Wrenchin... Adventures under the hood... Put em here.

[highangle]

Despite being Alaska cold, I figured this was my weekend to do that front end work. Bad call.
Now I got a garage full of torn up truck, a pair of axles at the shop, a pissed off ol lady, no free day for the next month, and a fuckedup hammer elbow.

Started out by losing my fucking lug key after I brilliantly managed to loosen 15/16 lug nuts the night before. Nearest 7-spline 13/16 lug socket in ANC. Called employee on his way down to run by 6 Roblees, who gave him the wrong one. Finally went pipeliner on it with an extractor after losing 1/2 fucking day. The blinding rage from that debacle helped get them spindles off, though it also precluded photography. Good new is I found a good use for all the little rural Alaska phone books we get bombarded with - I wrapped one around each spindle for cushion for the hammer. (The 8" diameter spindles that carry the outboard ends of the front axles jam fit into the cast iron knuckles with a 3/4" lip and fasten with 5 rusty studs with 11/16" bolts. Of course they rust together, and are a real delight to remove after 22 1/2 years.)

Then I dropped the steering linkage and started wailing on the knuckles, after I used my trusty Mac 1 1/8 to loosen the top ball joints and a new black metal Lisle 1 5/16 3/4 drive on the bottoms, both with a 2' breaker.
A 4lb didn't answer to loosen the ball joints, so I got an 8lb maul after it. You pound the shit out of the knuckle and the shock drops the tapered ball joint studs out of the axle yoke they've been attached to for years. Driver's side took 3 shots, the passenger side knuckle took 5 righteous Alabama chain gang slams. Lucky break. Now it was time to wire wheel the rusty spindle seats so they'll install easier (with some antisieze) and come off again next time without a hammer war.

Next morning, yesterday, after I hammered out the lower ball joints with an old socket, I discovered my 5 1/2" garage vise wasn't gonna cut it. Nor would the 7" 280 pounder in the company shop. Neither one could hold the knuckle by the little tie rod boss so I could press out the uppers and install the new ball joints with some ergonomic advantage to my 180lbs. and I ended up bending the crank handle on the big vise with a cheater (not too bad, shhh). So... "fuckit, press them ball joints in on the floor without a vise". So lol that's what I did - put the knuckles on a piece of cribbing to protect the studs and my concrete floor, stood on the knuckle and cranked the TTX ball joints in in with the rented C-press and a 2' breaker, because I only have 150lbs of air... Getting ball joints started straight is key, let me tell you...Only took 6 hours though.

Then it was time to quit worrying about dropped nuts and slipped discs and start on them hekkin U-joints. An hour later, I had the clips off 1 and couldn't lift the hammer any more. Half gallon of water, 1600mg ibuprophen, ice alternated with ace bandage, downward dog stretches, a half bottle of red wine and back rubs....

...

So, 0800 this morning, I'm blackmailing the garage to get this shit done today..."Now, you know you don't want me coming back in there and taking over your shop like I had to do that time...It's just a couple u-joints..."
An 80-year oldish Native lady without her teeth who I let in front of me said, "Put him in front of me. He'll give me a ride home so I won't need a cab." I'm like, "Going riding with boys?" She giggled like a kid. "I'll take you anywhere for a smile!" Walked her out on my arm...My bad arm...

Maybe I can steal some time tomorrow, and put the brakes off and just repack the hub bearings until I can get at them... Putting this back together is, like 20% of the job. I think I can pull 165lbs on the ball joints and stomp 165-205 on the spindle nuts without hurting my elbow any worse. Pounding that cast iron to remove all that metal was not the same as driving nails into wood...And no vise makes it twice as hard to reef down on a ball joint press while standing on it
Status: Age=old. Balls=busted. Still ain't done.

[basinbeater]

Excellent report. I really feel the emotion. Take some pics.

sent from some fucking device using some fucking program.

[highangle]

Did you like the part about 6 hours reefing a breaker bar? Let this be a lesson to all you youngsters out there: Cast iron parts are no match for a forged iron will. Improvise Adapt Overcome

...


Shop billed me 0.8hrs to do the axle u-joints with their new Snap On U-joint Doer. Machine centered. Heh.
I'm like, "Go ahead and charge me for an hour, since that's what I expected. And slip this in his toolbox when he ain't looking."

[basinbeater]

Not exactly busting ball joints and axles on a truck, but I did some work on the stereo install. Got all speakers hooked up and amp works for the front four channels. The headliner was falling off in a couple corners so I peeled it down a bit more and got a paint brush out and some 3m vinyl contact cement out and went to work. Came out pretty good, we'll see how it lasts.


sent from some fucking device using some fucking program.

[Obstruction]

Feel your pain Highangle! That’s one ball breaker of a job. Just keep counting the $$$ it would cost if you out sourced the whole mess.

Makes me feel better about the goat rodeo I went through with my daughters 07 outback in the driveway last month. Starts with an oil change, then I heard an awful noise moving it. Short version broken rear coil spring leads to two new rear springs and shocks. I put it Back together and then I hear the old familiar bad wheel bearing noise from the same wheel that had the broken spring. I order a new wheel bearing and fuck it, the cv axle boot is ripped (from the broken spring) and job is better than half done any way, may as well replace the axle too. Oh and the caliper slides are frozen solid so I need a new right caliper bracket and pads both sides. Slippery fucking slope and not the kind we like!

Beater I like that headliner work! I’ve been fixing mine in the shit box Dakota with a staple gun. I’m shooting for the “tufted” look.

[The Reverend Floater]

Despite being Alaska cold, I figured this was my weekend to do that front end work. Bad call.
Now I got a garage full of torn up truck, a pair of axles at the shop, a pissed off ol lady, no free day for the next month, and a fuckedup hammer elbow.

Started out by losing my fucking lug key after I brilliantly managed to loosen 15/16 lug nuts the night before. Nearest 7-spline 13/16 lug socket in ANC. Called employee on his way down to run by 6 Roblees, who gave him the wrong one. Finally went pipeliner on it with an extractor after losing 1/2 fucking day. The blinding rage from that debacle helped get them spindles off, though it also precluded photography. Good new is I found a good use for all the little rural Alaska phone books we get bombarded with - I wrapped one around each spindle for cushion for the hammer. (The 8" diameter spindles that carry the outboard ends of the front axles jam fit into the cast iron knuckles with a 3/4" lip and fasten with 5 rusty studs with 11/16" bolts. Of course they rust together, and are a real delight to remove after 22 1/2 years.)

Then I dropped the steering linkage and started wailing on the knuckles, after I used my trusty Mac 1 1/8 to loosen the top ball joints and a new black metal Lisle 1 5/16 3/4 drive on the bottoms, both with a 2' breaker.
A 4lb didn't answer to loosen the ball joints, so I got an 8lb maul after it. You pound the shit out of the knuckle and the shock drops the tapered ball joint studs out of the axle yoke they've been attached to for years. Driver's side took 3 shots, the passenger side knuckle took 5 righteous Alabama chain gang slams. Lucky break. Now it was time to wire wheel the rusty spindle seats so they'll install easier (with some antisieze) and come off again next time without a hammer war.

Next morning, yesterday, after I hammered out the lower ball joints with an old socket, I discovered my 5 1/2" garage vise wasn't gonna cut it. Nor would the 7" 280 pounder in the company shop. Neither one could hold the knuckle by the little tie rod boss so I could press out the uppers and install the new ball joints with some ergonomic advantage to my 180lbs. and I ended up bending the crank handle on the big vise with a cheater (not too bad, shhh). So... "fuckit, press them ball joints in on the floor without a vise". So lol that's what I did - put the knuckles on a piece of cribbing to protect the studs and my concrete floor, stood on the knuckle and cranked the TTX ball joints in in with the rented C-press and a 2' breaker, because I only have 150lbs of air... Getting ball joints started straight is key, let me tell you...Only took 6 hours though.

Then it was time to quit worrying about dropped nuts and slipped discs and start on them hekkin U-joints. An hour later, I had the clips off 1 and couldn't lift the hammer any more. Half gallon of water, 1600mg ibuprophen, ice alternated with ace bandage, downward dog stretches, a half bottle of red wine and back rubs....

...

So, 0800 this morning, I'm blackmailing the garage to get this shit done today..."Now, you know you don't want me coming back in there and taking over your shop like I had to do that time...It's just a couple u-joints..."
An 80-year oldish Native lady without her teeth who I let in front of me said, "Put him in front of me. He'll give me a ride home so I won't need a cab." I'm like, "Going riding with boys?" She giggled like a kid. "I'll take you anywhere for a smile!" Walked her out on my arm...My bad arm...

Maybe I can steal some time tomorrow, and put the brakes off and just repack the hub bearings until I can get at them... Putting this back together is, like 20% of the job. I think I can pull 165lbs on the ball joints and stomp 165-205 on the spindle nuts without hurting my elbow any worse. Pounding that cast iron to remove all that metal was not the same as driving nails into wood...And no vise makes it twice as hard to reef down on a ball joint press while standing on it
Status: Age=old. Balls=busted. Still ain't done.

I get it.

[highangle]

Finally finished that cast iron bitch.
Greased the ball joints before install. Don't recommend - made them slick enough to spin with about 20lbs torque. Tried pivoting the knuckle, no haps. Finally had to put a jack under, to put some weight on it. Both sides
Torked up 42 on lower, then 69, then pegged the wrench +150 ftlbs back on the bottom.

Thought I'd test fit a spindle before I put axles in, skert myself when I couldn't get it to slide off the studs. Finally got it out and, foamed the axles in engine cleaner, and wiped them dry before I put a light coat of grease on the shaft, with a little more on the splines. Axles slid right in the tubes, splines engaged and bottomed out smooth in the diff. Giggity. Add new seals to outboard ends of ujoint yoke.

I wire-wheeled the spindle seats, and finished off with some red scotchbrite pads and brake cleaner, did the same to the mating ring in the knuckle. Then I coated all the nice clean mating surfaces with Permatex Extreme nanoborate silicon brake anti-seize. Notch on spindle goes at 12 o'clock. Feed axle end in through all the new grease in the new spindle bearing. Bolt up spindle to knuckle 69lbs.

I have to pull the hubs again when I replace the captive brake rotors this spring, so I carefully popped the back-of-the-hub seal with a prybar, pulled both wheel bearings, cleaned out the hub, packed bearings and lined the inside of the hubs and races with 1/2" of grease placed rear bearing and put back good old rear seal. Throw 45lb hub/rotors on spindles, slide in packed front bearing. Used most of a 1lb can of grease for this job.

Now it's time to preload the wheel bearings. Spin first spindle ring nut on. Spin hub while torquing nut @ 50ftlbs, then back off 90 degrees. Now place channel-aligned pin-registered lock washer. Now spin outer spindle lock nut in and torque to 165-205ft-lbs with same 2.6" spindle nut socket. Repeat for other side.

Now the Warn hubs go in. Cleaned and sprayed with lithium grease, as too much grease will gum them up (and they're getting pulled again soon). Pretty simple, except one retaining ring doesn't want to feed in all the way...Now the caps. 5xT25 screws. Everything spins great, locks and unlocks. Winner.

Now, clean the rotors one last time with new rubber gloves, and put the brakes back on by the bracket bolts.

Now, time for steering linkage, which I've already set up to match the old stud-stud measurements. Install boots. Torque castle nuts to 52, and wiggle to set cotter pins. Install 9/32 grease fittings and grease. Eyeball straightness of rotors vs straight steering wheel - check.

Mount tires. Jack truck down. Clean up. Test drive!
2wd quiet. Lock hubs and shift in. Check. No noises. Shift out, no noises. Shift in and out while moving. No noise, no clunk. Check.
Speed run into town on dry pavement. Check. Stop at gas station. Inspect seals. Check. Drive home. One last bellyflop check with flashlight. Hit the showers.

Leave shit scattered in garage

[Jong Lafitte]

So I buggered up two of the outback doors in an accident that was my fault. $500.00 deductible and an insurance claim iffin I go that route. The other car wasn't damaged. I think salvaged black doors are pretty easy to come by 90-125 a piece. I just replace the doors myself, right? I'm guessing I can swap the glass (to keep the tint), the door cards (if they don't match) and the mirror if its a different assembly. I have a floor jack that could support the door. What am I missing here?

Edit
the front door has a dent and the rear trim is busted. Those trim pieces are 100 new and must be painted.

[fatnslow]

You might be able to find a local Russian body paint guy to handle that repair for cash. You run a chance of not having the doors not match the rest of the car if you buy a junk yard door(s).

[Obstruction]

I've replaced some thoroughly buggered doors with color code matched doors from junkyards with good results. (BMW, Honda, Toyota) The actual mechanical work is fairly simple and in general modern doors bolt up pretty well without a lot of shimming or adjustments. Depending how the hinges work you could conceivable unplug the harness unbolt the door and attach a new door and harness in an hour if you’re lucky and have lived a good life. Swapping the glass is a fair amount more difficult but it’s not rocket surgery either.

Can't tell from your pictures but the rear door doesn't look that bad. You might want to think about salvaging that one. A really good door from a junkyard could go anywhere from $150 - $250. But as you noted you can get them for around $100.

Here are some caveats:

1. Make sure the B Pillar and the Rocker are OK before you get started.

2. Finding the right door. Every car has a color code and black ain’t necessarily black. (ex. My 05 330i is Sapphire Black, one of three blacks that BMW used that year.) Your Outback looks to be an 05 - 09. This touch up paint site can help you find the color code and verify it.https://www.paintscratch.com/touch_up_paint/Subaru/

3. Find a junkyard that has a door that fits and has the right code (I like www.car-parts.com a big ass data base listing parts from US junkyards). Not all the parts they list include color codes but many do. You can sort by distance price etc.

4. When you get to the junkyard make sure that the door is in good shape (dents, scratches, rust etc.) and that it hasn't been repainted badly (or the wrong color) or faded too much. If it’s still the original matching color it should look OK on your car. If you can detach something like a mirror to double check the color that's not a bad approach.


5. Your life is going to be a lot easier if you don't have to swap the wiring harness from the old door to the new (ish) door. So pop your door card off and take a picture of your harness and connections before you go shopping. I’m guessing 05 – 09 Subarus didn’t change their harnesses much but you never know (my 05 BMW had a different than the 02 donor door I used.)

6. A floor jack is a big help steadying the door. Think about having a couple of milk crates handy too.

7. You may want to take the window trim off before trying to remove and fit the new glass.

8. Wait for Spring unless you have access to a garage.

[basinbeater]

Leave shit scattered in garage

Haha, don't clean it up until you need to clean up to make room for the next project.

Nice work. Pics dammit.

sent from some fucking device using some fucking program.

[Jong Lafitte]

I've replaced some thoroughly buggered doors with color code matched doors from junkyards with good results. (BMW, Honda, Toyota) The actual mechanical work is fairly simple and in general modern doors bolt up pretty well without a lot of shimming or adjustments. Depending how the hinges work you could conceivable unplug the harness unbolt the door and attach a new door and harness in an hour if you’re lucky and have lived a good life. Swapping the glass is a fair amount more difficult but it’s not rocket surgery either.

Can't tell from your pictures but the rear door doesn't look that bad. You might want to think about salvaging that one. A really good door from a junkyard could go anywhere from $150 - $250. But as you noted you can get them for around $100.

Here are some caveats:

1. Make sure the B Pillar and the Rocker are OK before you get started.

2. Finding the right door. Every car has a color code and black ain’t necessarily black. (ex. My 05 330i is Sapphire Black, one of three blacks that BMW used that year.) Your Outback looks to be an 05 - 09. This touch up paint site can help you find the color code and verify it.https://www.paintscratch.com/touch_up_paint/Subaru/

3. Find a junkyard that has a door that fits and has the right code (I like www.car-parts.com a big ass data base listing parts from US junkyards). Not all the parts they list include color codes but many do. You can sort by distance price etc.

4. When you get to the junkyard make sure that the door is in good shape (dents, scratches, rust etc.) and that it hasn't been repainted badly (or the wrong color) or faded too much. If it’s still the original matching color it should look OK on your car. If you can detach something like a mirror to double check the color that's not a bad approach.


5. Your life is going to be a lot easier if you don't have to swap the wiring harness from the old door to the new (ish) door. So pop your door card off and take a picture of your harness and connections before you go shopping. I’m guessing 05 – 09 Subarus didn’t change their harnesses much but you never know (my 05 BMW had a different than the 02 donor door I used.)

6. A floor jack is a big help steadying the door. Think about having a couple of milk crates handy too.

7. You may want to take the window trim off before trying to remove and fit the new glass.

8. Wait for Spring unless you have access to a garage.

Thanks for the info. Pillar and rockers look good. The rear has a good ding too. I guess a good shop could work the metal and get the molding. Molding's $200 already though, before paint. She needs to look good, but, she's a driver. Roof has some kinda paint defect too, so we're not looking towards pebble beach any time soon. My bet is that if there's still plenty of clear coat on the salvage door, I can polish them up at the same time as the quarters enough that it'll match just fine.

[The Reverend Floater]

If you are ever having one of those mornings where you're late to drop your daughter at preschool, she's singing at 125dB in the back seat of your FJ62, your dogs are barking in the cargo space at the cat you're trying not to run over, your phone is ringing and you're half awake when you back out of your garage with your driver's door OPEN.....well, just know you can bend the window frame back with a piece of firewood and your bare hands.

[highangle]

Haha, don't clean it up until you need to clean up to make room for the next project.

Nice work. Pics dammit.

sent from some fucking device using some fucking program.

Thanks. You're nice to say so. All y'all are!

Started as a fractured snowflake feelin sorry for himself about his little lug nutz and didn't take pics.
Then the install started with popping hub seals, scooping hub grease, and going outside in the Long Night with a headlamp and a hand flashlight and a half case of brake cleaner to get them heavy hub bores and attached 13" rotors shiny. Bearings too. One side at a time, so I didn't fucking lose something...

From then on, it was grease or some heavyassed part in my hands. Fuck touching my phone. Sorry. Maybe some B&A?

These were helpful beforehand:

This says "Spindle" but the spindle and axle are already out and this is the knuckle. The ball joints are what hold the knuckle on the yoke (which holds alignment bushings where the ball joint studs pass through). Makes it look easy with a pickle fork. I think we've all met this guy in one form or another...




Here's 2 Utards struggling with the same press I used...I may be older than both of them put together...


[I used moly EP grease on the threads - WD40 no!]


Cleaning up spindles, and reinstall with seal and axle. There's a bearing in the big end of the spindle, which I knocked out & replaced. I used a lot more grease.

[snowaddict91]

Then the install started with popping hub seals, scooping hub grease, and going outside in the Long Night with a headlamp and a hand flashlight and a half case of brake cleaner to get them heavy hub bores and attached 13" rotors shiny. Bearings too. One side at a time, so I didn't fucking lose something...

FKNA. I farmed out my front end work on my 7.3 and used the excuse that I was moving. Guess I'll hand in my man card now.

[highangle]

I don't know...You can still make a fist if you want....I'm wrapped in an Ace bandage.


On Edit: Obviously, should have dropped off the knuckles and ball joints along with the axles, like I mentioned weeks ago...

[highangle]

Before and a couple Afters...

[tuco]

Before and a couple Afters...

Is there a reason you didn't reinstall the backing plates?

[highangle]

Is there a reason you didn't reinstall the backing plates?

The dust covers? All they do is catch rocks. They are also aluminum or magnesium, a dissimilar metal that gets sandwiched in between a cast iron knuckle and and a high-carbon spindle.

I'm going back in there in May or June. If I don't like things this way, I'll paint them before I put them back on.

[tuco]

The dust covers? All they do is catch rocks. They are also aluminum or magnesium, a dissimilar metal that gets sandwiched in between a cast iron knuckle and and a high-carbon spindle.

I'm going back in there in May or June. If I don't like things this way, I'll paint them before I put them back on.

Yeah, the backing plates.
Huh, never had a problem catching rocks.
Meh on the dissimilar metal thing. It's a backing plate, not a Harley motor.
Nice werk though!
Wanna do a '91 D60 front axle w/ kingpins to broaden your horizons

[whipski]

Igor my transport vehicle to my ski hut. 2 miles of high clearance splendor. 74Chevy Super 10. Those models had issue with broken ignition switches. in the end after searching youtubes I installed a cut off switch on the negative battery terminal. Then added accessory and power toggles switches and a push button starter. Took about 14 hrs.

[highangle]

Nice truck! Your ol lady's kinda scruffy though.

[highangle]

Yeah, the backing plates.

That makes it sound like they do something. They're shrouds.
When they were new, they might have directed a little air through the middle of the rotor. Which might come in handy on a heavily-loaded truck with a standard shift on a long downgrade and a clueless driver. But man, if you're in that margin...you probably got those shrouds protecting you.

Huh, never had a problem catching rocks.

Sticks too.

Meh on the dissimilar metal thing. It's a backing plate, not a Harley motor.

Most of the part that gets sandwiched is gone on one of mine. Where'dit go? The corrosion elves took it from there more than any other place on the shroud because electrolysis.

Nice werk though!
Wanna do a '91 D60 front axle w/ kingpins to broaden your horizons

Aw heck. You're just being nice now. Those kingpin bolts get what, about 2x-3x the tork that ball joints need?



Got reminded of an interesting thing about locking hubs, one I've heard before: For the life of the U-joints, you want to lock up the hubs and spin those front axles as much as possible. [Not necessarily in 4wd]
When the axle's just laying there, there's shock and continual vibration on the static needle bearings as you drive all summer. Spinning the axles give the u-joint bearings the micro motion they need to stay lubed.
This is why you'll generally go through 3 sets of front u-joints for every set of rear driveline u-joints - because the rears are used all the time and the fronts aren't.

Mechanic of local school bus fleet told me his rate of front u-joint repairs plummeted when he left the hubs locked full time. He lost fuel mileage, but had much less driveline repairs.



.

[MakersTeleMark]

Aw heck. You're just being nice now. Those kingpin bolts get what, about 2x-3x the tork that ball joints need?

Torque Specs on Dana 60.

Ring-gear bolts- 110 (lb-ft)

Bearing-cap bolts- 85 (lb-ft)

Diffrential cover bolts- 35 (lb-ft)

Kingpin-to-end forging- 500-600 (lb-ft)

Knuckle-bearing cap bolts- 70-90 (lb-ft)

Steering arm to knuckle nuts- 70-90 (lb-ft)

I've done the kingpins on my D60. Lots of bloody knuckles.

[Touring_Sedan]

The Rover got some new horns last weekend. You never know how much you use those fucking things till they're both dead.