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Replacing pass front hub assy...Please HELP!!!

csr_011

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lincoln, NE
Ok, i got the new hub for the passenger front today. Trying to get it apart and that nut is on sooooooooo tight, i hosed it down with PB real good hoping to break it free in the am. The Haynes manual doesnt have the write up on the 4x4 hub replacement, only the 2wd bearing repacking....

My questions are.......

1. Am i doing something wrong, or do they just sieze up like that. I have a 2 foot 1/2 inch breaker bar on it, wheel and tire on setting on the ground, it wont budge...getting a cheater pipe tomorrow.

2. It appears to be right threaded, could i be wrong in this assumption??

Unfortunately i have no air in the garage. I would have let the mechanic do it but he couldnt get to it till saturday and i have a road trip to make tomorrow afternoon(friday).

3. Also, are there any special tricks when replacing the hub assy?

4. What is the Torque spec for the outside 36mm nut?

Thanks for all the help on here, you guys are a lifesaver!!!

Oh, i got the engine cut out narrowed down to a weak fuel pump according to the mechanic, he is a great guy, just very busy; the fuel pump is going in tomorrow night pending the hub is on and rolling.

Thanks!!

Cory
 
Ok, i found the torque specs and instruction on how to do the job, so far i am doing good and have all the right tools and replacement parts!! Yippeee!

Found this site courtesy of my friend....... www.google.com he he.

Please help as they didnt say it would take He-Man to get the 36 mm nut off!!!

Cory
 
If you are replacing the entire hub then there a few things to do.
I'll assume the axle is striped down to the hub. No caliper, rotor etc...

1. remove the cotter pin and thin metal cover over the 36mm nut.
2. It's real tight but once you get it off the project goes very quick.(I know, thanx captian obvious!!)
3. there are three bolts on the back of the knuckle that hold the hub to the knuckle. They need to come out. (I strongly reccommend using an old bolt after you remove all three. Thread the old bolt in three or so turns and wack it with a hammer. Take it out of the hole and move it to the next and repeat the step. You will see the hub start to seperate from the knuckle. Keep moving around all three holes until the hub comes out.) When you reassemble it your three bolts aren't beat to hech and it will go together very easy.
4. When reassembling use white lithium grease around the hub/knuckle(where they go together) this will make it real easy if you ever need to take it apart again.
5. When putting the 36mm nut tighten it to the factory specs and use a NEW cotter pin.
Hope this helps a little. Not sure what year or axle your working on. I assume it's a Dana 30 from an XJ since your on the XJ website.
Good Luck and keep us posted of the outcome.
Stukboy
 
The tree bolt on the backside of the hub are 12 point 13mm. make sure to use a 12 point a a 6 will round the bolt off.
 
we were using a 2 ft bar and were jumping on it and it didnt budge it. slipped over an 8ft pipe and came off like it wasnt even threaded
 
Ok, thanks guys, thats what i needed to hear. all sounds good and the way i am doing it, torque wrench and breaker bar are here now...

Cory
 
If the new one is hard to get in you can always put it in the freezer for a couple of hours, then heat up the knuckle....this tends to help the parts fit together a little easier.....all part of the molecular, time, space thingee....lol
 
Well, so much for the cheater pipe idea, just shattered the 1/2inch 2 foot breaker bar with only a 2 foot cheater pipe........the 1/2 inch insert piece broke in two......I think im screwed now......the nut didnt even budge, put another good doucing of PB blaster? on it.

Cory
 
I would take it to a shop. Ask around most people probably won't charge you to loosen one bolt. Have them just break the nut loose then just hand tighten it to get back home. Had the same problem, nut wouldn't budge even with a breaker bar. I didn't have an air impact but got access to an electric one. Came right off.

Another tip to taking off the hub. I tried the pounding on the bolt method didn't work for me. I took a flat chisle and hammered it around the hub and knuckle. Worked it around a little and it came off pretty easy. Before I reassembled the hub I took a dremel and filed down some of the old rust inside the knuckle. And as Stukboy said I put some anti-seize inside the knuckle, it can make taking off in the future a lot easier.

Here are some write up's that might be of some help.
http://www.stu-offroad.com/misc/axle-1.htm

http://madxj.com/MADXJ/technical/technicalfiles/ARD30shafts297andSeals/D30shafts297andSeals.htm
 
I know you said you don't have air, but....you need it.

PB Blaster + Impact socket + Impact wrench. I also broke my "breaker bar" using a cheater pipe to get a hub nut off. After ponying up for the air tools, it came off slicker than snot.
 
Funny, I just went through the same thing less than a month ago. I was wishing for air the whole time...but after a half hour of PB soaking and me Jumping up and down (HARD) on a 2' breaker bar, they (yes, I did both) came off. It sucks when the nut does give, because you fall to the ground and somehow the socket managed to kick up in my shin, both times, but it's a relief to see the nut come off. JUMP froggy!
 
The first time I did it it was frozen solid.

PB the hell out of it, wait 20 minutes.

Slip a piece of heavy lead pipe over your breaker bar to keep it from flexing too much in the middle, then it if breaks it'll break near the head and won't hurt you.

Interchange some propane torch heating the nut and the breaker bar and it should come loose. Careful not to heat the axle shaft, you want the nut to expand, not the spindle.
 
Sounds to me like you are forgetting to curse at it too.....you must do this ....think you should bite the bullet and take it to a shop and have them at least "break" the $*&#@%$ nut(see it got loose already) for you, save you a lot of headache, along with shin and back in the longrun.
 
leave it on take out the 3 12 pt 13 mm bolts and using the old bolt method take hub and driveshaft out then take it to the shop with an impact they can get it off without you having to put the whole front end back togther and cuss at it!!!
 
Well, im putting it back together, all i need to do is put the caliper back on with a new set of pads since the backing fell apart on the old pads. No big deal. I have a shop at a friends i can utilize this afternoon, WITH AIR!!!

Going on the road trip, then i will fix it when i get there. Not too worried about that nut falling off, just hope the bearing doesnt seperate on the way home........ its fully covered and my seat belts work great, so i think a slow roll into the ditch wont be that bad if it does decide to fall off..........eeeeek.

Thanks Guys, I will let you all know how it goes. Doing the fuel pump this afternoon too.

Any tricks or tips on the fuel pump replacement?

Cory
 
Empty tank!!!! Makes it a lot easier to lower. Use a floor jack and a 1ft. square piece of plywood to help stablize it on the jack. A trans jack with a strap would be great. Good Luck. Keep us posted of the progress.
Stukboy
 
Ok, got the hub assy replaced, talk about a mutha.........he he, the darn thing pulled apart when i used the puller on the caliper which was frozen tot the outer hub assy. So, i ended up getting 3 bolts from ACE and employed little "THOR"(aka........small sledge hammer) on the inside, knocked the rest of the hub out. You know the rest of the story, took about 10 minutes to get it back together and completed. Said the hell with the fuel pump for another week..........

Thanks!!! EVERYONE!!!! You made a B of a task somewhat easier........wont mess with any corner or suspension of this XJ again without air!!!!

Cory
 
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