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Hub removal for U-joint replacement

H

Hoof Hearted

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Spooner, Wisconsin
I'm in need of replacing the u-joints in my 97 Country... ...After removing the three hub bolts, I went to remove the hub and it would not budge. I then bolted a slide hammer and yanked the wheel stud hub out, exposing the wheel bearing...:puke:

The hub is frozen solid... ...I've soaked the POS with JB-80 and still rock solid frozen.

I'm reluctant to heat it in fear of cooking the bearing seals... ...any suggestions?
 
thread in a bolt of the same thread pitch, a little longer, and hammer on it till the hub came off. same problem on my 2000 when i did u joints i did that and it worked great. came right out. just alternate bolt holes, and remember to clean up the inside of the knuckles with a wire wheel or some similar as well as the mounting surface for the hub and use plenty of sntiseize on them as well. should be a piece of cake next time you have to take the off, like on the trail or when u need to change them. if you pulled the hub apart, i would get new ones.
 
Hoof Hearted said:
I'm in need of replacing the u-joints in my 97 Country... ...After removing the three hub bolts, I went to remove the hub and it would not budge. I then bolted a slide hammer and yanked the wheel stud hub out, exposing the wheel bearing...:puke:

The hub is frozen solid... ...I've soaked the POS with JB-80 and still rock solid frozen.

I'm reluctant to heat it in fear of cooking the bearing seals... ...any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I'm assuming you took the axle shaft nut off? If you did, you can put it back on and then try the slide hammer. Or, you can put the 3 bolts that hold the hub assembly to the knuckle back on and bang on them from behind, haha.

Lots of PB blaster too, hose it down with PB then go have a couple of beers, then come back.
 
Easiest way I have found is to straighten the steering wheel, place a spark plug socket between the ear of the outer shaft and the inner axle C, then turn the steering wheel as if trying to smash the socket. Mine was a Washington(corrosion) 97 Country and it pressed it right out.
 
98stocker said:
Easiest way I have found is to straighten the steering wheel, place a spark plug socket between the ear of the outer shaft and the inner axle C, then turn the steering wheel as if trying to smash the socket. Mine was a Washington(corrosion) 97 Country and it pressed it right out.
Click to expand...

I use a nut and bolt and do the same thing, works mint
 
The bearing might not absolutely be toast. If you can afford it, you should probably replace it, but I have gotten another 30 thousand or so miles out of a pulled-apart bearing which I put together immediately again before it could become contaminated. Its life was almost certainly shortened, but it was at least usable for a while after. If you clean up the hub and knuckle, and use lots of anti-seize on everything, you won't need to do so much work next time it comes apart, so I'd say if you can press the hub back together and it seems all right, you can probably afford to give it a chance. If it's rough or loose, or if it fell in the dirt, forget it.

If you still have the slide hammer, it will sometimes work if you leave the axle nut on.
 
Man you guys make this hard. Take a medium size chisel (3/4" wide or so) and a hammer and put the chisel between the knuckle and hub next to one of the bolt holes (remove all 3 bolts first.) Drive the chisel between the two parts, do it by each of the bolt holes and you will have it off in minutes. My 91 with over 200k of MIchigan winters came off as soon as I started tapping on the third spot. no pain, no suffering. Be sure to reassemble with lots of antisieze!!!
FWIW might nick up your brake shield a bit but the same hammer can fix that in about 2 minutes as well.
 
not knowing any better i took my 6lb deadblow sledge to the knuckle surface and out popped the bearing after the 5th strike. just my experience
 
Thanks for all the suggestions... ...With 150K rounds; I might as well swap in new hubs since I've boogered one side already. I'll give you an update when I'm finished. Hopefully soon.

BTW, I've had good luck with using www.autohausaz.com for online parts purchases, but they don't carry the wheel hub assembly. Anyone have a good source for these items?

TIA.
 
asatxj said:
Man you guys make this hard. Take a medium size chisel (3/4" wide or so) and a hammer and put the chisel between the knuckle and hub next to one of the bolt holes (remove all 3 bolts first.) Drive the chisel between the two parts, do it by each of the bolt holes and you will have it off in minutes. My 91 with over 200k of MIchigan winters came off as soon as I started tapping on the third spot. no pain, no suffering. Be sure to reassemble with lots of antisieze!!!
FWIW might nick up your brake shield a bit but the same hammer can fix that in about 2 minutes as well.
Click to expand...

We make it hard? Ha. You still haven't hit the rust wall yet. I can guarantee there are hubs out there that will not yield even to the chisel.

I do agree that just the right chisel in just the right place is a very useful option. A wide, thin brick splitting chisel works pretty well. The secret here is to open it up just a little bit, flood it with penetrant, and then bang it back in. Do that at a couple of ears, and it will usually be possible. Basically, as soon as you have any movement at all, you have succeeded, and all you need then is patience. But with a big hammer, chisel, and other tools, the first time I did a hub on my old 87, it took nearly an hour before I got the tiniest bit of perceptible movement, and I did more than "nick up the brake shield" in the process. It was more like "obliterate the brake shield." On my son's 96, the bolts themselves were rusted into the bores of the knuckle, and I had to cut one ear off the hub with a torch, and burn the stub of one bolt out of the hole, because even with the hub off I couldn't punch it out.
 
I took off one side of mine today. I hit the front hub part a couple good wacks, then lightly tapped the bolts on each of the three corners fell out easy. I was worried it was going to be a bear. DO NOT hit on the bolts that you are going to reuse....you will mess the head up and you will never get a 12 pt. socket back on the head again. Oh yea I got the do the same side twice....put the brake rotor sheild on backwards. DOH!! I found a Master Pro hub at Oreily's for $84 plus tax. Everyone else was about $115.
 
98stocker said:
Easiest way I have found is to straighten the steering wheel, place a spark plug socket between the ear of the outer shaft and the inner axle C, then turn the steering wheel as if trying to smash the socket. Mine was a Washington(corrosion) 97 Country and it pressed it right out.
Click to expand...

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

After beating on the hub with a 3 pound bfh & chisel... ...still nothing. I then went and got a spark plug socket and placed it how 98stocker suggested (fit perfect). I then went and fired up the XJ while it was on stands and slightly turn the wheel against the socket... ...I hear the socket fall to the ground, UGH! I shut off the truck, shut the door and low & behold the hub is pushed right off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clap: Go to the other side with the same procedure (except without all the hammering and cussing) and doink, it pops right off with ease.

Thank you NAXJA & 98stocker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, 98stocker's procedure should become a sticky...
 
I have a 91 that I just changed these on, I just left the axel bolted in(to the hub), then used a slid hammer to pull the whole assembly out, took me longer to change out a u-joint that has to be from 1991, than it did to pull the assembly out then put it back in.
 
I just replaced my u-joint on the passenger side yesterday, I used a 6" gear puller and the bearing hub came off rather easily

Now if only I didn't strip out one of the holes in my knuckle over-tightening a caliper mounting bolt I'd be driving it today :(

Is this something I can tap out to a larger size?
 
The hugs aren't supposed to be servicable, so you need a new hub, unless you can get a shop to press it back together for you. You can try hammering it back on yourself but even then, you probably damaged something if you can see the bearings.
 
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