Knuckel Arm Bearings Removal without SST (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
May 24, 2005
Threads
160
Messages
787
Location
Bonsall, California
Recieved Dan's front axel rebuild package and I'm down to pulling the knuckel arm. I don't know how to remove the top and bottom tapered bearings that pivot the knuckel without the SST? I'm concerned I may do damage. Can I be harsh and hammer them out with a bar from the inside? Suggestions please. Thanks.
 
I have never need to press the knuckle bearings out. They usually come right out.




EDIT:


I was not thinking about the races. There is an SST shown that is used to press the bearing cones out from inside the knuckle. That is what I was refering to . Drive the races with a suitable punch.
 
Last edited:
MH_Stevens said:
Recieved Dan's front axel rebuild package and I'm down to pulling the knuckel arm. I don't know how to remove the top and bottom tapered bearings that pivot the knuckel without the SST? I'm concerned I may do damage. Can I be harsh and hammer them out with a bar from the inside? Suggestions please. Thanks.

You're talking about the bearing races pressed into the top and bottom of the knuckle? Brass drift and hammer is fine. Nice soft brass will not damage the knuckle...

It's probably easier with the SST, but certainly not to difficult with a good drift and hammer!

Cheers!
 
You'll be surprised at how hard you can hit the races and not cause any damage at all. Just take your time and go slow. You don't want to get them wedged in at an angle. Work your way around the race with the drift and go a little at a time. Good luck!
 
Put the new races in the freezer for a couple of hours before installing, they will shrink a few thousands when cold, making installing much easier.
 
I bought and returned (tool loaner program) a bearing/race press tool set at autozone....A brass drift works too....
 
PM el Mariachi and get the birf rebuild video DVD. This and many other questions will be answered.
 
Having now got the axel dismantled it looks like it may have been rebuilt already. Not only was the lock washer not secured the knuckle top/bottom bearings are the same as Dan sent me - "Koyo Hi-Cap." I thought the factory original were different?

One observation, the knuckle race seats each have two semicircular drill hold that look like they are meant to take a rod to hammer out the races. I have been hitting here hard with a brass rod and they will not move for me. They show little wear so shall I leave them in an reuse or shall I persist?
 
If you are very careful and do not swing the hammer like a jack ass you can use a tapered steel punch. just make sure you dont mare the race mating surface.
The reason behind ricks statement is that they may look fine but bearings and races wear into each other and the old races will have the wear pattern of the old bearing imbedded in them.
Dave
 
If the cones are in good, unworn shape, and if the cups are in good unworn shape, then you can just clean, regrease, and reuse the existing bearing, both cups and cones. If the cones are worn enough to merit replacement, then so do the cups.
 
PHAEDRUS said:
If you are very careful and do not swing the hammer like a jack ass you can use a tapered steel punch. just make sure you dont mare the race mating surface.

I had to use a tapered steel punch like Dave says, cause beating them out with a brass drift was making brass nuggets out of the end of that drift. Those races are made out of some of the hardest steel I've come across. I wacked the piss out of them with the steel punch, and it didn't leave a single mark. Course, they were getting tossed anyways.

:beer:
Rookie2
 
Rich said:
If the cones are in good, unworn shape, and if the cups are in good unworn shape, then you can just clean, regrease, and reuse the existing bearing, both cups and cones. If the cones are worn enough to merit replacement, then so do the cups.


I have yet to see lower trunions on an 80 that are not hammered, my own included. I would not pull the knuckles down without having new bearings on-hand. I did that one time, I will never put myself in that box again.... ;)
 
In post 9 MH is offering the opinion that his bearings may have been more recently replaced prior to his opening up the axle. That is the context for my post.

I do understand from numerious posts on this site that the knuckle bearings are frequently trashed. Appears that they are heavily stressed. I expect to have a fresh set on hand when the time comes to open up my front axle.
 
Heck I have never used brass on these yet. I also use a Snap on ball peen hammer with a soft steel face to install the new races. never have screwed up a set yet. If you can not hit the taper drift with engough force use a bigger hammer, go from side to side with each hit. if that does not do it hire a professional to do the job right. The ball peen I use only weighs 6-8 ozs. It really is all in the wrist. In over 5 years of working on 80's I have never seen a set that does not need replacing. Look at the race, if any mark that look equal on a radial pattern, you have problems.
later robbie
 
Rich said:
In post 9 MH is offering the opinion that his bearings may have been more recently replaced prior to his opening up the axle.


No offense to MH but, how would he know? His wealth of expertise is basically what he has gotten in the last couple of hours of working on the truck.
 
landtank said:
No offense to MH but, how would he know? His wealth of expertise is basically what he has gotten in the last couple of hours of working on the truck.

The fact that the axel had been worked on before has already been established in this and the related previous post. Remeber the lock washer had not been bent over? That was why the wheel came loose. With regard to the axel breakdown going as far as the tappered knuckle bearings, my question revolved around the fact that the bearings in there now are KOYO Hi-Caps and I thought I could remeber Dan saying that these were different/better? thank the factory original.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom