I bought an '81 pickup recently and I need to take the front axle off to do a knuckle rebuild and and overall clean up. I am knew to the solid front axle wor.d and am having trouble with detaching the brake lines and steering arm.
In the first photo it looks like the arm disconnects but I do not see a way to unscrew it. In the second photo is looks like two different places to disconnect the arm, but in the walkthroughs I see the arm is not connected to the axle.



For the brake lines I am not sure which bracket to take the lines off of. The truck has sat for about 15 years so I am not sure if the lines are not supposed to come off the brackets or it is jsut difficult to take off because of how long it has sat. I have taken the caliper off but still have the brackets on the dust shield and on the frame.

 

Welcome
Now it's time to buy a FSM for your truck and start doing a lot of research. You have a lot to learn!
If you plan on taking on a rebuild of the solid axle go here:

 

I got a chilton book for my truck and it helps but it seems to leave a lot of information out.

 

For a quickie. On the drag link, there are cotter keys on both ends. Remove them and unscrew the caps, and a plug will come out. Remove drag link.

For the brake lines, remove the hard line to the fitting on the bracket. Pull the clip out and the fitting and line will come out of the bracket.

 

Chilton is no match to a FSM, spend the money and buy one! There is no way you will be able to work on your truck otherwise
Lons81, I know you mean well and trying to help him/her, but, if he/her doesn't even know how to remove a brake line and a drag link you'll be answering question forever........he needs to do research instead of just asking a whole bunch of questions
Just saying

 

Fair enough but sometimes it's just a confidence thing...if you've never done it, sometimes ripping that first part off is intimidating. Yes, watching youtube and reading the manuals are great first steps (and actually great ongoing steps) but feeling free to ask questions here is also an invaluable resource...especially when there are some extremely helpful and knowledgable people here willing to lend a hand.

Yup, I've had some pretty basic questions along the way too!!

 

I understand where you are, but i am thinking these two items were his last items in getting the axle removed. I'm mechanically inclined, so it's easy for me to do tear down. I think that testing and build up are more important in the scheme of things. I religiously use the FSM for that, JMHO & E. The aftermarket manuals are lacking needed information, big time. There is a link up in the Stickies for the 83 FSM download.

 

I bought a rebuild kit from LCE Performance made the job easy. you don't need to take the axle off the front there lots of videos on youtube to show you how. if you find a video and the guy tells you to separate
the shaft from the ball joint don't do it because you will break the snap ring and you can't buy it separately they make you by the whole CVjoint. it seems a lot bigger job then it is after you get done with the first side the second one goes quick

 

The Low Range Off Road vid I posted for you doesn't tell you to remove the CV joint, and yes, you can do it with the axel still in the truck, but it's much easier on a bench. And you can by just the snap ring, you just have to search for it, I know Low Range Off Road has them.

 

NYHumpinUtah I was posting to the question asked in the thread I did not even read your post. as for searching I did. I looked at several sights like LCE Performance 4wheelparts and others and I called each one, I even bought some from them. the problem was they sell a snap ring for there upgraded part not the original stock part. I also called Toyota but they don't sell it because they buy the part as a whole. I spent 3 days looking for the stupid snap ring and then bought the CV Joint. I'm not so sure why your being so Sensitive about what I posted. if my post offended you in some how i'm sorry.

 

yea I noticed the same thing I went to replace the Wheel Cylinder and the pictures did not line up with what i had or the problem i was running into. sometimes you just have to make mistakes to learn and just try stuff out. yea it cost you but in the long run you learn a lot. for my Wheel Cylinder issue I just pulled the entire axle pressed it out of the bearing. and replaced the Wheel cylinder and the bearing and just to be safe put new seals in.

 

No man, we're good I just want to make sure you;re doing it right and the best way