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8 lug 10b front end rebuild... *DONE*

Avery4jc

Avery4jc

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We're going to Pismo (aka Oceano dunes) in two weeks and I'm scrambling to get the k10 ready to be flogged on and something I've been avoiding is replacing my front wheel bearings...

I really had no clue where to start so I did a little research then dove in head first and figured that I could figure it out as I go (at least to get it all apart)...

I did pretty well... this is where I sit as of now...

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The scary part is when I got to the spindle nut (the second one that's aparently supposed to seat the main bearing in place as well as hold the rotor on) I didn't have the right spindle nut socket so I figured I was done for the night... BUT I decided to give it a little love tap with a chisel...
I kid you not... ONE light tap and the sucker came loose and I spun it off by hand...
So I'm guessing that needs to be addressed when I put it all back together... I'll look tomorrow when I'm at the auto parts store getting new bearings and seals to see if they have a manual for a '78 K20 'Sub since that's what the axles in my k10 are out of so I can figure out how to torque stuff down and get it all seated properly...



As long as I've made it this far I wanted to replace the front u-joints while I'm at it...
Can you get to them where they are (I know it'd be akward)... or do you have to keep pulling stuff off?
 
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You gotta pull the whole hub off to get to the Front Ujoints. I've blown enough up on my 10 bolt to know.
 
soooo.... pull the castle nuts off? then how do you get the knuckle to come off? pneumatic pickle fork or does it just fall apart? I noticed the lower nut is on the "inside" unlike the top castle nut that sits on top... I figured there's some signifigance to this...

Any tips?
 
OH... ok :)

I'll get a set of u-joints when I get the new bearings and seals tomorrow...


Thanks for the help!


I'll keep the pics coming as I make more progress tomorrow...


EDIT: Since you've done these before... do you remember what you torqued stuff down to? I'll grab the spindle nut socket tomorrow so I can actually torque stuff down vs. just using a chisel.... but in case they don't have the manual do you remember?
 
Err my Haynes Manual is out in the shed, I can grab it in the morning I'm about to go to bed right now.
 
Ok thanks... if you have time tomorrow I'd appreciate it. But either way the plan is to grab a manual tomorrow at Auto Zone/Napa/etc. if they have one...
 
I have to go register for classes this morning but after I'm done with that I'm headed over to get the parts... I'll ask if they know the torque specs...
 
The nut is not supposed to be super tight. If it's from a 78 then it's the same as the hubs I replaced yesterday.

You torque the inner nut (the one with the pin on it) down to 50 ft/lbs while spinning the hub assembly on the bearings. (you may need another set of hands to help)

Then you back that nut off 1/4 turn (some books say 3/8) and then re-torque it down to 35 ft/lbs while rotating the hub.

Then you put the "holie" washer on and rotate the inner nut just enough to line up with one of the holes in the washer.

Then you tighten the outer lock nut to 50 ft/lbs on earlier versions and later models list as torqued to 80 ft/lbs.

You'll know it's right if you can freely rotate the hub and there's no obvious slack in the bearings when you pull or push it back and forth.
 
Thanks... registration was a disaster (but I got into CNC mill programming and operations and a few other similar classes so I guess it wasn't a complete loss) and I just got home so I'll get started and post pics later...
 
bp71k5 said:
The nut is not supposed to be super tight. If it's from a 78 then it's the same as the hubs I replaced yesterday.

You torque the inner nut (the one with the pin on it) down to 50 ft/lbs while spinning the hub assembly on the bearings. (you may need another set of hands to help)

Then you back that nut off 1/4 turn (some books say 3/8) and then re-torque it down to 35 ft/lbs while rotating the hub.

Then you put the "holie" washer on and rotate the inner nut just enough to line up with one of the holes in the washer.

Then you tighten the outer lock nut to 50 ft/lbs on earlier versions and later models list as torqued to 80 ft/lbs.

You'll know it's right if you can freely rotate the hub and there's no obvious slack in the bearings when you pull or push it back and forth.
Click to expand...

Yeah thats about right. The inner nut is not supposed to be "tight" You would burn up the bearings. Do it just as described above. The hub should spin freely and as mentioned not have any in and out play well its suppsed to be like .10 end play but thats pretty much none. The outer nut is the tight one that hold everything from backing off with the holey washer.

Another tip get some new spindle nuts the pinch type since the ones that are on there are probably old.
 
Off-topic, but are you coming down on the Aug 2 or the Aug 9. I going to Reno on the the 7th and going to be gone the whole weekend.

Oh, i got to replace the locking hubs on my blazer also.:crazy:
 
I'll be there July 31st (a Thursday) through August 3nd (a Sunday)...

It kind of depends on my dad's work schedule as to when we take off... either thursday morning or thursday night after he gets off work... but either way we'll be there that weekend...

I also secured a trailer a few days ago so I'm all set... I'll probably have to put my rollers on the front to get it to fit but w/e... it's free and it'll work :)
 
Cool, hopfully I'm free that weekend. I'm also going out of town next weekend also.:doah: Crap, I better get off CK5 and work on my blazer. I have few things to fix.:o
 
Semi-related but your loose nuts:D made me think of it.

I remember you were pretty intrigued by the TTB front end Ford used. Ford didn't specify enough torque on the outer hub nut on those trucks so they usually end up backing out if not torqued to a high enough setting and then checked regularly. This is often part of the reason you see so many TTB Fords with the tires leaning...the whole assembly is coming loose. When I got my '96 Ranger the front tires were literally like this --> / \. FIL and I replaced the front bearings, races, seals, and put it all back together to the improved specs and man, even without doing the ball joints and coil springs the thing was light years better and the tires were mostly straight up and down.
 
Yeah I spent quite a bit of time a few months ago researching trick front ends like that to get ideas for the k10...

TRUST ME... I haven't forgotten about the pre-runner/desert racing section :)
The k10 is getting a complete make-over little by little...
 
Well this afternoon I had a chance to get a little more work done as well as pick up/order some parts...

It's all stripped down now so that's good...
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I went to Auto Zone and picked up new inner/outer bearings, and two seals (the one that presses in behind the inner bearing on the back of the hub)...
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I came back home and tore the other side apart (as pictured above) and when I pulled the spindle off to get the axle shaft out I realized the little bearing inside the spindle was completely shot on this side... so I sent my dad back to see what they could find...
They had one in stock so he snagged it...
This one is in great shape...
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But this one from the driver's side is the one that's shot... so luckily they had one in stock...
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I popped the bearings and stuff out of the hubs but that was about it for today...
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I'm waiting on a kit that has 4 new spindle nuts and two "holie" washers as well as a couple of seals... they should all be here tuesday so I can get back to work tuesday night.


So it looks like I'll be good to go... once the parts come in I'll just put it back together in reverse order... pack stuff full of grease and torque it back down as per the instructions bp71k5 posted...

The only thing I can't figure out (or at least haven't messed with long enough) is the stupid u-joints... they're different than the ones I changed out on my front drive shaft. Tips/tricks?

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I hear some people say they can remove those easily. It was a pain for me. I gave up and took them to a driveshaft shop and they replaced them for $25 parts and labor. It's well worth it if you can.
 
they have little c-clips on the inside of the ears, pry that iff with a screwdriver or something and then theyre just regular joints.
 
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