Front axle seized in the hub.

[Brent_G]

Decided to put ball joints in the truck,lowers had some bad play and figured it was time to do it. Passenger wheel bearing was rough as well so that was going to be replaced.

But for the life of me I can not get the axle out of the hub. Driver side was a bit hard but air hammer knocked it right out. I have hit the passenger side with a 8lb sledge for hours, air hammered it, let it soak overnight with pen oil. It refuses to come at all. I have tried everything and broke my 3 jaw puller, as well as snapped bolts in my 2 jaw.

Any ideas? The axle end is toast and I'm just going to get a new one but I still would like a core to return. What should have been a 3 hour job is going on day 3.

 

[trx250x92]

Tried an air hammer?

 

[Brent_G]

Yep probably a good hour worth plus

 

[yonyon]

Pretend it's a Dodge. 5 guys taking turns with a 20 lbs. sledge all day might not do it. A 15 ton press may not do it. When both the sledge and the press don't work with a torch helping it's time to bring out the big guns. Provided you haven't mushroomed the thing too much, spray it with Kroil every hour for three hours and then just push it out with an air hammer. It works.

 

[Brent_G]

I have the whole setup out of the truck on the bench, using kroil like my life depends on it. Was trying to avoid the torch but seems no other choice.

 

[yonyon]

That's pretty stuck then. Considering that you've already decided the axle is done you could try putting the nut back on and cranking it down like you're trying to stretch the axle stub. When you've applied all the torque you can come up with, give the hub as vicious of a lateral hammer blow as you can muster. That just might jar something loose.

If you get it loose, feel free to move out this way. We have lots of stuck things for you to unstuck.

 

[yonyon]

One other option is to just buy a knuckle from a junkyard. Typically, a junkyard knuckle usually comes with a whole bunch of other parts still attached and works out to basically be a pretty big chunk because it takes less time to cut out "everything" than to unbolt anything.

 

[Brent_G]

Unfortunately the threads are past the point of a nut. After we broke my 3 jaw I got out my 2 jaw. Let's just say a 2 foot breaker bar with a 3 foot cheater on the end and 2 of us mushroomed it a bit. Didn't do the hub any favors either.

What about this. Put the big 2 jaw on it and crank it pretty tight. Heat with the torch and get the air hammer on it?

 

[yonyon]

If you've gone so far that you can't put the nut back on even with trimming the end off the axle and the hub isn't too pretty either you might well just try anything you can think of. One more option to consider is to run a carbide drill bit through the axle for relief. That'll take time, but as small a diameter as 1/8" would be adequate for what it's worth.

 

[yonyon]

If you're married you could clamp the knuckle in a vice and ask your wife to tap the axle out with a small hammer while you support the other end of the knuckle. Women sometimes are very good with timing and luck and such. The down side to that is that if it works you're going to need a lot of ketchup and pickles to try to prove she isn't stronger than you are.

 

[asand1]

At this point, what part are you trying to save? Is this a unit bearing and halfshaft, like a FWD car? Or is it a TTB ford? are you just trying to get the knuckle stripped down?

 

[Brent_G]

Just want the knuckle. So far torch hasn't helped

 

[yonyon]

Do you think you could perhaps just mutilate the axle on the inboard side, unbolt the hub, and pull everything out in one shot?

 

[asand1]

Just use a blow torch and burn the axle out of the hub. New axle, new unit bearing, no problemo.

 

[Brent_G]

Finally did just that. Torched off the hub and bearing, beat it out backwards and away we went. Don't think Napa is gonna want this for the axle core though lol.

 

[asand1]

Bring it in anyway for a good laugh. Reassemble with grease or neversieze.

 

[Brent_G]

I finally gave up after we had a 5 ft pipe on the end of my 2 jaw while someone was heating the hub. Sheared off a 3/8 grade 8 bolt and didn't even phase the axle. Thank you road salt.