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Pulling 14 bolt at junkyard

A

aceroth

1/2 ton status
Joined
Oct 5, 2016
Posts
136
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Location
NorCal
I want to swap out my 12 bolt for a 14 bolt. My local pick n pull has a couple trucks that should be good donors. Question is how the hell I move 400 lbs of axle the 300 yards from the donor truck to my truck in the parking lot. Pick n pull won't allow me to drive into the yard will they? Do I leave the wheels on the 14 bolt and roll it to the gate? And even then 2 guys can't lift a 14 bolt with drums and wheels into the bed of a lifted full size dodge pickup, right? Do I need to bring a cherry picker too?

Also, what else should I make sure and grab? U bolts and u bolt plates from the 12 bolt won't work so I need to grab those, right? Anything in the braking system?
 
for bolt in if were talking 14 full floater axle 8 lug then you need it from a 3/4 ton 4x4 square body truck .

other wise cut and weld on new shock tabs and spring perches .

if 14 semi floater . it will be cut and weld new shock tabs and spring perches .

most pick n pull junk yards have engine hoist to use on air filled wheels . or they can grab it and load it for you .

u-bolt plates yes grab unless you want new beefy units from vendors here .

hacksaw with few blades . 4-5lb mini hammer . cut u-bolts and drop them . unbolt shocks if you can if not cut them . big bolt cutters if you dont care about e-brake cables . should be 7/16" for the 4 bolts on the u-joint straps for the drive shaft . big long prybar to man handle stuff and pop u-joint out of yoke. hacksaw the brake hose fast and easy .

lots of places charge you for all the parts . so if you plan on going disk brake swap leave all the drum brake stuff there if they charge you for each part . ask them first so you know .
 
I bring my dolly with me. I can do it by myself with a couple tools and the dolly. Its 15/16 socket for the ubolts. Bring penetrating oil.
 
Grinders aren't allowed, so i rigged up a drill to mount a grinder blade. Great for u bolts
 
We used to use a breaker bar or 3/4" drive ratchet on U-bolts at the junkyard,if they refused to loosen, we'd just twist them off ,using a cheater pipe on the breaker bar..we were not able to use torches all the time ,having so many pine trees and needles in and around the yard,when it was dry out we had to use other means..
If you cut a slit into a u-bolt with a hacksaw just above the axle tube they will usually twist off fairly easy,you dont need to saw them all the way thru..

I have memories of cutting frame sections out with a hack saw,and using a hatchet & hammer to shear rivets off cab mounts to get them off,in 90 degree sunshine in July!..we had a cordless sawsall,but the battery was dead 90% of the time,you were lucky to get 5 minutes cutting done before it died..boss was too cheap to buy a second battery for it..it eventually got run over by the loader and he refused to get us another one..(he ran it over too!)..said it was our fault for not putting it somewhere out of range--it was in the cab with him and fell out as he drove away....:surepal:..
 
Ah yes, i forgot to mention that a cut in the u bolt followed by twisting them off with a breaker bar wedged between the u joint on the end of a drive shaft for a cheater
 
If it's a pick n pull, they usually have wheelbarrows available for you. Put the axle on that to move it out to the parking lot. As mentioned before, just cut the u-bolts. Cordless sawzall is great. Otherwise hacksaw it like halfway through, then tighten or loosen the nut and it will usually snap the u-bolt for you.

You could roll it out of there with tires on it, then take the tires off in the parking lot. My dad is 74 years old and he and I can pick up a 14-bolt with drum brakes on it. So you should have no problem with a helper getting it in your vehicle.
 
Yep, pick and pull has wheel barrows. Here in CA I only need penetrating oil and a cordless impact to pull an axle.
 
Up here it varies--you might need torches or a sawsall to chop one out--or you might be able to just pull it free without tools,if the truck is crusty enough!..

Most every salvage yard here will not let you try moving heavy items yourself,they all have at least one fork loader to carry things up to the gate,they'll load it in your truck for you too,so long as you promise not to sue if they end up denting it or something..

One yard refuses to let anyone in now after someone sued ,when they threw their back out trying to get a V8 to the gate by themselves..two guys tried dragging it on a folded up tarp for 300 feet,when one had a disc slip..they almost got it to the gate too!..

The employees felt bad for him and used a loader to get the engine into his truck,and his buddy paid for it and drove him "home"--but two days later a summons was delivered to the yard owner,the guy was taken to the ER ,not home,and found out his back was badly wounded and he sicced a lawyer on him..(don't know how it turned out,but I suspect the yard "lost" and their insurance had to cover his medical bills and damages)..

Some pick & pulls here used to have a "picking party" sale,where you could buy any item regardless of size or worth for $20--one I went two,I saw five guys carrying an MG with a spare engine in the back seat..:eek:..I haven't heard any more advertised lately,I bet they stopped doing them due to the liability issues..
 
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