pickupman66
Senior Member
This was done on a 4x4 1500 at 100,000 miles. I haven't written many instructables so forgive me. FWIW, The Chiltons manual is a big help to this project.
The part for this truck is 515126 from precision products. O'Reilly has it for $239. Advanced auto was $289. Dealer was $350. Amazon has a Moog One for $139
Precision Hubs 515126 - Wheel Hub Assembly | O'Reilly Auto Parts
amazon:
Amazon.com: Moog 515126 Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly: Automotive
My truck was made beofre December 7th. Supposedly there was a design change here, but the new design fits my truck. Go figure.
1. Tools needed:
a. 36MM socket for axel nut
b. Hydraulic floor jack
c. Knocker loose penetrating oil
d. Air impact gun (makes axel nut easier to remove and many other items.
e. 2 jack stands
f. Torque Wrench
g. Breaker bar and possibly extension (cheater)
h. 21mm socket, 13mm socket, 22mm socket
i. Medium flat tip screwdriver
j. Pickle fork for breaking upper ball joint loose
k. Cold chisel and mallet
l. Optional tools for severe corrosion:
i. 10Lb sledge
ii. Torch
iii. Breaker bar cut to 30 inches
iv. 8 inch gear puller
2. Jack up both sides of front end and place jack stands on cross member just inside the mounts for the lower control arms.
3. Remove wheel and slide it underneath the frame for a safety.
a. If you don’t have air tools, remove the center cap of the wheel and then put it back on. Lower this side back down so that you can use the breaker bar to loosen the axel nut. It will be had to turn ALL THE WAY OFF.
4. Remove the Brake caliper (white) and caliper holder. (yellow). Use a piece of wire to hold the caliper so you don’t damage the line. I set mine on the upper control arm. but keep in mind, you will have to move it for step 7e.
5. Once brakes are out of way, you can use a sledge to pop the rotor of. Mine was loose on this side.
6. With Rotor gone, you will now need to remove the axel nut all the way. you can use a prybar to hold the hub in place.
7. To access the hub bolts, you will need to remove the CV joints. Some have said this is optional but I could not get a socket on them.
a. Take your Mallet and tap on the axel . you should see if move slightly.
b. Go underneath the truck and with your screwdriver and mallet, place it as indicated by the arrow. You will not see any gap here initially. Use the tip of the screwdriver to remove the grease and yuck. You will notice that the end right at the front diferential has a slight taper where it transitions from the round part of the shaft to the splined area. Stick your screwdriver against the CV joint side of this and tap it in with hammer. Rotate the shaft ¼ turn and do this again. Repeat a few more times and you will see a bit of space form. Midway down the splines is a retainer ring that holds the CV joint to the splines. You are simply releasing it. keep in mind that when you re-assemble this, you will need to push the CV back all the way.
c. Now, back to the outside, place your floor jack under the lower control arm and jack it up just enough to take the weight off the spring.
d. Loosen and completely remove the ball joint nut. (book says to trash it and replace it with new)
e. With pickle fork, separate the ball joint. Raise the upper ball joint so that the steering knuckle is free. You can also slightly lower the lower control arm but don’t fully let it hang. (keep it supported)
f. Now that you can swing the top of the steering knuckle outward, pull the inner CV joint to you and it should fully come off the axel. Support it with a wire and then with your mallet, tap the axel completely free of the hub.
8. Put the upper ball joint back together at least a few threads so the steering knuckle is firmly supported.
9. From here it is time to remove the three bolts that hold the assembly on. I found it helped to turn the steering one way or the other to allow you to get the wrench on it.
10. Remove all three bolts. Now in a perfect world, it is here where the hub just slides off and falls to the garage floor like a good little auto part does. Mine did not.
a. 1. Use the tool you made from the wrecking bar and insert it thru the hub. Put the crooked end in the frame where the lower control arm is mounted.
b. Attach the gear puller to the outside of the hub.
c. Crank it down as hard as you can get with a 3/8 ratchet.
d. Beat the ever living crap out of the hub with the sledge.
e. Use the cold chisel to help try and separate
f. Use the penetrating oil
g. Curse
h. Take a potty break
i. Beat the crap out of it
j. Chisel
k. Curse
l. Take a smoke/drink/lunch break
m. Finally it breaks loose.
**Note, the light colored area shown here where the bearing gets wider is all corrosion.
11. Take a die grinder or sand paper or wire brush and clean out the knuckle in preparation for the new hub.
12. Flatten out the dust plate that you bent with the sledge. (no biggie here right?)
13. Put the plate back on and then put the hub on. Line up the holes and the ABS slot.
14. Put one bolt in to hold it together. Don’t thread it all the way.
15. Put thread lock on the other two bolts and thread them in. remove and put it on the first and replace.
16. Tighten them fully back down. Torque to 150 ft/lbs
17. R remove the ball joint nut and pull ball joint back apart. Add some axel grease to the splins of the axel and insert that end into the hub. Do the same on the other end. Be sure it seats fully on the axel.
18. Reconnect upper control arm with balljoint. Tighten nut down, but not too far. Remove the floor jack from this area.
19. Run the axel nut back on. Do not torque yet.
20. Put the brake rotor back on and re-assemble the caliper mount and caliper.
a. Be sure to connect the clips on the ABS line so it stays out of the way. Connect its plug too.
21. Torque the brake caliper mount bolts to 130 ft/lbs (bigger bolts) caliper bolts are 25 ft/lbs.
22. Recheck that you got everything buttoned up
a. Hub bolts
b. CV joint in place
c. Upper ball joint
d. Brake caliper holder
e. Brake caliper
f. All the little clippies
23. Knock the center cap out of wheel and then put wheel on.
24. Lower truck on that side to ground so that you can torque the lugs to 130. Then torque the axel nut to 175.
25. Take truck off all jack stands. You are done. be sure that the jack handle does not slip and puncture the side of your chest freezer forcing you to buy another one.
The part for this truck is 515126 from precision products. O'Reilly has it for $239. Advanced auto was $289. Dealer was $350. Amazon has a Moog One for $139
Precision Hubs 515126 - Wheel Hub Assembly | O'Reilly Auto Parts
amazon:
Amazon.com: Moog 515126 Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly: Automotive
My truck was made beofre December 7th. Supposedly there was a design change here, but the new design fits my truck. Go figure.
1. Tools needed:
a. 36MM socket for axel nut
b. Hydraulic floor jack
c. Knocker loose penetrating oil
d. Air impact gun (makes axel nut easier to remove and many other items.
e. 2 jack stands
f. Torque Wrench
g. Breaker bar and possibly extension (cheater)
h. 21mm socket, 13mm socket, 22mm socket
i. Medium flat tip screwdriver
j. Pickle fork for breaking upper ball joint loose
k. Cold chisel and mallet
l. Optional tools for severe corrosion:
i. 10Lb sledge
ii. Torch
iii. Breaker bar cut to 30 inches
iv. 8 inch gear puller
2. Jack up both sides of front end and place jack stands on cross member just inside the mounts for the lower control arms.
3. Remove wheel and slide it underneath the frame for a safety.
a. If you don’t have air tools, remove the center cap of the wheel and then put it back on. Lower this side back down so that you can use the breaker bar to loosen the axel nut. It will be had to turn ALL THE WAY OFF.
4. Remove the Brake caliper (white) and caliper holder. (yellow). Use a piece of wire to hold the caliper so you don’t damage the line. I set mine on the upper control arm. but keep in mind, you will have to move it for step 7e.
5. Once brakes are out of way, you can use a sledge to pop the rotor of. Mine was loose on this side.
6. With Rotor gone, you will now need to remove the axel nut all the way. you can use a prybar to hold the hub in place.
7. To access the hub bolts, you will need to remove the CV joints. Some have said this is optional but I could not get a socket on them.
a. Take your Mallet and tap on the axel . you should see if move slightly.
b. Go underneath the truck and with your screwdriver and mallet, place it as indicated by the arrow. You will not see any gap here initially. Use the tip of the screwdriver to remove the grease and yuck. You will notice that the end right at the front diferential has a slight taper where it transitions from the round part of the shaft to the splined area. Stick your screwdriver against the CV joint side of this and tap it in with hammer. Rotate the shaft ¼ turn and do this again. Repeat a few more times and you will see a bit of space form. Midway down the splines is a retainer ring that holds the CV joint to the splines. You are simply releasing it. keep in mind that when you re-assemble this, you will need to push the CV back all the way.
c. Now, back to the outside, place your floor jack under the lower control arm and jack it up just enough to take the weight off the spring.
d. Loosen and completely remove the ball joint nut. (book says to trash it and replace it with new)
e. With pickle fork, separate the ball joint. Raise the upper ball joint so that the steering knuckle is free. You can also slightly lower the lower control arm but don’t fully let it hang. (keep it supported)
f. Now that you can swing the top of the steering knuckle outward, pull the inner CV joint to you and it should fully come off the axel. Support it with a wire and then with your mallet, tap the axel completely free of the hub.
8. Put the upper ball joint back together at least a few threads so the steering knuckle is firmly supported.
9. From here it is time to remove the three bolts that hold the assembly on. I found it helped to turn the steering one way or the other to allow you to get the wrench on it.
10. Remove all three bolts. Now in a perfect world, it is here where the hub just slides off and falls to the garage floor like a good little auto part does. Mine did not.
a. 1. Use the tool you made from the wrecking bar and insert it thru the hub. Put the crooked end in the frame where the lower control arm is mounted.
b. Attach the gear puller to the outside of the hub.
c. Crank it down as hard as you can get with a 3/8 ratchet.
d. Beat the ever living crap out of the hub with the sledge.
e. Use the cold chisel to help try and separate
f. Use the penetrating oil
g. Curse
h. Take a potty break
i. Beat the crap out of it
j. Chisel
k. Curse
l. Take a smoke/drink/lunch break
m. Finally it breaks loose.
**Note, the light colored area shown here where the bearing gets wider is all corrosion.
11. Take a die grinder or sand paper or wire brush and clean out the knuckle in preparation for the new hub.
12. Flatten out the dust plate that you bent with the sledge. (no biggie here right?)
13. Put the plate back on and then put the hub on. Line up the holes and the ABS slot.
14. Put one bolt in to hold it together. Don’t thread it all the way.
15. Put thread lock on the other two bolts and thread them in. remove and put it on the first and replace.
16. Tighten them fully back down. Torque to 150 ft/lbs
17. R remove the ball joint nut and pull ball joint back apart. Add some axel grease to the splins of the axel and insert that end into the hub. Do the same on the other end. Be sure it seats fully on the axel.
18. Reconnect upper control arm with balljoint. Tighten nut down, but not too far. Remove the floor jack from this area.
19. Run the axel nut back on. Do not torque yet.
20. Put the brake rotor back on and re-assemble the caliper mount and caliper.
a. Be sure to connect the clips on the ABS line so it stays out of the way. Connect its plug too.
21. Torque the brake caliper mount bolts to 130 ft/lbs (bigger bolts) caliper bolts are 25 ft/lbs.
22. Recheck that you got everything buttoned up
a. Hub bolts
b. CV joint in place
c. Upper ball joint
d. Brake caliper holder
e. Brake caliper
f. All the little clippies
23. Knock the center cap out of wheel and then put wheel on.
24. Lower truck on that side to ground so that you can torque the lugs to 130. Then torque the axel nut to 175.
25. Take truck off all jack stands. You are done. be sure that the jack handle does not slip and puncture the side of your chest freezer forcing you to buy another one.
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