Replacing inner front wheel bearing C-8A

[Rob Fast]

Having a heck of time trying to loosen up the steering tie rod, trying to punch it down and thru its housing so I can pull the front steering end out for inner bearing replacement. Using heat and tapping/penetrating oil , she is bloody tight. Castle nut and thread taking a beating. Any suggestions? Thanks Rob

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Rob

I would suggest the old wife treatment.... hot and cold a few times in quick succession......

Let me explain..... as a firm believer of the hot wrench..... heat up the adjoining piece... not the tie rod part.... quench quickly in cold water.... whack it with a hammer of decent size... repeat process a few times...... spray penetrating oil in between once the part is cool..... may take a few sessions...... hit tie rod from bottom not only from the top castle nut area.... your goal is to break the rust weld...... as in marriage....paaaaatttiiieeennnceeee.... will eventually pay off.... or have a few beers and smash the sh**t to pieces.... oopps didn't mean to get carried away.

Bob C.

[Snowtractor]

I am not sure the orientation of your particular connection but on the hard tie rod ends we were taught in auto mechanics to take a heavy hammer (1 pound) and pound on the side of steering knuckle hole where the tie rod mounts, never on the tie rod itself. If the tie rod is below it will fall out , if above it will still loosen. You don't need heat for this to work , you just have to pound it square on. The most I have ever had to hit the mount is 6 times for a very very badly corroded part. A tie rod fork and air impact wrench were not working so I asked my buddy for a big hammer and it came off. That said there is a risk of dammage though I have never had any of them break.
Sean

[rob love]

I'll concur with Seans method with the addition of a prybar wedged so as to apply pressure on the tie rod to the knuckle. Hammer only the knuckle at the end near the hole.
Ideally you have someone else pushing (up or down as the case may be) the pry bar and then you hit the knuckle with a couple of sharp blows. Problem with trying to do both yourself is that it is hard to work a hammer and recover in time to save your knuckles when the bar moves as the tie rod comes free.
This is the method we were taught in trade school 20 ++ years ago. I have since seen tie rod pullers and of course the tie rod forks (which usually ruin the rubber boot over the tie rod) but none of them has the constant success of the hammer and the bar method. Not sure if it deforms the hole appreciably, likely not since the tapered stud is inside protecting the general shape.

[Rob Fast]

Thanks for the help guys, she finally popped! Any new replacement bearing numbers out there for the BEARING ASSY. FRONT WHEEL PIVOT PIN BEARING, AND THOUGHTS ON REPLACEMENT STEERING KNUCKLE RETAINER FLANGE FELT SEAL?

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by rob love
Problem with trying to do both yourself is that it is hard to work a hammer and recover in time to save your knuckles when the bar moves as the tie rod comes free.

This is the method we were taught in trade school 20 ++ years ago.

Rob,

They should also have taught you to leave the nut on a few threads so that the rod end did not fly out, when it eventually freed.



Richard

[rob love]

Rob,

They should also have taught you to leave the nut on a few threads so that the rod end did not fly out, when it eventually freed.

They likely did; I still drank (to excess) in those days and this is probably one of those lessons I should have paid more attention to.

Rob F; hope you didn't lose any skin on this one; Richard is absolutely right.