Stuck Hub Bearing

[azwjowner]

OK so puller and slide hammer plus gentle love taps on bolts seems to be the consensus. Back to autozone to get those (already got the ball joint press from them).

I appreciate all the replies. I'll update tomorrow after throwing some time at it.

Don't bother with the bolts even. I never like hammering on threaded bolts if I can help it. Leave the bolts out, get those two item numbers from Autozone and you'll have it off in 30 seconds.

Sponsored

 

[CarbonSteel]

A friend suggested https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/loaner-axle-flange-puller/p/oemtools-fwd-hub-puller/2050_0_0
but that doesn't look like it would work in this particular application.

Will the puller fit on a 5x5 bolt pattern? If it will, then, yes, it will easily pull the hub. Attach it to the hub with your lugnuts and tight the center screw against the center dimple in the axle shaft.

 

[azwjowner]

Will the puller fit on a 5x5 bolt pattern? If it will, then, yes, it will easily pull the hub. Attach it to the hub with your lugnuts and tight the center screw against the center dimple in the axle shaft.

Wouldn't that require him to remove the axle nut and separate the axle from the hub? That would make sense if he were removing the hub in order to change the hub or the axle, but in this case there's no need to separate the two - easier to pull them out as a unit with the slide hammer and other type of puller.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Wouldn't that require him to remove the axle nut and separate the axle from the hub? That would make sense if he were removing the hub in order to change the hub or the axle, but in this case there's no need to separate the two - easier to pull them out as a unit with the slide hammer and other type of puller.

Yeah, but is he not trying to pull the hub completely out? I mean how do you replace the steering knuckle without removing the axle nut and pulling the hub out and leave the axle shaft in?

Perhaps I am not understanding what he is doing, but I thought it was knuckle replacement and he already removed the 3 bolts in the rear of the hub.

I would not pull the shaft if I did not need to. The passenger side has the FAD and if it is not in 4x4, he will have to pull the FAD motor too to realign the FAD collar IF he pulls the shaft and hub as a single unit.

 

[azwjowner]

Yeah, but is he not trying to pull the hub completely out? I mean how do you replace the steering knuckle without removing the axle nut and pulling the hub out and leave the axle shaft in?

Perhaps I am not understanding what he is doing, but I thought it was knuckle replacement?

Yes, but the axle nut doesn't need to be removed to remove the hub and axle shaft as a unit, only if he wanted to pull the hub and leave the axle shaft in place. I think leaving the axle shaft in place would interfere with the rest of the knuckle swap. Plus it's much easier and faster to pull both as a unit.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Yes, but the axle nut doesn't need to be removed to remove the hub and axle shaft as a unit, only if he wanted to pull the hub and leave the axle shaft in place. I think leaving the axle shaft in place would interfere with the rest of the knuckle swap. Plus it's much easier and faster to pull both as a unit.

I edited my post. If he is not in 4x4, he will also have to deal with the FAD motor and the FAD collar. I had no issues leaving the shaft in on mine when I installed the Mopar Mojave knuckles and Dynatrac ball joints. It's hard enough reinserting the axle with only the shaft to deal with much less with the hub attached.

 

[azwjowner]

I edited my post. If he is not in 4x4, he will also have to deal with the FAD motor and the FAD collar. I had no issues leaving the shaft in on mine when I installed the Mopar Mojave knuckles and Dynatrac ball joints.

That's helpful info that the axle doesn't interfere with knuckle replacement. So then he has two choices: (1) make sure he's in 4WD and pull the hub & axle shaft as a unit; or (2) remove the axle nut and then pull only the hub, for which he could use either the slide hammer + puller or just the other puller that he linked.

I probably would still pull the whole unit because it's faster than trying to get a large socket and re-torque that nut later, but either will work then. I hate the complication of the FAD - I forgot that if he doesn't put it in 4WD, the collar will fall inside the FAD and he'll have to open that too to reassemble.

 

[Rubiconasaurus]

That's helpful info that the axle doesn't interfere with knuckle replacement. So then he has two choices: (1) make sure he's in 4WD and pull the hub & axle shaft as a unit; or (2) remove the axle nut and then pull only the hub, for which he could use either the slide hammer + puller or just the other puller that he linked.

I probably would still pull the whole unit because it's faster than trying to get a large socket and re-torque that nut later, but either will work then. I hate the complication of the FAD - I forgot that if he doesn't put it in 4WD, the collar will fall inside the FAD and he'll have to open that too to reassemble.

I do have the 36mm impact to remove the nut. I've not heard about all the complications in the passenger side in any of the videos/posts about knuckle and ball joint replacement (that plus tie rod and draglink). I have to get the axle out of the way to use the ball joint press. Is that not doable on the passenger side of a rubicon without major complications?

Honestly I'm just trying to get this $65k PoS into a safe functional state again. I'm out of warranty and this dream car is turning into a very costly nightmare. ?

 

[CarbonSteel]

I do have the 36mm impact to remove the nut. I've not heard about all the complications in the passenger side in any of the videos/posts about knuckle and ball joint replacement (that plus tie rod and draglink). I have to get the axle out of the way to use the ball joint press. Is that not doable on the passenger side of a rubicon without major complications?

Honestly I'm just trying to get this $65k PoS into a safe functional state again. I'm out of warranty and this dream car is turning into a very costly nightmare. ?

Pull the shafts. The FAD motor is 1 wire and 4 bolts. If in 4x4 you don't have to pull the FAD motor.

Hammer puller that @azwjowner posted will do the trick.

 

[Roky]

I do have the 36mm impact to remove the nut. I've not heard about all the complications in the passenger side in any of the videos/posts about knuckle and ball joint replacement (that plus tie rod and draglink). I have to get the axle out of the way to use the ball joint press. Is that not doable on the passenger side of a rubicon without major complications?

Honestly I'm just trying to get this $65k PoS into a safe functional state again. I'm out of warranty and this dream car is turning into a very costly nightmare. ?

Bring the damn thing down here, take the family to Disney, when you get back it’ll be done….I can’t stand to see a grown man cry…..?

 

[azwjowner]

I do have the 36mm impact to remove the nut. I've not heard about all the complications in the passenger side in any of the videos/posts about knuckle and ball joint replacement (that plus tie rod and draglink). I have to get the axle out of the way to use the ball joint press. Is that not doable on the passenger side of a rubicon without major complications?

Honestly I'm just trying to get this $65k PoS into a safe functional state again. I'm out of warranty and this dream car is turning into a very costly nightmare. ?

If you're replacing the knuckles, can't you press the ball joints in before installing the new knuckle?

In any event, all you have to do is put the Jeep in "run" (but without the engine running, so foot not on the brake) and then shift to 4hi. You'll hear a whirring sound a second later; that's the FAD shifting. After you do that, you can use the slide hammer to pull the hub and axle as one unit (or separately if you prefer; I'd do them together if you're definitely removing the axle). Don't touch the axle nut; you can leave it alone if you pull the hub and axle shaft as one unit.

 

[Rubiconasaurus]

OK so 4WD (does low or high matter?), pull shafts with slide hammer. Thanks.

Bring the damn thing down here, take the family to Disney, when you get back it’ll be done….I can’t stand to see a grown man cry…..?

Yeah F Disney...

Thank you for your helpful and well thought out reply. Why don't you go play in the corner? The adults are talking...

 

[azwjowner]

OK so 4WD (does low or high matter?), pull shafts with slide hammer. Thanks.



Yeah F Disney...

Thank you for your helpful and well thought out reply. Why don't you go play in the corner? The adults are talking...

Yep.

4wd low or hi, doesn't matter, just do 4hi. (In case you're wondering what this does, there's a slidable collar where the inner and outer axle shafts meet in the FAD, and when you are in 4wd, the collar is on the inner shaft, meaning that you can remove the outer shaft without the collar falling off.).

 

[Rubiconasaurus]

If you're replacing the knuckles, can't you press the ball joints in before installing the new knuckle?

In any event, all you have to do is put the Jeep in "run" (but without the engine running, so foot not on the brake) and then shift to 4hi. You'll hear a whirring sound a second later; that's the FAD shifting. After you do that, you can use the slide hammer to pull the hub and axle as one unit (or separately if you prefer; I'd do them together if you're definitely removing the axle). Don't touch the axle nut; you can leave it alone if you pull the hub and axle shaft as one unit.

4HI it is.

Yes I'm pulling the old knuckles, pressing out old ball joints, pressing in new ball joints, putting on new knuckles (in that order). I have to remove the axle shafts (with hub is fine just need the F'ers out of the way) to use the ball joint press.

 

[word302]

The threads on the hub that the 13mm bolts being used as hammer targets are threaded into.

Oh, I wouldn't hammer on those bolts. Puller is probably your best bet if it's really that seized up.

Sponsored