Front Axle rebuild-getting cone washers out super easy way

[RedTacoma]

Well not sure if anybody had posted this before or suggested but I am currently working on my front axle and I think I stumbled on what it looks like very easy way to remove cone washers.

1. Remove all the nuts
2. Spray cone washers with WD40 to remove rust . If there is a lot rust use steel brush to clean them out.
3. Soak them in ATF fluid (I used small brush) 10 min in my case
4. Take a brass bar and hammer.
5. Place bar on the side of the driving plate in one of the half moon notches. First place the bar at 90 degree angle and hit with hummer (sort of like trying to spin drive plate clock wise) Two hits with hummer
6. Now move brass bar to the back of the notch and hit with hummer (like trying to spin drive plate counter-clock wise. ) and Hit twice.

If you lucky all six cone washers should just pop out from their seats.
If not try again changing direction every two hits.


Hope that helps.....

PS. I will edit this post later to add the pics

 

[KLF]

A few comments, having done this MANY times:

1. Leave the nuts on, for 2 reasons: the first is that the cone washers can sometimes pop out of the conical socket, and then fly across the garage and roll into the deepest darkest corner under a bench or other appliance, never to be found again. A real treat, especially when you're out in the woods. The second reason will be apparent in #5. Just spin them out till they are flush with the end of the stud.

2. WD-40 is great for some things, but it's lousy for a rust penetrant. Better than nothing I guess. PB Blaster is much better, you can get it anywhere. I really like a product called AeroKroil, but it's hard to find, you usually have to order it directly from Kanolabs. KanoLabs.com Toyota also sells a product called ToyoPene, heard good things about it, but I've never tried it.

3. A good rust penetrant is also better than ATF.

5. Hitting the side of the drive plate dents the plate, even with a brass drift. This is especially true when removing the nice chrome bodys of AISIN locking hubs. Put the drift on the END of the stud, smack it with the hAmmer (not hummer), in-line with the stud, as if you were trying to drive the stud deeper into the wheel hub. The nuts that you left on (see #1) will protect the threads of the stud from getting damaged.

6. Once you get one cone washer loose, the rest should come out pretty easily.

I've used this method for many years, on the most rusty axles that have been lying in mud for years in junkyards, it's never failed.

 

[-Spike-]

I use the KLF method, although I use a brass drift. Easy as pie. I haven't needed any penetrant, probably because nothing rusts here.

-Spike

 

[dgangle]

X3 on the method KLF describes. Some make this much harder than it really is.

 

[RedTacoma]

.

5. Hitting the side of the drive plate dents the plate, even with a brass drift. This is especially true when removing the nice chrome bodys of AISIN locking hubs. Put the drift on the END of the stud, smack it with the hAmmer (not hummer), in-line with the stud, as if you were trying to drive the stud deeper into the wheel hub. The nuts that you left on (see #1) will protect the threads of the stud from getting damaged.

I tried that method and it was no go. I was smacking studs to the point I was afraid I will bend them.
Hitting drive plate on the side ( trying to spin) took much less force. I posted hummer but I used rubber hummer for driver side it took few more hits with it but effect was the same. Its more of pushing out cone washers from their seats.
ATF was there as the lubricant. I had been using ATF for some time and for excellent immediate effect it can be mixed with Acetone. (be very careful with the mix) It works better then Liquid Wrench or anything else.
My passenger side took me over 2 hours to remove cone washers. (out of wich probably 1:50 minutes was spent on pounding, cursing, yelling and thingking about

the studs ) My driver side took me about 15 minutes

 

[xingji]

The cone washers are meant to compress (by shrinking the gap), so what I do is to shink them some more, and then they just pop out. Here is what I did.

I used a brass lock (small regular cheap lock), rest it on the cone washer, perpendicular to the axle, small tap with a hammer, and done. Make sure you don't tap it too hard, otherwise you could damage the thread or even bend the bolt.

I wonder if vise-grip can achieve the same effect.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

Last time I had my rear axle shafts out I tried all of the above methods and neither worked. I ended up beating on them so hard that I mushroomed the studs and ended up having to replace them. Double nutting the stud and removing it does work to remove the cone washer if all else fails.

 

[nicholas]

IH8Cone washers so I'm always open to new suggestions. I'm not sure if it's been covered, but for really stubborn ones I sometimes place a flat head screw driver on the lip of the cone and give it a few hits with a BFH. It can damage the cone, so it's best to have some replacements on hand. It can also slip and damage the stud, so be careful.

Next time I do an FA service I'm going to use all new cones and maybe even new studs because they make things so much easier than having to deal with old rusty ones.

 

[TrustyToyota]

I've always seemed to have bad luck with brass drift pins. I always seem to mess with them too long for what I'm actually trying to do. I found this brass hammer at the store, and it has saved me many hours with pins. I still have the pins just in case, but for the cone washers I used the hammer directly on the studs. This thing is great for non-sparking conditions too!

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_48410_48410

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

I got a nice 2lb brass hammer from harbor freight, works like a charm

If I don't want to recycle the cone washers, I use a chisel and hammer and tap the washers from the side and they pop off easy as pie

 

[savageX]

so much worry u guys> just tap lightly with a heavy hammer on the hub it self. patience, the vibration will do the work along with liquid wrench! 5 min job, anti seize before replacing and its even faster the next time.

 

[hawaiicruz]

I started out doing it the KLF way, but hitting the side of the drive plate is so much easier (deadblow hammer) and the cone washers pop off 2 or 3 at a time

 

[-Spike-]

Everything's good until you fatigue the bolts and pins by hitting them sideways...

Honestly, i have no idea if this actually happens, but it worries me.

 

[Hovenator]

We have this stuff at work. It's called super cold. Spray the little cone for a few seconds, whack the stud with a drift and it pops out. Note; don't spray self as it's SUPER cold

403A-400G - MG CHEMICALS SUPER COLD 134 PLUS

 

[hawaiicruz]

Everything's good until you fatigue the bolts and pins by hitting them sideways...

Honestly, i have no idea if this actually happens, but it worries me.

Hmm, never thought of that, it just seems to take so much more force when you hit it straight on, maybe I'll have to try some of that super cold stuff or similar

 

[sail2fast]

I've found that a single, square, solid, hard whack on the nut-protected end of the sutds with a 2 or 3 pound hammer is the ticket.

Banging away mercilously at it will eventually ruin something, so if the first hit (with brass drift/hammer, of course) doesn't work, then figure out how to give it a harder (but very clean) whack.

Of course try all 6 before upping the sledging horsepower...