93&Me

Hello Everyone,
After Doing work and replacing some components in my front suspension, both my original out board CV axle boots ripped and flung grease everywhere. I'm going the replace the whole axle rout rather than re booting, as I don't know what kind of wear I'm going to encounter in these almost 200k mile axels.

The whole procedure seems to hinge on "removing" the Auto locking hubs to slip the CV out and back in. Things I'm ready for:

1. have snap ring pliers for the axel spacer and inside the hub to align the brake spring for torx screw removal.
2. brass drift punch and small flat head screw driver to remove the cone washers with the bolts protecting the top threads.
3. 54mm thin walled socket for hub nut
4. spring scale for testing friction drag of the oil seal.

My questions:

1. where in the process of removing the auto locking hubs does it free the end of the axel for removal? Am I removing the hub components to get to the snap ring and spacer? or does removing it fully (removing hub nut) allow for the clearance necessary to get the axel out?
2. Does the entire locking hub have to come off to get the axel free? (kind of repetitive question)
3. Is the Spring scale part necessary or is tightening the hub nut to torque spec safe enough.
4. I just bought the remanufactured CV axels, no additional hardware, are all the bolts, snap rings and washers in this process for the most part reusable? This truck to my knowledge has never been an off road vehicle, its been driven very gently for 28 years and is in great condition.

I'm sure I have more questions but this is a good start. anyone have a lot of experience with the auto locking hubs? Thanks!

scope103

I'm not aware of any '93 with "auto lock hubs." Particularly if you have ADD; why would anyone want both?

By replacing the "whole axle," I assume you mean replacing the two half-shafts. You've purchased them complete with the CV joints and boots (good choice.) First, to replace the half-shafts you DO NOT remove the axle nut. You remove the flange (held with the cone nuts), the "gold bolt" (in the end of the axle shaft), and the nuts on the studs in the differential flange. Then just push the axle inward (the "tulip joint" at the differential has travel to accommodate suspension movement). Here's a drawing: http://web.archive.org/web/201102060...15componen.pdf

[edit: yeah, you need to remove the circlip once the flange is off]

Now here's the "secret." In order to remove the half shafts, the front suspension must be compressed as though the truck was sitting on the wheels. If you try to remove the half-shafts with the front wheels dangling, the angle is wrong and you'll never get them out. (I put the truck on jack stands, and then put a trolley jack under the brake disc to lift it just enough.)

If you cruise this forum, you will find some folks who didn't heed (or didn't know) the "secret," and instead resorted to removing the ball joints or even driving out the studs in the differential flange! It's your truck, and if you want to beat the heck out of it you can, but you don't need to.

93&Me

Ok yes you are totally correct, Id never heard the term "live" hubs with the ADD system, but I guess thats what I have.

thanks for this procedure! sounds like it should be easier than what haynes manual says. As far as the "secret", would the piece of wood trick used for the bottom ball joints work, which stops the upper control arm from dropping all the way? Or is having the jack let you make adjustments better to find the sweet spot?

scope103

In theory, you can remove the half-shafts with the tires still on, sitting on the ground. In practice, it might be hard to get the cones out with the wheels on.

If the "piece of wood trick" means to lower the truck onto a block of wood under the brake disc, probably. You won't have a lot of room to work.

93&Me

no, you place a piece of 2x4 in between the upper control arm and the lower bump stop. It provides enough movement for the lower arm to pull well free of the knuckle when working on the bottom ball joint. either way ill try the jack first. Thanks!

scope103

You always have to be careful working on anything that weighs over a ton. If you use my method, remember that when you lift the wheel it reduces the pressure on the nearby jack stand.

93&Me

gotcha, I usually have the trucks oem jack and both tires for safety, as well as the two jack stands

93&Me

Have a few questions.
First I'm having a hell of a time breaking free the 6 bolts on the diff. side of the axel. I have the break depressed, but cant get the access with my breaker bar and simple ratchet/extension set. I am buying an extra long box wrench set which will hopefully work out. Is that a good tool choice? The problem is the hub/body of the axel on that side is so wide and close to the bolt that even with a thin extension and a pipe on the end of the ratchet, the socket is still a little cockeyed, so when I put a lot of torque on it it slips off the bolt.
Second is about the "live hub". Pictures attached will show what I am looking at, I was successful in getting the cone washers out with no issues luckily, but the cover will not pull free, it feels like its mechanically stopped from coming off. It slides out evenly about a 1/4" and wont come any further. Now I'm not putting a lot of pressure on it before asking questions. I feel like the bronze cap in the middle of the cover may have something to do with it but its not obvious if that part comes off or how it comes off. FSM and Haynes manual only deals with auto or manual hubs, they don't really talk about these hubs with the A.D.D system.

93&Me

scope103

You have to remove the "bronze" colored cap. The circlip is underneath it. It's just a press-fit; pry carefully with a large screw driver and it will just pop off. Push the flange back and pull on the half-shaft; you'll have enough room to remove the circlip.

While my memory is imperfect on this point, I'm pretty sure I used a box-end wrench to remove the nuts from the differential flange. I found I could keep the flange from turning by slipping a crowbar between two of the nuts opposite the one I was working on. I also found that I could remove 3 (or so) of the nuts, then I had to rotate the axle 180° to access the others.

93&Me

you're a legend, thanks!

93&Me

I got it done! I ended up needing to remove to stabilizer bar end links, which made it so much easier to get the Axels in and out. For any future readers that have a simple tool set like me, I used a 3/8 ratchet with a #17 short socket and an extra long box wrench looped on the end of the ratchet to get the access and torque need to break the differential side nuts. The clearance between the widest point of the Axel flange and the nuts is very tight, too tight for the XL box wrenches.