Front Knuckle Service question

[izzyandsue]

Guys and gals, need some experienced advise from you guys who have done the front knuckle rebuild (seals, bearings) service. I will be doing this outdoors in my driveway.

My driver side leaks, not crazy but leaks enough to notice. Also the birfs click when I turn slowly. They click both on high and low range (none on reverse), so part of the work was to swap the birfs from passenger to driver. I have all the parts, tools, consumables to do the job now, and was planning on starting this week. I am scared of doing it as I have no clue what I will find, but I can deal with crap that scares me.

Question, should I get this started or wait until weather gets cooler? I have no idea how much work will be involved, could do a few hours every day in the morning or evening this week as my wife will be out of town.

If I wait, not sure what "danger" I am placing on the birfs by not swapping them, I plan on driving the truck of course! Any thoughts appreciated. THANKS!

 

[tpham32]

Hey Izzy,

1 or 2 people can easily get this done in 1 day. Depends on how OCD you are at cleaning. Do you have another vehicle you can drive while the cruiser is down? If you are going to do this outside, I'd suggest getting a canopy or something to help with the sun and unpredictable rain. The job itself is not difficult, it is just messy. Let me know when you are going to do this, I may be able to lend a hand.

 

[JohnVee]

I'm sure you have an EZ Up or something for shade. I do, if you need to borrow it. True 10'x10'. Half the work (time), if all else goes well, will be spent cleaning parts. I might be able to come help if our schedules can mesh this week. I also have a brass drift if you need one.

 

[OGBeno]

so part of the work was to swap the birfs from passenger to driver.

This is a bandaid. You are going to be back in there doing the same job in less than 10K miles.

Do it correctly and do it once. Stop cutting corners.

 

[ceby]

Guys and gals, need some experienced advise from you guys who have done the front knuckle rebuild (seals, bearings) service. I will be doing this outdoors in my driveway.

My driver side leaks, not crazy but leaks enough to notice. Also the birfs click when I turn slowly. They click both on high and low range (none on reverse), so part of the work was to swap the birfs from passenger to driver. I have all the parts, tools, consumables to do the job now, and was planning on starting this week. I am scared of doing it as I have no clue what I will find, but I can deal with crap that scares me.

Question, should I get this started or wait until weather gets cooler? I have no idea how much work will be involved, could do a few hours every day in the morning or evening this week as my wife will be out of town.

If I wait, not sure what "danger" I am placing on the birfs by not swapping them, I plan on driving the truck of course! Any thoughts appreciated. THANKS!

Just replaced both my birfs( due to the bad clunking while turning) and rebuilt my knuckles. It took me quite a few hours but I was meticulously cleaning, inspecting, and learning as I went along. Now, I'm pretty sure I could do each side in a couple hours. Best advice I can give is have a couple rolls of shop towels for all the grease to clean up, latex gloves, and the correct tools for the job. Snap ring pliers, bearing race/seal drivers (I found that whoever rebuilt my knuckle last beat the heck out of the shaft seals with a punch or somethings trying to seat it), parts cleaner, etc. Also, be delicate with the metal split ring bolts on the wipers....my 12 year old son was trying to be helpful and EASILY snapped one off.....didn't remember his lefty loosy I taught him. Other than that it wasn't too bad and rather enjoyable....but then again, I do like being in the garage wrenching.

 

[izzyandsue]

This is a bandaid. You are going to be back in there doing the same job in less than 10K miles.

Do it correctly and do it once. Stop cutting corners.

WHAT THE FOOK DOES THAT MEAN?

 

[OGBeno]

WHAT THE FOOK DOES THAT MEAN?

It means that swapping sides is a bandaid. Do the job correctly and get some new birfields so you won't have to go back in there and do the same job over again.

I'm trying to save you time and hassle because you are going to start another thread saying how you are getting clicking again and that you have to do another front axle job because swapping the birfs did not work.

 

[JohnVee]

And order an extra inner axle seal, because someone will need it if you manage not to.

 

[Roxx]

Let me know when you r doing it. I will help. Make sure that you have a parts washer it is a most.

 

[Roxx]

Text me or email me i am not here that often anymore. I know i cannot help on the 16.

 

[izzyandsue]

If I attack it, will be later this week, thanks

 

[AndrewHadji]

id love to help and learn as i have never done one. If you dont mind a few people there, can bring some beverages

 

[angerhater]

have lots of shop towels, lots of brakleen, gloves. hydration...save up for some of the birfs with the grease fittings on the ends. to use after this exercise. it took Stan and I a day to do both sides, but I did some extra wire brushing to get all the gunk off the axle ends and made a very big mess in his garage.... put a disposable drop cloth down

 

[JohnVee]

I used a 5-gallon bucket that was half full of cleaner (I used what I had on hand - can't recall anymore) to get the big mess off the removable individual parts, then switched over to rags and brake cleaner over the roll out garbage can to finish them. If you let Rafael help you without any other helpers, he'll be waiting on you to finish cleaning parts...the entire time.

BTW - if you plan on using my roll out can method......wash it out first. You might not think it smells bad, but I guarantee it does. Even though you'll tell us that your garbage smells like unicorn rainbow sherbet.

 

[FJinTegaCay]

If you let Rafael help you without any other helpers, he'll be waiting on you to finish cleaning parts...the entire time.

TRUTH!!

I vote that we take up a collection at the next Charlotte area meeting so we can purchase a decent parts washer to have for just these occasions.

 

[forrest5000]

Very true !!!

 

[izzyandsue]

Thanks guys! I have all the stuff, I think, plenty of rags, vinyl and heavy gloves, helmets, tyvek suite, hazmat crash cars, 5 gal buckets, wire brushes, card board, etc. I just checked and don't have a 3/4 adapter for the hub socket, will get that tomorrow, need one anyway. I thought I ordered an extra seal but didn't got mixed up and order 2 birfield clips instead.

 

[JohnVee]

I'll look for a seal in my parts stash tonight. Do you recall the part #?

 

[tpham32]

Another thing I like to do is get an old muffin pan and use it to organize all the hardware as you are taking them off one side. Easy to clean, and easy to know which order to assembly everything. Just don't mix up the caliper bolts and the truunion bearing bolts like I did. If you don't buy new birfs, you got the tools to remove the birfs from the shafts? I used a PVC tube.

 

[OGBeno]

I'll look for a seal in my parts stash tonight. Do you recall the part #?

90310-35010
90311-62001