83 K5 4wd front axle rebuild questions

[skark_burmer]

Hey all, i have a unmolested K5 im going to put a limited slip diff and new ring and pinion in this weekend and id like to be as well prepared as possible before i start the procedure. Its my daily driver so as little downtime as possible would be nice. The truck has the auto front hubs and the wheel bearings are sooo loose it feels like the wheel is about to fall off, thats why im tackling this procedure now, before something bad happens. :P

I have the chilton manual and im an experienced mechanic but i have never worked on a live axle before. So i turn to you for help.

Q1: What special tools will i need? Im sure there will be a rather large socket that i'll need. What size?

Q2: Is there someplace that sells a rebuild kit that contains the bearings and seals for a good price? I looked at a few sites and there seems to be tons of available seals, many more than are shown in the manual.

Thanks for any input guys.

Jeff

 

[onetonbb74]

You will need basic hand tools 1/2" drive, 3/8ths drive, 3/8 allen for the caliper bolts, spindle socket (four prong) for dana 44/10 bolt they sell it at kragens. Snap ring pliers help with the hubs, but you can use a pick and skrewdriver to get it done. As far as the bearings and rebuild kit, check out randy's ring and pinion. They have all that stuff. If you have never done a set of ring and pinions, then get someone who has done it before to help you. There are other tools for just setting up the ring and pinion such as housing spreader, torque wrench, micrometer, bearing puller/installer, and dial indicator.

 

[AZ79K5Project]

Don't know if you did the work this past weekend as your post says, but there a couple of things to think about. You may want to consider a different approach depending on how you wheel and the reasons for the limited slip. Is there a reason for the limited slip versus a lockright or similar type locker? I have never had a limited slip, but what I have read around here and elsewhere, they may not be the best bang for the buck.

You also may want to consider changing out the auto hubs for a more reliable manual premium hubs.

just my $0.02

I just redid the outer seals on my truck. I did not replace the spindle rubber type seals. I just replaced the bearing seals in the hub. They are fairly inexpensive. I never looked for any kits. Everything I found was priced by the piece.

Good luck.