LUVTruck.com

Well....I never heard back from folks on how to change the axle shafts (other than getting a Service manual). I've got the service manual and at this point I am well into a front end rebuild. I kept the axle assembly on and strarted from the hubs, removed the rotors, and am stuck at the nuckle and control arms. I think I have everything disconnected from the nuckle and upper control arms but I can't seem to remove either. The book says to separate the nuckle from the ball joints but it doesn't seem to want to separate. Any clues PLEASE!!!

Since no one responded and folks like me search for answers in past posts...

The nuckle holds the upper and lower ball joints. The ball joints are pressed into the nuckle. The top ball joint is pressed through some mounting hardware (I have no idea what the name is) above the upper control arm. This has to be separated using either or both a hammer (striking the top of the nuckle) and a pickle fork. Then the ball joints can be pressed out (or hammered out) and replaced (which they will have to be if you mess with them since the grease "boots" or whatever they are called are pretty fragile.

I hope this helps some one some day.

The above is not nessacary.


Ball joints arent pressed into the nuckle. the ball joint has a taper and the knuckle also has a taper. As you do the joint up it pulls its taper up into the taper in the knuckle.

Never ever hit the balljoint, be it on its edge or on the threaded part.

What you have to do is get the taper to let go. You can do that with a "ball joint seperator" its a fork with tapered prongs that you drive in between the thing that ball joint is mounted too and the taper its in. Its a little destructive and ruins dust/grease boots etc.

You can also get conventional threaded type pullers to undo balljoints. These are a little difficult in confined spaces.


There is a way to cheat. You have to break the tapers hold on each other. You can shock them apart, Holding a dolly on one side (hammer etc) hit the other side of the boss that the balljoints taper goes into and if you can deform the taper enough it will let go. So on a luv you would put the hammer/dolly on one side of the end of the knucle that you want to undo then you hit the other side sharply.

Take care doing the above. Never screw the nut right off untill the taper has released. The suspension is under spring pressure and can fly apart as the taper releases.


Bob.

_________________
Current project, 1979 KB Isuzu Ute.

Daily driver, '86 Rodeo Spacecab.
Chasing parts for Isuzu Impulse.