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Left side of truck is apart. Upper joint and steering knuckle 3 taps and out. Lower took torches pickle forks wailing and cussing. Bottom a arm is out. Top a arm has one bolt rusted to the screw and not budging. I ground off the head and got the adjuster off. Can?t fit the c press in so plan B tomorrow. Either it will bust loose and pull out with the nut. Or I buy cut off wheels and do more cutting.
Almost ordered an upper a arm bolt but then thought nahhhhh won?t need it. Sigh.
Just wait until you do the most difficult thing on a vehicle you've ever done, then have to do it again, but in a junkyard with hand tools and no jacks.
Sounds like it's going about as well as it should for a home mechanic.
Today I tightened my wheel bearing retainers for at least the fourth time. Hopefully I did a better job this time.
The old Porsche Sportomatic from the 1960s is new again? [Coffee]Quote:
Originally Posted by MrPrena
It?s not that hard just frustrating. I figure a pro would have the right tools for this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
On wheel bearing retainers: torque the nut till snug and then give it a half turn or so. Rotate the hub. Back of 1/4 turn so it?s almost loose or the nut feels like it let go. Done. Unless you pressed in the bearing and didn?t quite seat them right then it might loosen up and need retorquing.
Mine has torque specs and you have to line up a retaining ring to allow the fasteners. On one side I went to something like 9ft/lbs and the other side only 6ft/lbs (otherwise it would have been something like 15ft/lbs). The spec is 4.5-5.5 ft/lbs. After using a fish scale, and a (borrowed) $500 torque wrench. I just went tight, but not so tight that I couldn't spin the hub.
Yeah after I almost stripped an oil pan plug I broke down and got a 3:8 digital torque wrench. Goes down to 5ftlb. You are welcome to use it if you end up having to do it again.
But tight and almost loose works.
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Thanks, my neighbor has me covered for now. I think my issue was that I used the torque wrench with a spanner wrench and set the torque with the spanner. In the manual, it specifies that the tension of the rotation of the hub should be the torque setting. I don't know that those are different, but I'm betting that they are.
In the manual, it says if you don't have a torque wrench, to use a fish scale to measure the torque it takes to turn the hub. Basically you attach the scale hook to a lug stud and measure how many lbs it takes before the hub turns. I have a feeling that measuring the torque of the hub friction, and the torque of the hub retainer are different. As long as the wheel doesn't have any play, that makes me happy.
I would like a better torque wrench though. I definitely torqued my front third member cover bolts to something like 55ft/lbs with my HF torque wrench. I later looked in the manual and saw the spec is only for 13ft/lbs. Now I'm afraid to touch it again.
I did just changed both diff fluids in prep for our outing on Sat. The front because it's been about 1,000 miles since I installed the locker, and the rear because it's probably never been serviced. I went and tested the 4WD in some deep pea gravel tonight and I can tell that both the locker up front, and LSD in the rear are working as they should.
Went through and finished up most other maintenance issues (that I'm aware of) as well. Can't wait to get out on the trail.
Next I need to build sliders and would like to pick up a portaband and plasma cutter. I have the material for the sliders, but as soon as I'm done with them, I want to start on front and rear bumpers.
We are planning a Spring Creek trip soon and I'd really like to try the gate keeper obstacle that I by-passed 15 years ago when I had my last off road truck.
Spec Wheels if they are still around. They repair/restore aluminum wheels for folks, dealerships, auto body shops etc. Donald and Adrian, good people.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
Thanks for the tip.
Well lessons learned so far. Buy complete a arms don?t mess with pressing. Rubber bushes may look bad but that?s on the outside only. Buy the new grinder if you need cut off disks, because you aren?t going to find the adapter to your old grinder.
Grinder, air chisel, impact wrench are required tools for a Chevy truck. When in doubt cut it. Moog customer service sucks. Right upper a arm PN but wrong bushings pressed in..... ?we will contact you on Monday?. WTF?!??!?
I want a hydraulic press but have no room for it.
Both upper a arm aft bolts were rusted shut. Had to cut of the head to remove adjuster then I could rotate the bush and use a cut off wheel to cut at the right spot of the bushing and remove. Wrong a arms with the right part number from Moog. Those things took an extra 6 hours, a whole day. So I am behind by that much. Plus bushing pressing took way more than anticipated.
Time for dinner with some friends. Then tomorrow cv shaft seals and assembly.
If you are still needing to remove the ring in the wheel centers, try using a pipe reamer of the appropriate size. I no longer have access to a pipe threader/reamer setup, but if you can find someone with a set, it should cut through the alloy of the wheels like butter.
I think I have a pipe reamer, but, I'd rather see if I can find a machinist to make sure it's square and even and all that jazz.
But is it worth the expense ? Or could you live with it being a little rough or slightly off center ? As long as the locking hub fits, the hole is not critical to function.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
I guess I don't know enough to know what's right here. I don't want a wheel that's difficult to balance, or improperly use a tool that's going to get me cracks. They are junkyard wheels, so almost no cost will be worth it to most people. I don't know how much it would cost, but $50 wouldn't be out of the question.
You could always check for a hole saw in correct size and jig up something for drill press to hold wheel.
Guys use a router to open up center bores, but machinists sure cringe about it. Feeds and speeds and such.
From your pic looks like could use flush trim bit with bearing, run router from inside wheel, slow and lite cuts, neatness shouldn't matter till last pass. Bearing keep from gouging too deep, keep bit square to surface.Quote:
Originally Posted by Irving
That's what I'm thinking.
I'd do either in a heartbeat. Just the fronts for manual hubs?
If the wheels are not hub-centric and locate on the studs only, you don't need to be that concerned about being super accurate.
YES, but with much faster shifting speed and much better gear ratios. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Gman
It's just the one wheel, and it is to make it fit over the front hubs. There were two different styles of center hub wheels, one regular, and one flush fitting. The flush center caps came on rims with that little interior ring. Of the five rims I found, only one has that ring. I was going to use it as my spare, but the ring prevents it from seating properly on the spare carrier, so right now it's riding on the rear wheel. I need to source some router parts I guess. Wheels are lug centric.Quote:
Originally Posted by buffalobo
I vote for you to leave the wheel alone and have the front hub turned down instead. That would be awesome.
Man has a pointQuote:
Originally Posted by ray1970
As long as your wheel is not hub centric cut away. It may be cheaper to find a wheel than to set up for routing it though. (Of course you end up with a tool so there is that).
On hub centric wheels even a small off center amount will drive you nuts. Still trying to sort out the kids summer wheels but it an in between size and having trouble with the right rings.
I might just keep my eyes open for another wheel at the junk yard. At $30 a pop, they aren't expensive, but they aren't abundant either.
My suburban is not done. I screwed up the front diff thrust washers. Now I need to find them local or overnight $5 worth of parts. Frack. I swear I watched several vids and I did not see anything about removing the clip from the inside.
If anyone has a differential shop that has 8.25? ifs GM diff parts in stock please PM me.
I got maybe 2 hrs left after I uncluster the diff. Oh well.
I would not modify the hubs for safety reasons.
Do you have a picture of what you did?Quote:
Originally Posted by Erni
Me either. Ray is just kidding around. But his suggestion isn't far off from, "Just do a solid axle swap with one-tons and switch to an 8-lug pattern," which may possibly be in the future, but not near enough for me to do that now. Heck, I've only taken it off road once since I built it to where it's at. It performed as expected by the way. I need those low gears asap though. It's so hard to drive slow with a manual that I just bashed it over rocks all day. Bent the driver side lower control arm.Quote:
Originally Posted by BushMasterBoy
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0
After little more thought, the hole saw method IMO would be easiest and cheapest depending on availability of "correct/close enough" size saw. Do auto parts stores loan them? I will loan you one if I have size that will work.
Looking at thickness of lip you need remove, you need at least 1-1 1/4 hp router with 1" length of cut bit(your thickness looks approx 3/4", I would use my 3 hp production router and bad azz custom bit).
Even if not enough throat to jig up bare wheel in drill press I would carefully and patiently drill by hand. If you plan to use as spare and wheels index to studs you should be golden. I don't think balancing will be issue unless you wreck the wheel.
Or go see Donald at Spec Wheels. This would be right up their alley.
PM me if plan that route, they are personal friends of Mrs bo and I.
I guess since it fits on the back axle, and I have the other wheel riding on spare, it will work for now. I'll probably keep an eye on the junk yard for another Isuzu Axiom to come in and see if I can get another wheel. I think I'm going to have to table truck projects for a bit and work on my wife's rental house. Crappy timing, but priorities.
I may just call them to get an idea on price. If it isn't astronomical, I may go that way just to do it. Thanks again for the recommendation.Quote:
Originally Posted by buffalobo
Stu, no pictures. There are two thrust washers keeping the right shaft in. One has two ears the other just plain. I cupped them both running the slide hammer. Remove the clip on the inside.
Stupid mistake due to being exhausted. Brain said go faster instead of maybe think about it.
I did that with my inside axle. I pressed it off and bent a couple clips in the process.
Woot Woot. A local dealer had the parts in stock. $16 and a drive and I was back to putting things together. Let?s hope I did not screw up the diff.
Need to lube all the joints, tighten the torsion bars and put on some wheels. Then I need to figure out if my alignment is close enough and done. My alignment shop doesn?t have an opening till Friday so there is that.
Also got to return all the loaner tools and extras.
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I think I posted pictures, but you can clamp some straight metal to each brake disc, and measure between front and back until they are the same, or maybe 1/4" more narrow in the front, and that'll get you close enough to cruise around until you can get to the alignment shop. I used squares since I had two and they were the same size and I could mount them in the same position. Don't forget to tighten down all the adjustment nuts when you're done or they will wander on you as you drive around.
Thanks for the tip.
You say disk brakes so I assume car on jacks suspension bottomed out is ok?
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I think ideally you're supposed to have it at ride height, but again, we're talking about getting it close enough to get it drive able. I've seen people that do the same thing with the tires on and under weight, but I wasn't going to trust that I could get accurate measurements using some spot on the tread on each side. Also, probably make accessing the adjusting nuts more difficult with the tire in the way and the vehicle lower to the ground.
Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBOaywhJiRQ
Here is an even more in-depth video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zFzDwdbDts