Spindle and upper trunion damage (17 Viewers)

[GeoRoss]

Don't feel bad, I've done things like that too, although those knuckle housings do have large cast letters on them denoting which side they go on. If you hadn't gotten so crazy with the painting maybe you could still see them. At least they are not packed with grease yet.

My dad and I were doing the front end on his 1986 F250 when I was kid, he even let me help quite a bit on that one with tear down and assembly. We got the hubs all done, bearings torqued down and calipers on when we realized the brake backing plates/shields for both sides were laying against a milkcrate still, all cleaned up and ready to go back on. On that vintage Ford, they are bolted under the spindles, big redo on our parts.

Yeah, I'll fix it tonight. I don't think I messed anything up. I got in a hurry and wasn't careful.

I think we've all been there but very few of us post pictures or even leave the evidence in place long enough to allow time for pictures! That would be a situation where I would at least have to get the knuckle off before stopping, else I'd have no chance of sleep.

Good on you for posting your mistakes since they make me feel better for being a slob and putting my axle back together with the stock paint still largely covered in decades of grease residue. My axle may be ugly but at least the knuckles are on the correct side (sorry, couldn't resist).

I would have done it last night, but the family was harping on me to cook dinner.

You may be on to something on the posting of pictures. I did a search for what happens if you make this mistake. I didn't find anything so either I'm the biggest moron on mud or nobody has ever admitted to doing this and fixed it without consequences. Even though the steering arm is torqued on I'm thinking I don't need to worry about matching races and trunion bearings. I can leave the top on installed on the knuckle for when I put it on the correct side as soon as I can get a replacement axle seal. Both sides used the same thickness shim so no worries there.

 

[Tools R Us]

I'm thinking, some grease maybe good?

 

[GeoRoss]

I'm thinking, some grease maybe good?

I am so glad I caught my mistake before packing with grease. That would have increased the suck a little.

On a side note I did get the c-clip in with a screw driver pretty easily. It only took a couple of minutes.

 

[Tools R Us]

My guess, if you had left the steering arms on the knuckles, this wouldn't of happened?

 

[GeoRoss]

My guess, if you had left the steering arms on the knuckles, this wouldn't of happened?

That would have worked. I could also try to wrench without my head in my a$$.

I'm really at a loss how I missed this. I'm usually really OCD on thing like this.

 

[surfpig]

I’m calling it a day. It’s been a bad weekend at GeoRoss’ Land Cruiser Garage and Emporium. I’m glad I’m not in flat rate.

I’ll leave a picture of my shenanigans and you’ll see why I needed to step back.

View attachment 1958869

Your steering is going to be funny.

 

[GeoRoss]

Your steering is going to be funny.

We'll never know. Youngest daughter is convinced the Land Cruiser will never move again.

 

[Tools R Us]

We'll never know. Youngest daughter is convinced the Land Cruiser will never move again.

Smart kid!

 

[GeoRoss]

Smart kid!

I will say the most common thing out of her 12 year old mouth is "I KNOW".

 

[BILT4ME]

Did you pack the trunnion bearings with grease? If not, you need to when you swap sides!

 

[GeoRoss]

Did you pack the trunnion bearings with grease? If not, you need to when you swap sides!

One mistake I didn’t make.

 

[thatcabledude]

We'll never know. Youngest daughter is convinced the Land Cruiser will never move again.

If she's right I've got dibs of the seat covers!

 

[GeoRoss]

If she's right I've got dibs of the seat covers!

Deal! Matching second row too?

 

[Broski]

If you spend less time on mud chatting you might get that thing back together correctly .

 

[itbrokeagain]

We'll never know. Youngest daughter is convinced the Land Cruiser will never move again.

Dont feel bad. A friend of mine built an entire tube buggy and wheeled it in the time it took me to swap my front axle

 

[GeoRoss]

And driver side done. I only had half a day off from my usual chauffeur duties.

Looks like new soft brake lines and calipers are next. Brake lines are stiff and cracking. The pistons on the caliper looked a bit cruddy and were harder than normal to retract.

New tool I love? The c clip pliers recommended by @Tools R Us USA made and only $16. Took 3 seconds to install.

The hardest part of the day? Getting the new grease cap put on the new drive flanges. I’m impressed I bent it with a 3lb dead blow. I guess I can do some touch up.

Sad news of the day is I guess my door wasn’t shut all the way and my dome light killed my battery. It won’t take a charge. How long has this simple project been going on?

 

[Broski]

I’m beginning to think your youngest is right about never going to move again.

 

[Broski]

It looks really good I like your attention to detail

 

[Tools R Us]

...
New tool I love? The c clip pliers recommended by @Tools R Us USA made and only $16. Took 3 seconds to install.
...

You thought I was BSin? Recall you mentioning something about this not being a show car job.....

Grease that seal or it will squeal.

 

[Tools R Us]

I’m beginning to think your youngest is right about never going to move again.

Smart kid!