2020 Knuckle Therapy

[HardyDanger]

So I’ve been slowly, getting ready to rebuild the front axles over the last couple days. Really, I’m sand bagging because I think my wife got me a dewalt mid torque impact wrench for Xmas....

In the mean time, here’s what I’ve amassed so far:

Assorted fluids, paper towels and cleaning doodads. I have multiples of each.....found a deal on a case of brake clean abs

I went with the Joint Fuji kit from Georg at Valley Hybrids @orangefj45

I started to rebuild the calipers, but found corrosion in the bores, I picked up a pair of remans from autozone for $47 ea. Getting them home I found one was coated and the other raw. Whatever, maybe I’ll paint them.
I

Got the caliper bolts and seal driver from @NLXTACY
I had an extra set of washer for Tcase and Diffs already.

I
I prepacked the bearings already.

 

[HardyDanger]

Got some loaner stuff from the Zone

Some more goodies from Witts End if I get bored somehow.

I had to buy new wheel chocks since the boatyard lost my other set.

I

Brakes. I went with the Stop Tech slotted kit. Came with pads. Looks like nice stuff.
Grabbed 4 Russell bleeder nipples. And a sachet of brake grease.

 

[HardyDanger]

Incoming is the front an rear set of stainless lines from @sleeoffroad and a tastey 10mm S&K flare nut wrench.

Currently:
Didn’t like the looks of these

And up on jack stands.
I had to laugh. My HOA bylaws stated no automotive maintenance or repair is to be preformed in our driveways. Oh well. You know where I live Neighbor!!! Come by, I’ll hand you a wrench and a beers.

 

[ZackR]

LOL on the knuckle rebuild in a non approving HOA. It's not like you are changing the air filter or swapping snow tires, no you went full on messiest 2 day job possible.

 

[HardyDanger]

ive beengoing a little stir crazy lately, work has been slow and my wife has been sympathetic (see above note about the impact wrench). She even authorized a dobinsons IMS kit, but honestly I wasn’t ready to tackle that just yet with all this going on.

so why therapy? Welp, we lost a close friend to suicide last month, my 10 year old needs open heart surgery in April, and my mom is 89 with pretty advanced dementia. My brother is selling the house she lives in, and this has sent her into a tailspin healthwise. She thinks we are all trying to steal her money (she has none) and she thinks we’re playing a game on her. It’s rough. She’s lost 25 lbs in 6 weeks.
I can’t fly back to visit either. Sooo, it’s wrench therapy I guess.
It feels healthy to be wrenching on this rig, I can’t quite explain it.
I’m sorta dreading bleeding the brakes, or stripping a flare nut or needing new bird once I get in there, but these issues all seem so small given the other crap I’m dealing with when my hands are clean, and somehow the random trips into the driveway, just feel good.
Maybe tomorrow I start tearing into the knuckle, maybe not. Either way, I’ll do what the FSM says, at least I don’t have to make a decision that has huge implications in my life or my moms or my kids for a few mins. So, yeah....LC forever!!

 

[HardyDanger]

LOL on the knuckle rebuild in a non approving HOA. It's not like you are changing the air filter or swapping snow tires, no you went full on messiest 2 day job possible.

oh, I’m making this a 10 day job with a break for a freaking holiday or two!!! Beers for the hood peeps!!!!

 

[ZackR]

Focusing on a project like this can be very therapeutic.

Good luck and hope you have a 5 gallon bucket to clean stuff in, some cardboard, and piles of rags and nitrile gloves cause you'll need them.

 

[MrMikeyG]

I welcomed a buddy with open arms when I did mine last month, He proceeded to "lose" one of the thrust(keyed) washers in a wad of paper towels. I sourced a new one, got things buttoned up, then found the "missing" one. Also, I ordered 8 rear caliper bolts instead of 4 front and 4 rear. Good times.

 

[HardyDanger]

Yup. appreciate the good luck thoughts!! I got a mega vat of purple power and enough cardboard from 8 months of trips to Costco from those dang fruit boxes that are impossible to brake down without a sawsall.

ahhh dang.....see I didn’t anticipate doing the rear calipers at the start of this, so now I need those bolts too. Good call. @MrMikeyG totally would have spaced that. Owe you a beer now!

 

[BILT4ME]

A lot of us use this as therapy.

Some play golf. I don't. My "clubs" don't fit in the "closet".......

 

[Kay9Cop]

On the Russell bleeders, compare them to one of the old ones you pull out. The tips on the factory nipples are blunted. I ground mine down to match the factory tip, otherwise you may end up with leaks.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Wish I was closer, I'd come help you with that beer surplus, might even spin a wrench...LOL.
I hear ya about the HOA, commie MOFOs! While living in one a few years back I rebuild my Camry engine out in front of God and everyone.
When the nasty gram came to inform me of my evil ways the job was done. Sent a pic back of a perfectly normal car and driveway with a "I don't know what you speak of" note.

Definitely time to change the rubber brake lines too. How's the LSVP holding up? I only ask because that was my latest brake related bit of entertainment.
The big thing with the rear calipers is making sure the carrier is able to slide on its pins. When I was in there last month I found one side rusty and sticking (explained the pulling brakes) and the other side the grease was dried up and tacky. (I put the rears on a 15K service plan instead of 30K)
The carrier pins just need a little EP moly brake grease and they stay happy.

Good luck with your family. And wrench therapy is good. Working on these is probably more expensive than renting a bar stool, but at least your wife knows where to find you.

 

[Heckraiser]

Sorry for your life circumstances homie. I can relate to the HOA thing. I also live in an HOA neighborhood, but unfortunately my driveway is to short and steep to work for wrenching. Got a lot of sideways looks when my buddy and I swapped out my hood in the street. We've got the trashiest yard in the neighborhood. I run air tools in the garage and it sounds like a tire shop. I'm definitely "that guy."

 

[HardyDanger]

@Heckraiser I'm def that guy too....I'm always running a project on the house, or building/repairing something in the garage or driveway. Fortunately, I'm also the only guy in the hood with any mechanical ability, and I've bailed most of my neighbors out all sorts crap: refrigerators supply line leaks, fixing broken garage doors, fixing garden gates, jump starting everyone's car, loaning tools and ladders, mounting their roofs in rain storms to look for leaks, and changing a spare tire or two... I'm no saint, but figure I've built up some sweat equity with them.

HOA commies @Rusty Marlin ...lol....there's one F#$%er though, he wrote a letter to the board complaining about street chalk art after all the kids in hood (like 10-15 of them) went town early this summer with a CASE, that's 144 pieces of sidewalk chalk, in 6 colors and completely covered the about 100 yards of our street in kid art. (Any guesses whom might have bought that case of sidewalk chalk, and who's wife may have arranged the street art party). After the letter, I duct taped some chalk to the end of a dowel and then attached that to the back of my kids bikes and had them do figure 8's in front of his house and the length of the rest of the street....good stuff

Will have a look at the LSPV when I get back there....

Thanks for the thoughts!

 

[HardyDanger]

On the Russell bleeders, compare them to one of the old ones you pull out. The tips on the factory nipples are blunted. I ground mine down to match the factory tip, otherwise you may end up with leaks.

I see what you mean. Hot tip thanks.
Will file that point down!!
The reman part looks like the OEM part from what I can tell.

 

[Kernal]

Had this exact issue 10 years ago; the Russell Speed Bleeders would seal in the the front but not the rear calipers due to the pointed tip.

 

[HardyDanger]

1 hour in and totally smooth sailing on drivers side. Knock on wood. Only cause for pause is just lack of grease in the knuckle. But no birf soup.

 

[HardyDanger]

Also. Giant misdirection for the HOA. Never seen a big rig in the hood, but been idling there for an hour too. Making more noise and unsightliness than I ever could.

LOL.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

LOL, good idea bringing the rig in, wink wink nudge nudge.
It'll tweak the HOA Nazi right off the chart!

 

[HardyDanger]

Meanwhile....back over to the other project.
almond crescent cookies. Via online cooking class. Please not the robot cake and ginger bread house....my wife’s equivalent of wrenching.