shadowbirdie

The reason I ask is I'm not sure how to search for the issue, the topic is axle shaft install in the 91 4x4 pickup. The installation is obviously quite simple, by appearance and by the book, my case no so much..

We have a interference problem, the part where is says "after disconnecting from the 6 bolts on the differential carefully remove from the outer and drop the outer from underneath" doesn't happen. No matter what I do the outer CV will not drop out as described. Comes straight out as expected between the shock mount and the stabilizer bar mount but hits the lower suspension arm no matter what I do restricted by still being an inch or so still inside the wheel mount.

The first thing noticed was a lump of weld slag a little over 1/4 inch high solidly attached to one of the thru bolts connecting the upper and lower metal of the lower suspension arm.
I chiseled and filed off the slag so it appears as the others, so I got a little further out before the CV housing again hit the top of the suspension arm.
At this point I suspect I have a damaged lower arm, more measuring tomorrow along with a picture as I've described this technically awful..
Just needing help with how I would format the issue in the search function.

The book neither mentioned that the inner joint round plate was just going to fall off and spread grease everywhere, what a mess!!

The last cone washer and the snap ring turned out not to be an issue

Thanks j

millball

You do have the suspension loaded as it would be with the wheel on the ground with the weight of the truck on it??

The axles will not come out if the suspension is at lower extension.

Shagool22

Yeah just did this yesterday. I had to grab a second jack and out it under lower control arm to compress suspension and it gives you a better angle. I also removed lower shock mount and moved it to the side. Came right out and went right back in perfectly after that

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

One my 92 4Runner I unbolted the steering knuckle made it simple to remove and install .

Then the second one was so very much faster.

shadowbirdie

I also pulled the shock out, the lower bolt with the head facing the rear seemed an obstruction and it was easy anyhow. As said previously I'm not a professional mechanic, but I am mechanically inclined, and some here have bashed the Haynes manual which is more "hand holding" than the expensive FSM.. I'm just trying to follow directions
I had considered putting another jack under the arm and "loading" the arm.
I just try to follow the directions by the "self proclaimed" Haynes professionals.

NOWHERE, I repeat, nowhere does it say to do any such thing, that's why I bought the book and was hesitant to do it.. the way I saw it and understood it, I was going to get both done in a single afternoon.. Live and learn.

I do clearly remember the Haynes book saying to load a component, generally it was when doing work on a coil spring, which this truck doesn't have, I like leaf springs...

I was also considering removing the ball joint on the upper arm but thought it might fly up on release and I wouldn't be able to get it back down to reassemble, or worse a collapse, I looked at it for a long time, covered with grease, so I didn't get online until I was done and cleaned up..
But after all I believe I got a great deal and price, but some goobering has been done to the rig, some the book disassembling a nice clean truck, in a nice clean garage might not cover..

Thanks very much!!
Enough ranting about Haynes
I'll take another look after it stops raining
Happy Easter folks J

scope103

I don't think you can blame this one on Haynes; it's not discussed in the FSM either.

But if you had searched on this site, you would have come up with dozens of postings with the same advice given by millball. It's one of the very few repair items not explicitly covered in the FSM.

(Of course, you'd also come up with a handful of postings advising you to beat the bolts out of the differential flange with a sledge hammer. So don't follow any advice un-critically. Even from me or millball.)

Personally, I think the Haynes manual is pretty good. But it's nothing compared to the real FSM, and we're lucky enough to have one for free!

shadowbirdie

Now that I have the solution, it's still raining, working on the project in Idaho in March was a gift anyway, even the flowers are confused, it can snow till May 15th here.
The Haynes manual claims many repairs using common available tools and equipment right in the front pages, right next to not smoking while using gasoline..
No I'm not one of the litigation nut jobs that infest this country, seems that would be an important notation to inform the home mechanic of.
Cost $30, you get what you pay for in America, certainly better than nuttin.
And the FSM manual would be considered a reference for "professionals" being a manufacturers manual without the hand holding consideration, highly concise and resultingly expensive.

Good thing I have you good people to bail them out, and me...

shadowbirdie

And the PDF/Link you sent from it was very helpful and much appreciated.

shadowbirdie

Thought I had this well understood, sun's out let's get this done..
2 stands holding the truck up 3 inches behind the stabilizer both sides
Scissor jack first under the knuckle, then tried under the suspension arm.
Both positions lift the entire vehicle off of the jackstand.
At first thought the axleshaft was pinned under the front diff, it's not,
no where near it..
Am I still missing something??
Thx

shadowbirdie

Looked again
Am I lifting the frame with the bottle jack, removing the stand and lowering it to force the suspension arm to support vehicle weight?
Seems dangerous, at least potentially, should I put the opposite tire back on?

millball

You could put both tires back on and put the truck back on the ground.

teaMJPx

I also unbolted the sway bar supports when I changed mine. You have to take the inside portion out first while its in the air and then compress with the jack. Put the tire back on the other side... the truck WILL GO UP but the thing to note is that as it does, the suspension also compresses more.

That's how I did mine, it was scary at first but once I put the other tire on for safety it was not as bad. Replacement will be the same, just a bit easier to pop it back in.

shadowbirdie

Just now saw your suggestions, driver side is out, new outer is in as far as the snap ring. Put the tire back on the passenger side, it's on the ground. the clearance is so tight I was concerned the new boot might tear
Bottle jacked up the driver frame, scissor jacked the lower arm, heard a noise and the old almost slid out itself (almost)..
Of course the new neoprene is incredibly stiff compared to the old grease and age rotten torn boots, the old fell apart couple days ago.
From what I can see before I gave up (I wanted a whole side done before dark)
There is just no way the inner is going to get past the bolts for the finish which is why I'm done..The 6 nuts came off the flange to take it out, are the remainder bolts or studs, I tried to break one loose before I gave up..as previously mentioned way back, the tcase is in neutral and won't shift anywhere till I get the adapter kit, I used a 2lb sledge handle to keep it from spinning, so even if they be bolts, it's going to be a pain good thing it ain't the DD..2 cutouts in the flange seem to sort of fit the inner mount shape allowing installation clearance?? Had to turn the diff/tcase shaft carefully by hand (actually by crowbar thru a front u joint)
so the inner is hanging under for the night, go back at it tomorrow..
The other side is going to go quicker minus all the trial and error once I figure out how to get the driver inner in..
So thanks all
Are they bolts or studs, like I need to shear off a stud right now, that'll make my day...

Shagool22

Did you compress suspension all the way? To the point your about to lift whole truck up? I've heard of people pounding the studs out but I wouldn't suggest it!

Did you remove lower shock bolt and slide shock out of way? Try turning wheel opposite of side your working on(working on passenger, turn wheel toward driver)

Also you can bend cv at the joints to make it easier to get into tight spaces.

shadowbirdie

Thanks, the shock has been in the bed for a couple of days with the bolt.
I was turning the steering, straight ahead appears to work best.
I'll crank the jack up without concern tomorrow as we now have 3 wheels
on the ground. I was asking about whether bolts or studs, I'm not hammering on anything, if they aren't bolts, they don't need to come out for a repair/replacement. the engineers thought of this thoroughly at design, hence the cutouts in the shaft flange, just has to be figured out what they were thinking in the 1991 model year that Haynes forgot to mention..
Thanks J

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

On the differential side those are pressed in studs

In my case they came out quite easy so I just replaced them with bolts.

I know there are a few good threads on here about this.

Just one of those things one does not do often enough to find all the tricks.

I know removing the sway bar from the suspension arm allowed it to have more room to move up.

Andy A

Dont know if it a safe idea, but when I did mine on my 94 I just jacked the truck up from the lower control arm, remove the tire, remove the shock, I might have removed the sway bar end links just cannot remember on that one but I know I did not remove the swaybar. Had no issues removing either side. You should make sure you have a jack stand supporting the vehicle for that just in case jack failure. The hardest part was getting the nuts off of the flanges at the differential, those suckers were tight, all hail the impact wrench.

Cheers
Andy

shadowbirdie

Maybe we'll have a good day without still more questions, 3rd set of gloves, 2nd set of clothes to toss out when done, all hail thrift stores..
Glad here the diff flange nuts were one of the easy parts, if the other side be studs, why do they have bolt heads? Anyhow WD'd them last night last thing..
Thx J

scope103

If you look at them closely, you will see that the threads don't extend to the head like a bolt. Instead, next to the "head" the stud is splined for an interference fit into the differential flange. More importantly, the part next to the end of the "tulip" of the half-shaft is smooth, and fits snugly into the tulip so that the the tulip can't rotate against the flange. If you replace these shoulder-studs with ordinary bolts, you lose all that.

shadowbirdie

Thanks all for the suggestions, and yes this doesn't get done by anyone enough times,
but the professionals to find the easiest way to do it, and they have all the tools.
But success has been accomplished... although I could have used a 200 pound helper and 2 more hands..
Spent a good part of the afternoon with the whole assembly in my lap, my AVN hip is just punishing me,
a double MED dose tonight, got lots done.

Thank You wyoming9!! Along with being the most straight forward.

Also while in there I eliminated about another pound or so of San Diego sand that was inaccessible otherwise.

Thanks again J
Surface rust only, glad they didn't take it to the beach.

Also got a great close inspection of both upper and lower joints, boots completely intact and looking good. $125 for replacement set, not good..
Bought new stabilizer support bolts, only $9 at NAPA for the whole shebang.
The old tube is just rust welded to the bolt, all bushing dry rotted and toast, probably a hacksaw or lots of WD and hammering, that'll be the easy part.. (he says the night before)
On to the passenger side tomorrow..
I'm going back to Red Loctite all the bolts one at a time at the end..