I think im screwed...how to get off front knuckle? - Second Generation Forum

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I think im screwed...how to get off front knuckle?
Sunday, May 15, 2005 10:07 AM
front driver side wheel bearing went on my 94 cavi. This has been a friggin ordeal...zzz..

first off i didnt have a socket large enough to get the axle nut off....so I went to sears with the new nut and picked up a 1-1/8" socket. I get back to my place, go to put it on the old nut and its too small ???. After screwin around for a while I decide I need to go back to sears to get a slightly larger socket in order to get the old one off. I get to sears, 930am...they dont open till 10. At 10 I go in and 1-1/8" is the largest they have deep socket. I look for a metric one, and they have only a 27mm deep...I think i needed 30mm. So the only thing I can get is a 30mm wrench which I hoped would clear the bearing housing and I could spin it off. So I get home, and the wrench is like 1/8" shy of getting on there. No dice. I grabbed the 1-1/8" socket, my grinder and started grinding material off the friggin socket to get it on there. After slamming the s*** out of that...the socket is on and I spin the nut off with a cheater bar and my impact wrench. Now to get to the good part. I was told that I should be able to hit a hammer on the body of the old bearing and it should pop free. No dice...its FROZEN. I so go down to the parts store, get a 2 prong puller, and VOILA....I see a 29mm AXLE NUT SOCKET :beef: :bslap:!!! I so I get that, a thing of grease and head back home. I put the 2 prong puller on there and zip it down with my impact. Nothing...that f-ing thing isnt coming off the knuckle. I grab my hammer while the puller is on there and start wailing on it. THE F-ING BEARING BREAKS IN 2 AND THE GUTS ARE STILL FROZEN IN THE KNUCKLE!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I grabed a screw driver and a hammer and start trying to pry the hub assembly out of the knuckle, but its frozen. I finally get the bright idea to get my air impact hammer, pumped the pressure to 150psi, and BLASTED THE f***ING s*** out of the hub until it came off..





So now I need to get the knuckle free from the strut to get the axle out of the knuckle. To my utter suprise I broke loose both lower strut bolts off with a cheater and a 15/16 and spun them home with the impact. WOW, the first easy thing on this job since pulling the tire and brakes! IT WASNT MEAN TO BE. Some f***ing MORON at GM put these ROUND BOLTS on the f***ing strut??????!?!?!? WTF are these? There's no way in hell I can get these bolts off, and I pounded as hard as I could on the bolt ends to no avail. I'm stuck... advice?





I need to get the axle outta there to put this seal on the back side of the knuckle. The bearing is a sealed assembly...can I just stay screw the dust seal and slap the thing back together as is?








87GT.com


Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 10:18 AM
Those two bolts holding the strut on are splined bolts and they are driven into the knuckle, this is where the cars alignment is done, you don't want to remove those unless you want to go get a new alignment job. To get that seal in there you need to pop the ball joint and take out the bolts holding the strut mount to the body (the three bolts on top of the strut under the hood). The whole knuckle and strut assembly will come out then you can drive in the new seal.



Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 10:23 AM
mmk.....guess that'll work too.

How to I pop off the ball joint under the knuckle? Just pull up on it with a bar?


87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 10:26 AM
Use a "pickle fork" its basically a wedge on a handle that you drive into the ball joint to seperate it. Put the flat side against the ball joint boot and the angled side against the knuckle, and pound on it. 80% of suspension work is done with a big hammer
If you are lucky enough to have aftermarket ball joints installed (which you most likely dont since your bearings looked to be stock ones) you can unbolt them, the factory ones are riveted into the control arm though and need to be popped. You'll most likely find you'll need a new ball joint on at least the driver side if they've never been changed before.



Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 11:12 AM
actually the ball joint looks ok....its factory...

I used the 2 prong puller on the steering arm...popped that off. The lower ball joint came off with the help of a jack on the bottom of the knuckle and hammering on the side of the balljoint.

Ya know whats a little screwy?? THERES NO FACTORY SEAL ON THE THING!!!!


87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 3:27 PM
driver side is back together...

I probably will need to change an axle or somthin cause I still hear some sort of noise when driving straight and turning right. I thought it was that bearing that was making it (it was shot too) but apparently not. Probably some crap like the passenger side axle...all boots are intact tho...


87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 5:39 PM
Heres somthin you dont see every day on an 11yr old car! HA!






87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 5:40 PM
ooops




87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 5:45 PM
My car is the same year and my suspension is rust free and painted gloss black .. so blahhhhh! hehe





Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 5:48 PM
My car cost $500 and goes 25,000 miles a year SO BLAAAAHHHH!!!


87GT.com

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 5:52 PM
what an ordeal



http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/828063

Re: I think im screwed...how to get off front knuc
Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:41 PM
pezed wrote:My car is the same year and my suspension is rust free and painted gloss black .. so blahhhhh! hehe


Hey man is that a stock sway bar? If not the inner bushings where did you get those?



Custom is the only way!
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