Ty

I had the same problem with the wheeles eing stuck on that you did, and I found a very easy fix. What I did was jack up the stuck wheel, then I got a 8 foot 2X4 and pounded if off with a big hammer from the other side of the truck. It worked well because the wood deformed to the rim withough breaking anything, and it also had a bit of give to it.

Fast Hampster

I've been in there today... It's cold in there So as you've asked i'm starting with the heater photos





I still can't remove the rear left wheel. It's the last one on. Today i applyed brake fluid to it's center as i came to the garage and tryed to push it off using a hydraylic highjack and 2 wood boards as i was leaving. One of boards was placed between a jack and read differential (carefully, not giving any pressure to the drive shaft), and another was between the jack and the rim. As a result, now i have 3 wood boards because one of them suddenly separated in two pieces. Unfortunately i can't use a BFH©Sean from the inner side of the truck because i don't have enough space for doing this. I'm still thinking what to do with it, i think i'll have some ideas by Saturday.

Today was a very slow day, i had to spent some time trying to figure out how the truck is assembled. Thankfully i have new parts now, so at least i know what to look at. Today i was trying to disassemble what was behind left front wheel. I was puzzled by the way caliper is installed, but i removed it pretty quick. It only took some time to press the cylinder back to the caliper. I found that a wheel wrench is a very useful tool





then i removed brake rotor and bearings in one piece and started with ball joints. I don't know how this part is called, but it also came out...



So now i have to press out tie rod end and lower ball joint. And i also need to find something to take out the lower ball joint forelock - it's pretty deep in the nut and it doesn't want to be broken with the wrench. The only thing that puzzles me is the location of a shock upper nut. It seems to be under a power distribution box and i can't understand what is it doing in there. I also have to think hard about brake lines - every metal part is very rusty, even in front brakes. I have new rubber lines, but not metal. I need to think how to replace them with copper brake lines we're used to in Russia.

DixieDarkhorse

I assume the peice you didn't know what it was is in the last pic, if so thats the caster camber aduster. If you don't have a pickle fork for the tie rod and lower ball joint sometimes if you just loosen the castle nuts on them and hit the ibeam (part that the ball joint is bolted thru) horizontally right where the ball joint is they'll just fall down. Same with the tie rod, if you hit the steering arm section of the spindle, the tie rod should just fall down. you may have to swing a couple times but its always worked for me.

Fast Hampster

DixieDarkhorse, it's exactly the way i used to remove lower ball joints at my Lada. But i did it once or twice a year, so they came out pretty easy. In this case i'm afraid that that "couple of times" can last up to half of an hour. Removal tools are available in here, so i guess i'll just buy one.

DixieDarkhorse

i pickle fork will work, its just sometimes they mar up the ball joints and or the socket, and if you weren't replacing them, (i think you are) its not what i'd want. Gook luck

Fast Hampster

Finally i got to the garage on saturday... My repairing goes much slower than i'd like it to, and i guess i will not be able to do a lot before my new year vacation. More of that, it's getting colder in here, and i've still got that same old heater. Anyway i pressed out both lower ball jounts on saturday with my bearings removal tool



I had to use a dremel to cut off lower ball joint lock pins - i couldn't remove them. Then i disconnected pitman arms, and here's what i have now -



Ball joints do not want to be removed from where they're now. I'm beginning to think that it was my mistake not to order hubs also. I have some ideas about how to remove them anyway, i'll try it when i'll get in there next time. I also removed a brake drum - it came off fairly easy. When i looked inside my first thought was that i ruined some odd creature's nest - THAT just can't be uninhabited



I hope that it's only brake fluid in there, but something tells me i'm wrong about it.Things can't be that easy about this truck

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

Just so you know, that's not a ball joint removal/installation tool. That is a large gear puller. I doubt it would work for balljoints.

DixieDarkhorse

yeah on your last pic it looks more like gear oil than brake fluid, you may want to throw a couple wheel bearings and axle seals in that puppy. And no thats definitly not the right tool but you made good use of it anyway!

Fast Hampster

The "right tool" that i bought didn't fit ball doints, only tie rod ends. It turned out to be very small.

I have rear axle seals, but i don't have new bearings. I didn't think about it.

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

The bearings may be ok. Check the part of the axle that the bearing rides on when you pull them to see if there is any pitting or a big groove worn in. If there's still gear oil in the rear end and it drips out when you pull the axles then they should have still been getting lubrication.