It's been a tough week...and it's only Wednesday. 
As you guys know, I took on the task of refreshing my front end.
I've had some odd wandering issues, as well as a few other little quirks as far as driving mannerisms are concerned.
I was fairly positive it had to be something in correlation with the front axle/steering, and found that my Ball Joints had some play while checking things out.
(See post #217)
While chatting it out with you guys,
@hosejockey61 thought it might have been a bit of unit bearing play as well.
Being the type of person I am, I decided to just replace EVERYTHING I could since I would have the axle apart anyways.
I'd rather spend the money and be in here ONCE right now, versus chasing issues in there again.
So I bought all new Spicer Ball Joints, Timken Unit Bearing/Hub, Dorman Hub Bolts, Spicer U-Joints, and all new Dorman Axle Hardware.
I'll make this easy for anyone in the future who reads this...
Spicer Ball Joints - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007N6OHI0?tag=wranglerorg-20
Unit Bearing/Hub - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZAF36?tag=wranglerorg-20
U-Joints - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009X1XDZG?tag=wranglerorg-20
Hub Bolts - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ID3YKXI?tag=wranglerorg-20
Axle Hardware - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CO8ZQU?tag=wranglerorg-20
I need to note here, I've never personally done this type of job on a TJ, so you could say I was pretty intimidated by it.
But, there was only one way to figure it out, so I started tearing it down...
Removed the tires to gain access to the Disk Brake Assembly
The front Calipers are held on by TWO 12mm hex bolts on the back-side.
(These are only torqued to about 11-ft/lb)
With them removed, the caliper is easy to pull off the Rotor by prying between the top edge of the Caliper with a screwdriver.
Make sure to hang the Caliper to avoid any brake-line damage.
(I like to hang calipers from the upper shock bolt with a piece of speaker wire...it works surprisingly well, and keeps the caliper out of the way)
With the Caliper out of the way, the Rotor is free to come off.
Once the Rotor is set aside, the first major obstacle of this job is in view.
This is the Front Axle Nut assembly.
Start by removing the Cotter Pin from the Lock Shield nut.
With the Cotter Pin removed, the Locking Shield is free to come off, as well as the shield retainer/tension washer.
(I'm not actually 100% sure what this weird washer is called, but it's purpose is to hold tension on the lock-shield so that it doesn't un-seat or rattle around)
At this point the main Axle Nut is in view.
This nut is torqued extremely high (175-ft/lb) , and you can bet that it will be tighter than that due to age.
(make sure you have the tools to remove this AS WELL as re-install this before you hack it up with improper tools)
You'll need a 36mm Socket to fit this nut.
I bought mine from Oreilly's for $13.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...-1-2-inch-drive-standard-12-point/ptt0/gm8287
With the socket in hand, the easiest way I found to tackle this nut was to jam a large pry bar between the threaded wheel studs.
This prevents the assembly from rotating while you put pressure on your breaker bar.
(make sure to install TWO lug nuts onto the threaded studs, so you don't damage them in the process)
Note ; if you haven't previously dealt with this nut, it will be TIGHT. This one needs to be man-handled.
A bit of PB-Blaster on the nut for 30 minutes might make this slightly easier.
Once the Axle Nut is removed, proceed to removing the Tie-Rod End Link.
With the end link removed, you now have enough movement for full-access to the rear of the hub assembly.
There are 3 bolts along the back of the hub that hold the hub to the knuckle.
These 3 bolts are 13mm 12-point bolts. I'd suggest ONLY using a 12pt socket for these, as stripping them would leave you in an awkward situation.
Once the 3 Hub-Mount Bolts are removed, the hub is free to come off the Axle Shaft.
The hub can be tough to pull, but I actually found it easiest to wedge a small extension between the 'C' and the Outer Yoke.
With this extension in place, you can grab the knuckle by hand, and slam it against the extension, which will in turn force the axle/hub outwards.
It really was a simple '2-slam' ordeal.
With the Hub removed, the Axle Shaft is free to pull straight out of the Axle Tube.
This isn't over-complicated. Just pull it straight out of the tube.
With the Axle Shaft set to the side, the only things left are the Knuckle and the Ball Joints.
Start by removing the Cotter-Pins and Castle nut on the Upper Ball Joint.
This is a 7/8" Socket, and is torqued to about 75-ft/lb.
With the Upper Ball Joint now loose, remove the Lower Ball Joint nut.
The lower nut requires a 1-1/8" Socket, and is torqued similarly to the Upper Nut.
Make sure to keep these nuts loose, but not fully removed. They will prevent the Knuckle from falling off when you knock it loose.
At this point, the Knuckle needs to be broken free & removed.
The Knuckle is TIGHT on the studs, and requires some force to release.
General consensus for this is to use a heavy hammer and smack against the flat surface at the top of the Knuckle.
I however found this method to be overly-exerting.
After about the 10th hit, my lower stud was still holding tight.
Since I was replacing the Ball-Joints anyways, and damage to the joints weren't a concern, I used a Pickle Fork instead and had the Knuckle loose in about 10 seconds.
With the Knuckle off the Axle, you're free to start the Ball Joint Removal process.
THIS REQUIRES A HEAVY DUTY NICE QUALITY BALL JOINT PRESS.
(I rented my BJ Press as well as the extra optional BJ Press Attachment Kit from Autozone for $300 with a 90-day return window for 100% money-back)
(Oreilly's was priced similarly, but only allowed a 48hour window)
Remove the Upper Ball Joint first. This joint needs to be removed UPWARDS.
I won't dig deep into which attachments to use, etc. Use your brain, stack them however they work best, and start cranking.
*these ball-joints are pressed extremely tight, and from my experience with them in the last 24 hours, they will break loose LOUDLY.
The first one I popped loose, I thought I broke something. It sounded like a .22 went off in my fender. Keep cranking until it POPS, then crank it out some more*
With the Upper Joint removed, start pushing out the Lower Ball Joint.
The Lower Joint needs to be pressed out DOWNWARDS.
Again, same process. Stack the press attachments however you see fit.
Since the Upper Joint was removed first, there is space in the empty hole of the Upper 'C' to put the threaded press rod through.
This makes things significantly easier. Just be sure to keep the press straight, as to not damage the inside of 'C'.
To say my Ball Joints were Rusty, Crusty, and Dusty would be an understatement...
At this point, the hard-part is pretty much over.
It's time to reinstall the new Ball-Joints!
Reinstallation is the opposite of Removal.
Start by pressing the lower Ball-Joint into the 'C'.
This lower joint needs to be installed by pressing it UPWARDS into the 'C'.
Then Install the upper Ball-Joint into the 'C' by pressing it DOWNWARDS.
During install, the biggest thing to watch for is making sure the joints are properly seated.
They need to be completely seated in order to function properly.
With the new Ball-Joints seated in place, start working backwards through the steps.
Reinstall the Knuckle onto the Ball-Joint Shafts, then torque the lower nut to 80-ft/lb, and the Upper nut to 75-ft/lb.
Maximum file limit reached.
...continued on next post
