Bkennedy's SAS and Rebuild Thread

[410Fortune]

yes I have not had a tone ring in 10+ years in the BII

I hope whomever installed those bolts is no longer doing ring and pinions!!

 

[BKennedy]

Lucky me the ring gear is harder steel than the bolts. The threads came out of the ring gear bolt holes looking like springs.

I think the only thing holding the ring gear onto the carrier was that its a tight fit onto the carrier flange, and two bolts.

 

[BKennedy]

I am now waiting on the new ring gear bolts to arrive. I installed the lug studs. I attempted to press on the bearing and bearing retainer by first tapping it down with a heavy piece of tube (6" of my passenger side front D44 tube) but that didn't work. I then tried the old floor jack and door frame press. When I saw the door frame moving I figured that wasn't going to work either. Need to take the axles to a shop with a press and have it done. I would go buy a press since I will use virtually any excuse to but new tools, but I just don't have any room for one here. Need to wait until the Arizona house gets built before I can go for all the big tools; floor mount drill press, press, Shop Smith, lift, etc..

 

[yostyexplorer94]

Thanks for getting it in my head to remove the carrier.

Holy crap.

The installer must have used the impact until it stops torque method. I picked all the curly threads out of the ring gear, chased them with a tap and then one of the two bolts that were still good. The threads and the ring gear will survive. If I had not pulled that carrier, this would have fallen apart soon and would have cost me a bunch.

On my old Dana 35 pumpkin, I had to remove the 4.56 gears that a local shop setup due to a cracked housing. When I disassembled it, a piece of the bearing cage fell out. Who ever installed the pinion bearing took a punch to it to seat it and apparently was blindfolded while doing so. I told the shop (I was extremely nice about the issue), I have a $100 dollar press at home that would press the bearing on without damage and I don't understand why their shop took a punch to it. The mechanic said he didn't remember working on a ford dana 35, see what the service dept. will do for you. They gave me a replacement race and bearing and were cool to work with about it.
This is #1 reason why I like to do everything myself.

The bolts that were in there are 7/16-20 and 5/8" long. They could be another 1/8" longer. Found a set of ARP bolts that are .75" long, perfect.

I also found that the ring gear bolts could have been a smidge longer. It got to the point where I was over thinking too much with everything and went ahead with the Yukon bolts.

 

[gmanpaint]

Just glad the ring gear issue, was found ahead of self destruction. Not all of us was so fortunate. 15 years on a trail rig that gets used, is a pretty decent tho.

Was told by a Ford Tech a couple days ago, that on a 2013 8.8 he was rebuilding, the specs call for 44 ft lbs +90* on a 13/16" bolt head. Weird.

 

[kmack]

Need to wait until the Arizona house gets built before I can go for all the big tools; floor mount drill press, press, Shop Smith, lift, etc...

Don't forget to add a metal lathe, sheet metal brake, english wheel, and a power hammer.

All stuff my Dad has in his shop, but buried behind enough other stuff that you can't get to them!

 

[410Fortune]

that is the key, keeping your shop open! Parts and clutter need to be in storage so tools can stay accessible
I try very hard to make this so...it is not easy. So many projects going at once, but a clean organized shop is a efficient shop!!
I love my 20 ton HF press, it does so many bearing races and U joints its earned its keep and its space in the shop. I did find its better to cut the old races off when possible after bending two jigs trying to get the races off the FJ cruiser axle shafts (rear bearings) 2 min with a angle grinder and they were off.......

 

[BKennedy]

I was out in my new shed and figured out I could squeeze a shop press in there in front of the stuff I am storing in there. I am tripping over stuff in the garage as is, daily moving stuff out to the shed I haven't picked up in a year, so decided against something that bulky that would get so little use......for now.

I don't know why Yukon doesn't press the bearings and keeper onto the axle shafts with this kit like they usually do with Jeep axle shafts. It's discrimination I tell you, lets protest, maybe start a riot. Burn baby Burn!!!

 

[tdavis]

I was out in my new shed and figured out I could squeeze a shop press in there in front of the stuff I am storing in there. I am tripping over stuff in the garage as is, daily moving stuff out to the shed I haven't picked up in a year, so decided against something that bulky that would get so little use......for now.

I don't know why Yukon doesn't press the bearings and keeper onto the axle shafts with this kit like they usually do with Jeep axle shafts. It's discrimination I tell you, lets protest, maybe start a riot. Burn baby Burn!!!

AXLE LIVES MATTER!

 

[BKennedy]

Good news for a change. I take back everything bad I said about 2020. Sasha's lab results came back negative for cancer. Doctor says its some other type of growth on her spleen that died and started bleeding. He is having them check more of the sample because its so unusual for dogs. I am so glad I gave her another chance instead of putting her down.

 

[Rick]

That is great news Brian. So glad for you and Sasha.

 

[410Fortune]

HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! my pups mean more to me then any truck or tool ever could, 2020 is looking up! Better late then never

 

[BKennedy]

In my never ending quest to be self-reliant, I ended up at HF and got this

After looking at the reviews on line, I had them open the boxes and went through all the welded beams to make sure they were square. They appear to the naked eye to be fairly well welded, and square. I also got some 3" casters so I can push it from the garage to the shed to take up less space. I looked at the 12 ton since its smaller, lighter, etc., but it looks like a toy shop press and not sturdy in the least. It would probably would have worked for what I use one for, but this 20 ton appears to be something that will last a while. It will also handle a small press brake for bending metal that I intend to build from my trusty pile of scrap metal.

I also bought a McGraw portable air compressor since I gave my failing big Husky stand up compressor away last month, then realized the only reliable air compressor I have is mounted to the Explorer. I haven't used the Husky except to air up tires in several years so I figure a smaller portable unit will work for me around the house. This small unit has twice the CFM of air my bigger unit had, and it has wheels so I store it out of the garage.

 

[Rick]

The presses seem good, but I've seen a Harbor Freight pressing plate shatter. A friend was pressing an axle bearing for me and WHAM!!!!

 

[donalds]

20 ton

I've never had problems with my 12 ton lol

 

[BKennedy]

Wife's sister came over so I had a little garage time. I assembled the press and tempted fate by jumping right in and pressing in those axle shaft bearings. It went well, nothing exploded, I still have all my fingers and both eyes so I would call that a win. With the bearings and what Yukon calls the bearing retainers, which is really just a 1.5" piece of thick machined tube, the 12 ton press wouldn't have the length to do the driver side axle shaft. As is, I had to press the bearing down until the end of the axle was almost touching the cross brace on the bottom of the press, then reset the plate up a set of holes to get the last 1/2".

So now I am waiting on the new ring gear bolts and a case of brake parts cleaner I ordered off Amazon. Its almost $2 less a can than around here with all the California regulations.

Edit: The 20 ton press has a cross brace that is just a piece of angle welded across towards the bottom of the H. An easy modification would be to get a piece of stout 3 or 4" pipe, cut a section out of it, cut a section out of the support and weld in the pipe section. Then you could get 4-5 more inches by dropping the piece down into the center. You could also put the press up on blocks and go as high as you needed to get the job done with the cross brace modified that way.

 

[Kirby N.]

I used a hf 12 ton for years and it was fine. Now I have a 30 ton that I inherited when my uncle died. It flexes a little less but does the same job.

 

[410Fortune]

I sold my 12 ton to stepson, the 12 ton was "mah" and left a lot to be desired.
When it came time to press wheel bearing races for the wifes FJ cruiser I upgraded to 20 ton 5 years or so ago....that thing is a beast.

I have heard the arbor plates can shatter too, but mine never have. I have for sure pressed it to its full ability to the point where the frame was stressed....and it has held up just fine.
I use it for ball joints, U joints, bearing races and bushings all the time.
Putting it on casters is a good idea! I tuck mine up against a cabinet and when its time to use it just walk it out away from the cabinet about 6" or so
It is one of my favorite tools because as we get older we have to work smarter not harder. I would love to convert it to air over hydraulic someday soon.....it gets used that much around here

You are smart to read reviews first and check the unit you got for welds and defects!

 

[BKennedy]

I am almost looking forward to my next U-joint replacement.......almost.

Now, I just need to build a DIY press brake. I think I have nearly everything they used for this one

 

[BKennedy]

Still waiting on supplies to arrive so I decided to delete the front skid plate. I went from the big black painted plate that covered the transmission, and the exhaust, to the little unpainted one that only takes up the space where the bolts go on the big plate. Like I posted earlier, I have never even scratched that big plate covering the trans and I think it traps a lot of heat.

I test fitted and painted it after this picture. Will post a picture of it when its installed.

This pic is just because that Atlas is a thing of beauty