44 knuckle dilemma!!

alright so i got a hp 44 out of a 77 f150. i need the passenger side knuckle off to get it machined an drilled but first i have to get the spindle off as well as the caliper bracket. well heres where the drama begins. ive been working on the damn thing for 3 weeks now using a torch, pb blaster, liquid wrench, and a BFH! no luck! ive got the stupid dust cover cut off so its out of the way but i need this damn thing off! and as you might know one of the lugs in the spindle stays on because its trapped by the inner c so would that have something to do with my troubles? thx for any responses.

There should only be the 6 nuts holding the spindle and caliper bracket on.

Got any pics?

ya theres 6 but only 5 come out when the knuckle is still on the housing due to one being blocked in. and im trying to remember my photobucket password for pics lol.

Here look at this and see if it helps...it is a step by step disassembly. (its for drum brakes, but the spindle is the same) Good luck!

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/Mr.N44.htm#The%20Tear%20Down

What vehicle is this out of?

Ford spindles on D44's were only 5 stud, not 6. And F150 knuckles can not be machined and tapped for high steer arms because they aren't flat top knuckles, and don't have enough material to be safely machined. Some F250 knuckles can be, but you would have to use all F250 components from the knuckle out.

Chevy/FSJ knuckles are both 6 stud, and flat top knuckles that can safely be machined.

When I was working on my HP44 out of a '77 F150, I ended up having to cut the ball joints, so I could get the knuckles off, as the spindles wouldn't budge. I then took the knuckle, soaked the back with PB blaster, positioned the knuckle on some pieces of wood, and placed a piece of metal (the part of the axle tube I cut off to narrow the axle worked perfectly with a small bevel around the edge) on the inner part of the spindle, and used a sledge hammer to pound it out. took a while, but it came.

Edit:

4LowandGo said:

Here look at this and see if it helps...it is a step by step disassembly. (its for drum brakes, but the spindle is the same) Good luck!

http://77cj.littlekeylime.com/Mr.N44.htm#The%20Tear%20Down

Click to expand...

Although that is a nice write up, and great site overall for information, that dissasembly is only good if you don't have 30 something years of rust siezing parts together. I tried this first, then had to come up with my own solution before I broke the spindle off.

X2 on the "Ford should be a 5-stud pattern".

I've had some bastard spindles in the past. Not a big fan of hitting the spindle nut as shown on Mr. N's page - probably because I don't trust my aim so much when frustrated. I found that using something heavy, but soft, works really well and makes aim less critical - such as 3'-4' piece of lumber. Smack the spindle at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00, and keep going in that order until it comes out.

You'd think it would actually be easier now that you have most of the spindle studs out. i''ve never taken that approach before.

yup I meant 5 but anyways ya the spindle is a bitch. And I understand what you meant about machining my knuckle and I hit up parts mike and they seem to have already machined ones. Why is that? And I specifically told them f150.

Because Chevy/FSJ knuckles, and pretty much all D44 parts are interchangable. I have Knuckles off a '74 Wagoneer on my D44 out of a '77 Ford.

Begster said:

Because Chevy/FSJ knuckles, and pretty much all D44 parts are interchangable. I have Knuckles off a '74 Wagoneer on my D44 out of a '77 Ford.

Click to expand...

True, but a Chevy knuckle will not allow you to use a Ford spindle and Ford outers.


Is it really that hard to get the spindle nuts off? You are trying to take them off from the outside, right? I take it you dont have access to a impact gun. Worst case scenario you can use a cut off wheel and cut them off. Parts Mike has new parts for fairly cheap.

Starboard M said:

True, but a Chevy knuckle will not allow you to use a Ford spindle and Ford outers.

Click to expand...

True. I meant that the knuckles could be interchanged. You are right, the spindles are specific to those knuckles due to bolt pattern, the OD of the inner spindle, as well as length for the outer shaft due to the length of the spindle. Caliper brackets and calipers are also knuckle dependant.

Depending on the bearing size, hubs and rotors can be interchanged.

Starboard M said:

Is it really that hard to get the spindle nuts off? You are trying to take them off from the outside, right? I take it you dont have access to a impact gun. Worst case scenario you can use a cut off wheel and cut them off. Parts Mike has new parts for fairly cheap.

Click to expand...

Hes not having troubles getting the spindle nuts off. He is having troubles separating the spindle from the knuckle.

got the spindle off. easier than what ive been trying...put the spindle nut on and went to town with the ol hammer. now to the ball joints....i need a special tool right...balljoint press right? and since the guy from parts mike was lying about the knuckle machining i guess i have to go chevy outers. and i need histeer cause im doing leaves up front.:sad1:

Double check to make sure you didn't bend or deform the spindle.

To remove the ball joints from the knuckle, yes you need a ball joint press. You can rent it at any local auto parts store.

But if you are doing chevy knuckles, why bother with the old ball joints on the knuckles you can't use?

well ive never used one before so why not learn something new and im still confused on why the guy would tell me my knuckles are a go? im nervous now.

Here is a page with the info that you need:

http://www.jeepgod.net/d44625.html

I just used a prybar between the u-joint and knuckle to force the spindle out enough to pry it off little by little around in a circle the first time. I didn't like the idea of fubaring the spindle by hammering on the spindle nut.