Separating steering knuckle from wheel spindle 4x4

[Pete Whitstone]

Not sure why it's called a 'nut remover'... It threads directly on to the spindle on one side and a slide hammer on to the other end. Doesn't push on anything. If you get a hefty slide hammer with it, the job should be easy.

Ah ok, didn't realize it's a slide hammer, that makes a lot more sense.

[Pete Whitstone]

Spent some time in the shop last night to work on this. First I constructed a cage that would interface the spindle nut with my slide hammer. 1/4 inch steel plate x 2, a 1 3/4" hole in one, and some 3/8" allthread.

My slide hammer is only about 3 lbs, and with as stuck as my hubs were, I did not hold out much hope. So I was not terribly disappointed when the hubs just laughed it off. Right then, time to get serious.

Next up, a 15" x 3" strip of quarter inch plate. Same 1 3/4" hole in the middle. Some more plate to stiffen lengthwise, and then a bridge across the stiffeners to make sure the hammer beatings were transferred across the length of the plate, rather than bending it at the weak spot in the middle where the spindle hole was.

As stated previously in this post, the sequence of tightening the standoffs, then whacking the back of the plate on both sides with a sledge, then tightening standoffs, repeat, was key to the whole thing. They were off in under 2 minutes apiece.

Since I plan to anti-seize the heck out of these when they go back in, that should be the last time I need these tools. If anyone needs to borrow them, just let me know.

Thanks to those on the forum that responded to this post, once again your great advice has been invaluable. Hope to see some of you in a couple weeks!

[Gary Lewis]

Spent some time in the shop last night to work on this. First I constructed a cage that would interface the spindle nut with my slide hammer. 1/4 inch steel plate x 2, a 1 3/4" hole in one, and some 3/8" allthread.

My slide hammer is only about 3 lbs, and with as stuck as my hubs were, I did not hold out much hope. So I was not terribly disappointed when the hubs just laughed it off. Right then, time to get serious.

Next up, a 15" x 3" strip of quarter inch plate. Same 1 3/4" hole in the middle. Some more plate to stiffen lengthwise, and then a bridge across the stiffeners to make sure the hammer beatings were transferred across the length of the plate, rather than bending it at the weak spot in the middle where the spindle hole was.

As stated previously in this post, the sequence of tightening the standoffs, then whacking the back of the plate on both sides with a sledge, then tightening standoffs, repeat, was key to the whole thing. They were off in under 2 minutes apiece.

Since I plan to anti-seize the heck out of these when they go back in, that should be the last time I need these tools. If anyone needs to borrow them, just let me know.

Thanks to those on the forum that responded to this post, once again your great advice has been invaluable. Hope to see some of you in a couple weeks!

Glad you got them off!

Two weeks!?!? You planning to make the show!? If so, are you going to be here Friday night?

[Pete Whitstone]

Glad you got them off!

Two weeks!?!? You planning to make the show!? If so, are you going to be here Friday night?

I am hoping to make the show, yes, but probably only for Saturday. I will probably drive up Sat morning and hang out a while in the afternoon, then head to a friends place in Talahina for the night before heading back to DFW. Plans aren't 100% certain yet though.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I am hoping to make the show, yes, but probably only for Saturday. I will probably drive up Sat morning and hang out a while in the afternoon, then head to a friends place in Talahina for the night before heading back to DFW. Plans aren't 100% certain yet though.

Sounds good, Pete!

[Nothing Special]

Spent some time in the shop last night to work on this. First I constructed a cage that would interface the spindle nut with my slide hammer. 1/4 inch steel plate x 2, a 1 3/4" hole in one, and some 3/8" allthread.

My slide hammer is only about 3 lbs, and with as stuck as my hubs were, I did not hold out much hope. So I was not terribly disappointed when the hubs just laughed it off. Right then, time to get serious.

Next up, a 15" x 3" strip of quarter inch plate. Same 1 3/4" hole in the middle. Some more plate to stiffen lengthwise, and then a bridge across the stiffeners to make sure the hammer beatings were transferred across the length of the plate, rather than bending it at the weak spot in the middle where the spindle hole was.

As stated previously in this post, the sequence of tightening the standoffs, then whacking the back of the plate on both sides with a sledge, then tightening standoffs, repeat, was key to the whole thing. They were off in under 2 minutes apiece.

Since I plan to anti-seize the heck out of these when they go back in, that should be the last time I need these tools. If anyone needs to borrow them, just let me know.

Thanks to those on the forum that responded to this post, once again your great advice has been invaluable. Hope to see some of you in a couple weeks!

For anyone trying to copy this, I think the reinforcing Pete did was overkill. I used a 3/8" thick plate that was about 5" - 6" wide and didn't add any reinforcement. It's been used on at least 6 really stuck spindles and isn't bending at all. Remember that you really aren't tightening the spindle nut all THAT tight (you do tighten it quite a bit, I'm guessing I typically was going around 50-70 lb-ft?). And you are hitting on the standoffs, so you aren't going to bend the plate with the hammer.

Still, anything worth killing is worth overkilling! So I'm glad it worked for you!

[Pete Whitstone]

For anyone trying to copy this, I think the reinforcing Pete did was overkill. I used a 3/8" thick plate that was about 5" - 6" wide and didn't add any reinforcement. It's been used on at least 6 really stuck spindles and isn't bending at all. Remember that you really aren't tightening the spindle nut all THAT tight (you do tighten it quite a bit, I'm guessing I typically was going around 50-70 lb-ft?). And you are hitting on the standoffs, so you aren't going to bend the plate with the hammer.

Still, anything worth killing is worth overkilling! So I'm glad it worked for you!

It might have been overkill, but those spindles were REALLLLLY stuck on there, so I didn't know what it was going to take. I am never one to under-engineer something.

Your approach was to whack the top of the standoffs, if I am reading you right. My approach was to make the plate long enough that the ends of it stuck out around the dust shields (which were gone in this case), and be able to whack the end of the plate on the back, instead of the standoff. That's why I reinforced it the way I did, because I DID plan to be whacking the plate with the hammer.

In any event, it worked out well and I appreciate the idea!

[Nothing Special]

It might have been overkill, but those spindles were REALLLLLY stuck on there, so I didn't know what it was going to take. I am never one to under-engineer something.

Your approach was to whack the top of the standoffs, if I am reading you right. My approach was to make the plate long enough that the ends of it stuck out around the dust shields (which were gone in this case), and be able to whack the end of the plate on the back, instead of the standoff. That's why I reinforced it the way I did, because I DID plan to be whacking the plate with the hammer.

In any event, it worked out well and I appreciate the idea!

Yeah, I whacked the front side of the plate, right opposite each standoff. The plate still needs to be stout, both for the torque you put on the nut and the hammering. But as I said, my 3/8" plate is holding up. Your's is another way to skin the cat (a rather gruesome saying if you think about it).

The first spindles I took off with that puller were on my '85 F-250HD, and the spindles were the second major fight I had in that project. The spindle nuts wouldn't move either. I had a long breaker bar on the spindle nut socket but couldn't put enough torque on it to move it. The dogs on the spindle nut socket kept popping out of the slots on the nut. So I bolted a loop of chain to opposite lug studs and put a 2x4 under the chain, across the top of the breaker bar. With the chain about an inch one one side of the spindle centerline and my pushing in on the other end of the 2x4, about a foot and a half on the other side of centerline I had about an 18:1 advantage trying to keep the socket from popping out of the nut slots. So it didn't pop off any more, but I still couldn't budge the nut. So I put a hydraulic bottle jack under the end of the breaker bar! That broke them loose!