is this a job that a novice can do

does it require any special tools

i'm down to the lugs, what next

 

Take off the cotter pin by bending the tabs back straight, then remove the castle nut for the end of the axle. Pull off the brake drum. Next there are 4 bolts in the middle of the brakes that hold the backing plate that everything is mouted to, to the hub. Take off the brakes, flip upside down and hang it with a piece of string tied to the shock/spring. Lastly, there are 2 castle nuts on the 2 ball joints, and a regular nut on the steering tie rod end. Remove the cotter pins, and loosen all 3 bolts, once they are all loose, remove all 3 bolts and pop the tie rod end out of the hub.

To easilly seperate the lower ball joint, get a long pry bar and wedge it in the lower control arm to apply a down ward pressure on the control arm (with your foot) while doing this sharply hit the end of the lower control arm right where the lower ball joint goes through with a ball peen hammer. Within 6 smacks the joint will pop apart. For the top one I just rap on the top of the hub and it willl pop free. Now you have the hub assembly with the bearing in your hand.

Pop out the inner and outer grease seals with a flat top screwdriver and clean all the excess grease out that you can see. There is a snap ring on the inside that keeps the bearing in place, you will want a set of snap ring pliers to remove this, its really the only specialty tool you will need. Next get out a large socket to hammer on to drive the old bearing out. I usually set this up on the floor on a piece of softwood to prevent damage to the hub.

Clean up the hub very well and get ready to install the new, freshly greased bearing. You can drive it in with a large socket and rubber mallet, or have it pressed in or press it in with a large vise. Reinstall the snap ring, fill the void with fresh grease and reinstall a new inner and outer grease/dust seal.

Now your ready to reinstall. I'm not sure on the torque specs, use your best judgement, the Outer Castle nut for the end of the axle is 100 ft/lbs according to the manual.

 

thanks a bunch

no snap ring, must have self destructed

bearings rusty

can't get the damn inner and outer seal off

appeard stuck to hub


i owe ya a beer

how do i get it to newfoundland