New front end coming soon

[techieman33]

I managed to work that bolt out on mine, you can pull on those lines a little to help get them out of the way.

 

[rizzjc]

I just finished reading Evan's entire 3 page thread on the UCA. Sounds like he had no trouble with that bolt. Others did, but eventually got it out. Maybe taking a break will get it done. I looked at which lines I could un-clip to allow me to move them enough. No luck yet. Also tried hammering the arm in, and pulling it out, as well as trying to get the front free, allowing me to twist it to get the bolt out at an angle. No joy. Another day. As usual, wasn't expecting this road block.

 

[techieman33]

Yeah, I had to do it a couple of times first I put the factory bolts in, then I had to take those out and put in the adjustable ones. It was a pain but they came out and went back in.

 

[rizzjc]

Well, I'm going to go find the replacement bolts. These are stock on this side (passenger had been done already). I only want to do this once.

Tips on the seal? Yank it out, hammer a new one in? No drama?

 

[techieman33]

Well, I'm going to go find the replacement bolts. These are stock on this side (passenger had been done already). I only want to do this once.

Tips on the seal? Yank it out, hammer a new one in? No drama?

pretty much, you might as well replace the bearing though if you taking the seal out. At least if it's not to expensive.

 

[parad1mg]

yanked the seal out with a small crowbar.. i used a hammer (nail puller end) the first time and did not damage anything else bsides the seal being removed on both occasions.. just make sure they do not touch anything else besides the seal since the bearings is just right behind it..

get the seal pusher from harbor freight if you have the time.. it makes the job a lot easier.. only possible drama is that you hammer it in an angle and it doesnt seat perfectly and might even result in a mis-shapened seal.. make sure its dead on when you do install it..

 

[CDW6212R]

You can spin that bolt around as you need to to fish the big end around the lines. You may have to loosen or remove a hold down clamp for one or more of the lines. They don't have to come out at all, just move them gently at the same time as you spin the bolt etc. Put the bolt back in from the other side when you finish.

A seal puller will yank the seal out easily. Take your time tapping the new one in. A large socket which matches the diameter of the seal works well to tap it back in. Be careful with the spring inside the seal, just don't push/pinch/crush the flexible part. Hit only the solid shell of the seal while installing it.

 

[rizzjc]

I picked up a seal puller for $5 at HF, and have a HF special seal installer too. Should be good, assuming the correct seal was ordered. Off to the garage to find out ..... and mess with that stupid bolt a while longer.

 

[rizzjc]

OK, here we go. I'm still not quite sure how I managed to get it out, but it wasn't nearly as easy as everyone said it was.

Here is the bolt, as far as it will come out without doing anything else.


Here is step one, getting it around the fuel and brake lines. I had to bend the brake line slightly, and carefully push down on the fuel lines, to slide the bolt past them. The control arm was about at the center, but also had to be positioned so that the bolt would move freely.


This one shows what is still in the way. There is a larger steel line, blurry at the top center and lower center (just to the right of the cam bolt). This line would not move, and the bolt hit it here.


I hammered and pried on the control arm, to slowly move it forward, trying to twist it as much as possible so the right side was a bit further forward than the left side. Also making sure to keep the bolt loose, so the arm wasn't hanging it up, and it wasn't jammed against any of the lines. When moving it, I had to get my hand in there to pull up on the brake line that's above it. Eventually I inched it further and further until the bolt could angle up and toward the engine enough to clear the frame and the steel line under it.

It's still took a few minutes to actually remove the bolt from this mess of lines, but I knew I was home free.

Also got the old axle seal out, and the new one in, cleaned up my tight quarters against the wall of my garage, and got ready for final assembly tomorrow evening, I hope.


I will be replacing the camber adjusters with Moog replacements, and plan to put the bolt in from the rear, making sure first that a socket can easily be put onto the nut.

 

[CDW6212R]

My first one on my Mountaineer was that hard, I think we spent 90 minutes doing just those camber washers. There was a clamp somewhere holding that line which made it easier when removed. I'd have to look around it to find it, it was a 10mm bolt I think.

Do you need to change the gear lube, now would be the best time to do it?

 

[rizzjc]

Gear lube looks pretty good. It's got Amsoil 75W90 in there, which I flushed a few times after the sinking. I'll just top it off probably, for now, though I've got like a case of the stuff, and can't possibly go through it all!

 

[CDW6212R]

Excellent, I really liked doing the front Amsoil with the hand pump this last time. I think I got about 98% of the old fluid out that way.

 

[rizzjc]

Excellent, I really liked doing the front Amsoil with the hand pump this last time. I think I got about 98% of the old fluid out that way.

I brought it to a shop the first time, figuring they had a better pump to suck out all the crud. I checked it after that, and it was pretty bad. I did it myself, I think only once, and it's clean. Of course, the rear I could remove the cover and flush out all the dirt and water before putting it back together. Not quite so easy up front.

 

[CDW6212R]

The rear housing has a lower section which holds a handful of oil. The front diff looks to have no space like that, so a hose can get really close to the bottom and get almost all of the fluid.

 

[YountExplr]

with those camber bolts you just gotta wonder what the ford people were thinking when they put those brake and fuel lines there. I think it took me several hours until I got that one out and I even had someone helping me from up top lol.

 

[rizzjc]

Somebody KILL ME!

I thought that turning the bolt around would solve all problems. I was suspect of one problem, and for good reason. With it turned around (i.e. inserted from the rear - no rude comments , I can't get a socket wrench on it. The socket will go on, but not the wrench, and even if it would, I would not be able to remove it once the end of the bolt was sticking out, and I'd prefer my socket and driver not be a permanent fixture when I'm done.

So, how to solve this? A 7/8" open-end wrench would be a pain in the @ss, if I had one, and I would not be able to torque it. Remember, the bolt does not turn, only the nut. Guess I could hunt down a 7/8" open-end wrench, and just crank as tight as possible. Then it's up to the alignment shop to worry about it.

Even putting it back the way it was would be nearly impossible, given the way I had everything torqued just so to remove it. It would be easier with the replacement bolt, since the adjuster is not welded to the end of the bolt, but that fat steel line is in the way. What the heck is that stupid thing anyway?! :fire:

Maybe if I had pissed and moaned through the driver side first, I would be siting here now saying how easy it was to finish, since the passenger side is so much easier.

Oh, and if I don't finish tonight, it's going to be 100 degrees tomorrow. Well, actually, it's going to be 100 degrees regardless, but if I get it done tonight, I won't care.

OK, done venting for now. Back to the garage to curse some more.

 

[CDW6212R]

The key is still a combination of the sockets and wrenches. It's a pain in any case, but find the best sockets and wrenches, alter which you use as you go along tightening the nut.

That large aluminum line is for the engine emissions, the fuel tank gases end up through that. Have you tried to remove the hold down clamp for that line, I think that may be the one which can be moved some that way?

 

[rizzjc]

Well, my venting helped. I got it back in, the way it was. Now I'm trying to figure out how the heck I got the FRONT one loose. Stupid hose is in the way. Anyway, I got it now, buttoning her up! Couple more minutes, and I'll be ready to torque everything down .... and see how messed up the wheels are.

 

[rizzjc]

Well, it's nearly 1am, and the torsion bar didn't want to cooperate. Lifted the truck off the jack stand, and the adjuster would not twist enough to get the "cam" in there. Tomorrow. I also looked at the wrong torque spec, and before I realized it, I was cranking down on the sway bar link, and squished it. I think I need to replace it, 'cause it won't torque right now. Probably crushed the bushings too much. Oops! I'll pick up a grease fitting while I'm doing that, so I can get the grease gun into the upper ball joint.

SOOOOO ..... having never had anything to grease on this truck ..... how much grease do I put into everything? I've got grease fittings on the upper ball joint, and tie rod end, both Moog parts.

 

[YountExplr]

uh probably just a couple squirts every oil change... but yeah those camber bolts are a pain. I call those type of things the money makers because it makes you want to give up and take it to the shop lol.