under them in different spots they have a gasket under them that glues them down as they age.

 

[Cucvnut]

Is the truck on jack stands? If not putting it on jack stands helps release the tension.

 

[Rich Johnson]

Oh yes the whole axle was on jackstands.
Well, I got it off. Broke two screwdirvers in the process.
I fell back on how we do things in the Army, brute force doesnt work, apply more force. I beat it with a sledge back and forth and used a really big pry bar on the steering arm as a counter force. I wiggled it back and forth till it came off.

Tomorrow I do the passenger side. Unfortuneatly, there is no steering lever to add to the leverage, so it may not be as "Easy".
Oh my old spring was 1/4 inch shorter than the new spring.

 

[bushhawg73]

I am doing the exact same repair. My cap and steering arm came off real easy, guess I was lucky. The biggest challenge was laying on a creeper and driving the races back in the bottom side. Before I did my repair my knuckles would move back and forth with little effort. Now they are very tight and moving them left and right requires a pretty good pull or push. My old races and bearings were in very bad shape, lots of rust and grime. I also removed the axles and had new ujoints installed, pulled the carrier and replaced the inner axle seals and cleaned the tubes. I used a toilet cleaning brush and after a little trimming it worked very well. The tubes were really nasty, sand and old axle fluid caked up pretty bad. I will also be installing and new set of warn premium hubs after I get the hubs and spindle clean. This was a lot of work but the outcome should be worth it.

 

[ranchhopper]

Make sure you file any burrs you might have raised with the screw driver when prying the cap off and make yourself a new gasket to seal out dirt and water.

 

[Rich Johnson]

I didnt get the screw driver in more than a 1/4 inch. I had to clean all that tuff gasket pad off both sides with an old pocket knife I reserve just for that job. No burrs found. I bought gasket material at Napa, its a nice rubber cardboard composit stuff. Making the new gasket was not fun, its tough to cut with an exacto knife.

 

[overkill375]

you really dont need a gasket just a little silicon and two clean surfaces

 

[ODdave]

B.F.H. remove the tapered lock wasshers and lift it off. prying is a self defeating act with these.

P.S. Passenger side is much easier as it dose not have taper locks

 

[sschaefer3]

Take the nuts off. Tap, not hard on the studs with a brass hammer and make the cone washers pop out. Once those are off the cap or arm will come off easily. The lowers are harder to get off.