ball joint replacement problem!

[fgtex]

I am in the process of replacing the ball joints on my '02 F350 4x4. I am at the point of removing the axle shaft main seal from the knuckle. This is a PITA!!! I have read to drive it out from the inside using a drift or a screwdriver. I cannot get it to move out. One side of the seal will start to move and then when I go to the other side of the seal to hit it, the first side moves back in. Am I doing something wrong here? Bad technique?

Help me...

 

[bushpilot]

the 1st one is the hardest (i spent more than 4hrs on the 1st one, and less
than TWO on the other side).

what are you trying to drive out...the ball joint, or are you trying to
remove the knuckle ?

youll need a pitman arm puller & a ball joint press (your local autozone etc
should have these tools avail for FREE)

i stuck a pry bar between the knuckle it eventually just kinda
pop'd right out.

wiggle the axle & itll pull out too.

these directions should help -->
Welcome to guzzle's 4x4 Needle Bearing Maintenance Web Page

im gonna pm you somthing more specific, check your in box.

 

[fgtex]

I am trying to pull the axle shaft itself out. The seal is super tight. The directions that I am usting say to take the tire, brake caliper, and hub unit off. Then push out the axle shaft seal from the inside by the ujoint.

Bush - did you pull the axle shaft and hub unit out as one piece?

 

[bushpilot]

no i had to pull the knuckle and then pulled the axle (as one unit, u-joint
and all)...i may have stuck a pry bar in there too...been awhile...
the axle is just kinda "sloppy" loose in there (held in by the knuckle really).

 

[fgtex]

Thanks for the help over the phone Bush. I finally got the axle seal pressed out enough and got the axle out through the knuckle and beat the crap out of the seal until it came off of the axle shaft.

 

[atk]

yeah they can be a bit of a PITA.... when i did my ball joints, i had to replace those seals. by the time i got the axle shafts out, the seals were toast. i tried everything, even rigged up a slide hammer to the axle shaft...
at $75 cdn a seal, turned out to be a expensive ball joint job....

 

[bushpilot]

Thanks for the help over the phone Bush. I finally got the axle seal pressed out enough and got the axle out through the knuckle and beat the crap out of the seal until it came off of the axle shaft.

sorry i had to run, didnt mean to cut you off, was late for a
dinner invite.

sorry i couldnt remember which came out 1st the axle or the knuckle.
course now we both know it was the axle...and that lower nut on the
steering knuckle should have been my reminder.

just sounds like you had a stubbern one, but the next side goes
faster.

yeah they can be a bit of a PITA.... when i did my ball joints, i had to replace those seals. by the time i got the axle shafts out, the seals were toast. i tried everything, even rigged up a slide hammer to the axle shaft...
at $75 cdn a seal, turned out to be a expensive ball joint job....

no where NEAR as expensive as having someone else do it (last id heard
any one complain i was hearing prices of 800-1200 for the job)

i didnt do my axle seals (i was EXTRA CAREFUL and a cheap bastard)...but
to do the job right you should replace those seals anyway...the axle
seals and yellow hub o-rings are where the vac. leaks occur and give
you fits if you have the auto hubs.

 

[Tbar]

This is something I need to do real soon.

Hearing yall talk I am not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about it......lol

Are there any step by step instructions with pictures that I could look at to get an Idea how to do this job.


Tbar

 

[bushpilot]

Tbar -

Its really not that bad a job, give yourself a whole saturday or
sunday and youll be fine...Unfortunately i think ATK had a stuborn
seal & knuckle.

Ill be interested to hear how quickly the other side goes, by comparison.

800 bucks was all the motivation i needed to tackle this
job...and ive heard some have paid as much as 1200 bucks...

the photos & instructions that i used arent on this forum.

 

[atk]

actually had 2 stubborn seals...still was beable to do both sides in 6 hours...

if i wasn`t trying to save the old seals, it would have went quicker( so much for that, paid 250 for 4 ball joints and 150 for the 2 seals). so pretty much plan a day for it....