Sherita Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 My "little" truck project has turned into a major pain in my butt. What started out as a wheel bearing replacement has now morphed into: inner and outer wheel bearings + seal upper and lower balljoints stabilizer bar bushings spindle bearings/seal/slinger new brake pads new rotors inboard and outboard u-joints inboard stub axle replacement I'm wondering WHY in the world I started this fight. Every last thing on this truck has fought to the bitter end, requiring the use of a torch, sledgehammer, 3 or 4 foot cheater, or sawzall. The spindles were frozen in place, no amount of whooping on them would get them to let go, so the balljoints had to be broken loose, bottom nut cut off, then cut through the balljoints to remove the knuckle and spindle as a unit. Spindles gave it up once the backside was exposed to a sledgehammer. The only good thing is, once this is done I will have replaced every last consumable part that I can get to under the truck without dropping the third member. Differential comes down in the morning for the stub axle replacement, then it can start going back together. Deal of the day: Campbell Hausfield 1/2" impact gun at the local pawn shop for $10! Thing is like brand new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esacjack Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 eesh, what kind of truck are you working on? an international scout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 LOL! 1988 F150 (aka, giant *** tinker toy). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 That happens to me every time I work on my nova. I figure if I'm in something i might as well replace everything while I'm there. Pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 That happens to me every time I work on my nova. I figure if I'm in something i might as well replace everything while I'm there. Pics? I can take some tomorrow. I figured.......it's a 4wd, and a major pain to tear down, I'm already at the knuckle, might as well go whole hog. That way I won't have to deal with it again for a few years. Cause I sure would be mad if I didn't do it, and had to tear it down again in six months when a ujoint went on me. This truck isn't a status symbol, it works for a living when it's not playing. I looked a long time to find what I wanted.....302 v8, manual transmission and manual transfer case, manual locking hubs. A standard transmission is one of the best theft deterrents there is, very few people can drive one anymore. And I love it. If I put it in 1st gear, it stays there until I put it in a different gear. Thing will climb a telephone pole, or die trying. And yes, it has a name......."Thing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckyuv Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Sounds like all you need is some electronic lockers and a set of bilsteins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Somewhere in the next year I'm going to do a knuckle out conversion on it. Thing has those weird top hat hubs, can't find parts anywhere. They are made of unobtanium. I'm going to convert it over to Warn hubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 That's weird. My nova parts are mostly made of unobtanium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 That's weird. My nova parts are mostly made of unobtanium. This I understand all too well. The top hat hubs were only used from 88 to 88 1/2, then went extinct. They are the weirdest looking hub I have ever seen, and impossible to find replacements for. I'm going to start the search soon for a used axle from a D44 that will fit my truck, and then steal the stub axles, spindles and hubs from it to convert my truck over. Unobtainium - more common than you think. Anyone who has worked on an older vehicle has run into this. I love it when you go to the parts store for something, and they look at you like you have three heads. The crazy ujoints on my front end didn't exist in the book, we had to bust out a mic and then match up the measurements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Sounds about right. The front of my car is a 68 and from firewall back is 69!! Parts are either 68 or 69. I guess what ever was still around. Paint color outside was 68 color with the 69 color interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I had a 79 Malibu with a 205 V6. No one believed me that it existed, they had either a 200 or 211. Finally we figured out it was a Buick engine. Best fun I found was a power steering line that was metric on one end and standard on the other. I had o drive, powerstearingless to the mechanic to get that one replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 As for the standard transmission. I have a little Toyota Tacoma. A vallet went to fetch it and came back "can you get it? I dont know how to drive it.". I was confused that he didn't know how to drive a stick. "I can drive a stick, but I don't know how to drive yours. It's so long". I didn't even know what to say. It's not a problem I usually run into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 From what I understand, after a certain number of years, all parts are generalized. So I am suppose to be able to use camaro/el camino/nova parts. So far this has not worked well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 As for the standard transmission. I have a little Toyota Tacoma. A vallet went to fetch it and came back "can you get it? I dont know how to drive it.". I was confused that he didn't know how to drive a stick. "I can drive a stick, but I don't know how to drive yours. It's so long". I didn't even know what to say. It's not a problem I usually run into.Sounds like a compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 From what I understand, after a certain number of years, all parts are generalized. So I am suppose to be able to use camaro/el camino/nova parts. So far this has not worked well for me. Yeah, except for the Chilton's I doubt this works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Chiltons is out the window at this point. Nothing is the same. Sherita you are lucky to have a pickup. Lmc seems to have everything covered. Even aftermarket is dead on. You should get those d44's ASAP. You will not regret it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 While one would think things would be dead on, so far I've found that to be not too on target Oil seals - unobtainium ujoints - unobtainium spindle bearings - obtanium, after referring to the big book 'o parts hubs - do. not. exist. Thankfully, the knuckle out conversion won't be hard, the Dana 44 front diff is common as dirt, but from the knuckles out my truck is one rare beastie. I always hate it when you are working on something and go "what is THAT part?!" I'm having fun with the stabilizer bar link bolts....metric nuts, sae bolts. Who thought that was a good idea? And the bushing replacement kit I bought has four little bushings in it that fit NOTHING on my truck. Somewhere, someone else bought that kit for those four little bushings, and are wondering what the 8 little top hat looking things and four roll pins are for (that's the parts I needed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bige Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Have you looked on eBay? I've found some parts recently that seem too good to be true. I've never bought parts from eBay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 Yeah, I've searched everywhere. I want to change them out, so if I bust something while I'm away from home I'll have a better chance of finding parts at a 4wd shop. Mine can be cranky about locking in, so I normally drive with my hubs locked. If I need 4wd, it's just a clutch away. I have no urge to get into an argument with my hubs when I'm in a position to really need them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ct67stang Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 There are parts for my 67 fastback that are near impossible to find.... USED. The interior side panel is one of them. Ive had many projects and can SOOO relate good luck on ur project's journey. The reward is worth it. (Love that 80's body style btw ) Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 The final step of tear down will be this morning. Dropping the differential so I can remove the stub axle. My new one should be here within a few days, then I can start putting it back together again. Everything is ready.....bearings and seals in place, balljoints have been pressed in, new ujoints installed. Now, I'm just waiting on the pest office to deliver my last, very necessary part. I sure hope it goes back together easier than it came apart Finding some of the parts for this thing is like a very un-fun where's waldo. This particular truck changed four times in the first five months of 1988, so when you try to find parts......maybe you found the right one, maybe you didn't. It's particularly infuriating version of the Ford shell game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherita Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 The differential is on the bench and now I'm just waiting for the pest office to deliver the goods. The diff came down easy, but I'm betting it won't be that cooperative going back up. Heavy bugger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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