Front wheel bearing replacement on 10-bolt...One man job?

Hi,

My wheel bearings need to be replaced on the front passenger side of my K5. The axle is a stock 10-bolt.

On a 1-10 scale of difficulty, how would you rate this, and is there a decent online manual/instructions to assist me? I Googled, but didn't find a lot.

How long should the job take?

I was quoted around $200 to have it done by the alignment shop. I have a real hard time buying that, but can't get it aligned till the front end is squared away.

Thanks,

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens
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Easily a one man job! Go get a Haynes manual for your K-5. You will also need a spindle nut socket, a pair of jack stands, a brass punch, and a race/seal driver...and a few other tools.

Be sure to replace both bearings in both sides AND the seals. Use the best wheel bearing grease you can and most importantly, don't rush!

Reply to
Shades

Before I tackle this job, I want to make sure the alignment place (tire shop) knew what they were talking about.

They said the wheel had quite a bit of play when it was up on the rack. Now, just 2 days earlier I'd had the ball joints replaced on the drivers side. The guy at the shop where I had my new rear axle put in noticed it, and said the ball joints were worn on the drivers side, but the passenger side was fine.

The the alignment shop says the bearings are gone on the passenger side, but there's no problems on the driver's side.

Both shops reported roughly the same symptoms (excessive play in the wheel, able to rock it in and out vertically).

Opinions..?

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

I will say that there is an issue with the steering wheel cut hard left, not so much hard right...

For instance, pulling into a parking space at home or work (requiring me to turn hard right) is OK... But backing out (requiring me to turn hard left) causes some clunking noises, and a slow shudder, sorta like having it in 4x4 and trying to do a tight turn in the parking lot. Except I have it in 2-wheel drive...

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Sounds like there is a definite misalignment and/or severely warn parts.

When it comes to ball joints, bearings, tie rod ends, etc...They all have the same miles on them on the same roads. There will be a variance to some degree...RF kisses curbs, Right turns are tighter on the street than lefts, in 4WD the power is put to the LF, etc. But if your gonna put the money into the front end, your better off doing all 4 ball joints, all 4 tie rod ends, both axle u-joints, both axle bearings, both seals, all 4 wheel bearings, etc, etc...than just doing ONLY the 2 loose ball joints and wheel bearings and one axle u-joint or whatever mix of parts the case might be. Yes it costs more, yes it takes more time, yes its that much more $$ for labor if you don't do it yourself...BUT...at least you will have a SOLID piece of mind that ALL the same parts are all good at the same time.

When I tore apart the DANA 44 in my '71 3/4T 4x4, I hadn't done front end work before(not in a 4x4 at least), so I got a Haynes manual, bought the tools I would need, tore it apart paying careful attention to the book and to what I was doing, found a shop to do the press work that I didn't have the equipment to do, and put it back together slowly and carefully. It took me approximately 2-3 days from jacking up to jacking down and about $300 total. It was SO worth it! The front tires wore as flat and true as the rears. I could do 70 down the Freeway with no hands on the wheel and never leave the lane. It was awesome and I had the self esteem boost of knowing I did 80% of all the work myself and also spent 1/4 what I would have if I had a shop do all the work!

Never skimp on front end, steering, or brake work...I would rather have

200HP and be able to control and stop it with confidence that to have 700HP and not be too sure about where it was gonna go and if I was gonna be able to stop it!

Maybe I am just weird...but that's the way I look at it!

DEFINATLY replace what's bad, and DEFINATLY consider doing the same work to the same parts on the opposite side. Remember also, a solid axle 90% of the time only has toe in/out adjustment and steering-wheel-centering adjustment...is it worth the money to have a computer alignment done when you and a friend can do the same thing with a tape measure?

Reply to
Shades

I donnot think it is a BEARING.. It may be the CV JOINT ( Halfshaft)

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Reply to
no one

He has a Solid Front Axle. K-5 Blazers from 1968 to 1972, then from

1973 to 1990/1991 Were Solid Front Axle Trucks.

No C/V Joint, no Half Shafts. Just a Axle Per-side, One Joint (U-joint), then a outter axle/stub axle. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

I agree, I'd rather have the whole thing gone through properly. However my budget only allows for a little to be done at a time. And I'm also living in a gated community (apartment) so I have to be as stealthy as possible when it comes to auto-repair. They don't care for residents rebuilding front-ends in the parking lot ;-)

I'm just making short lists of things to be done and then tackling those before moving onto other things. Right now the rich-running condition and front end slop are the two things on the list. I do wish I had a garage. Besides keeping me out of the public's view, it'd also provide much needed shelter. It's getting mighty cold out, and daylight disappears around 6pm. I get off work at 5 or 5:30...luckily I live about 2 blocks away. If I make a game plan before getting home and have the tools in the floorboard of the truck, I can quickly get to work and get a little bit done before the sun sets.

Hopefully when I get home today the EGR block-off plate I ordered will be in, and I'll be able to quickly pop off the carb and install it, and taking a quick vacuum measurement before the sun goes all the way down.

Of all the things on your to-do list, I'd skip the axle bearings, because 4-wheel drive hasn't been used often on this truck. And frankly, it can't be... the newly rebuilt rear axle has 3.73's...the front has 3.08's. But I would like to get the shaky wheel under control.

I have a chance to get a free Dana 60 front end as a good core. I'd rather keep it in my storage unit, going there to build it during a couple of weekends, then have it just bolted in.

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Where abouts do you live? I have a 10bolt front axle out of an '85 with

3.73's...you interested? I also have a good set of axles(rear 12-bolt/front 10-bolt) with 3.08's and the rear has a Gov-Loc! I even have a REAL nice set(R-12/F-10) with 3.73's in what was a GREAT driving and handling '91 Suburban. Maybe a nearly new built-up TH350 with NP-208 that has the TH700 adapter already installed? Got plenty of other '85 and '89 Suburban parts too!

Reply to
Shades

Reply to
Shep

I'm in Atlanta man... What about you?

Actually, I think we had this conversation a while back before I decided to rebuild my 10-bolt rear... Yep...just Googled it... I thought this seemed awfully familiar.

Bolting your 3.73-loaded 10 bolt in would probably be cheaper than regearing my current front end and then replaced the other worn parts.

Shipping is a huge problem though. I don't have a place to actually receive something like that, and transporting it would require me renting a small trailer. So axle troubles have been keeping me down lately, lol... The logistics of pulling it off make it worth the expense to just rebuild or have someone else do it.

But still... I'll repair my 10-bolt, but I'm not going to get another one. Either a 44 or a 60 (probably the 60) will end up going up there. I'm going tomorrow to look at a 60 and a 14-bolt (both free) that I may be able to sell off. The 14-bolt I'd sell for Dana 60 parts or something.

I'd rather make the front 10-bolt just work while I acquire the Dana 60 parts.

Reply to
Jon Pickens

If your planning on installing a DANA 60 in the front, you will need the

14bolt to compliment it with the 8-lugs, strength, etc...

For the DANA 60 I would drive down there and install the 3.73 front end for you! I might be making out better than you a little bit though...Sure beats all the converting you would have to do to run one-ton axles though!

Reply to
Shades

Ha!

Well, I'm waiting on an unused 14-bolt that's still strapped to a military pallet...it was unused surplus. Brand new, with 4.56 gears and a locker. A friend is getting it for me. It is to cost me only a couple of bottles of quality Gin :-)

He's also steering me toward a D60 that's sitting under a burned out CUCV frame. It's complete minus the locking hubs. Besides opening it for inspection, it should be a case of bolt it in, fill it up, and drive. We're supposed to check it out on Friday.

However, if you're serious...and I do get that Dana 60, I'll take you up on the offer. I'd rather find a Ford high-pinion 60 anyway 8^)

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Here's where I stand.

I only have the info I've gathered over time and my own experience to go on. That has led me to the belief that the engine vacuum being too low is causing the rich-running condition. A lack of vacuum pressure should cause the metering rods in the carb to stay in an up (rich) position.

I still have not connected the PCV line. It was suggested that it would lean out the mix. That doesn't make sense. It was said that more air=leaner condition... Hmm... technically that's true, but it would/could potentially mean even lower vacuum in my case, causing a richer condition.

So with only the vacuum advance and brake booster connected, I'm 99% sure that the source of low vacuum is my homemade EGR valve block off plate. Which I constructed using parts of the old EGR valve. Yes...I know...that's stupid. :-(

I am waiting on a real block-off plate to arrive in the mail. Hopefully it'll be there when I get home in a little while. If so, I'll bolt it on immediately and report back my findings tonight. As it is now, manifold vacuum is sitting at 15". I know that's acceptable by some standards, but I'd like to think it could go higher. Seems to be on the low end of the "acceptable" scale.

The Edelbrock tech support has been no help so far. The guy just keeps asking me what color my damn spark plugs are. I personally could give a damn if they're brown, black or purple. It's completely irrelevant to me right now. It spits visible, eye-burning vapor out the tailpipe. You can smell it while going down the road with the windows up because it's so bad. It gets 12mpg on the interstate. The timing is set at 15 degrees BTDC to maintain a steady idle and yet doesn't knock... Then after explaining all that (twice) to the guy he responds with (and I quote) "The carb sounds like it is too rich for your motor and color will tell us how much."

Really?

This was after he first suggested going to STIFFER STEP UP SPRINGS in the carb.

Gotta love Tech Support ;-)

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Reply to
Shep

That does bring up a question... Does the valve in the stock EGR on 86 Chevy V8's close off on the exhaust hole or the intake hole underneath?

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Believe me, the factory settings in the 1406 is PLENTY lean for your engine!!! The original springs are rated at 4 inches of vacuum...that means, the primary rods are all the way up at 4 inches of vacuum. That vacuum is NOT(directly) manifold vacuum. Besides, I know for a fact that you can pull the primary rods all the way out while the engine is idling and it will NOT flood!

Idle screws should be set at aprox. 1 1/2 turns out. You will not get proper drivability with an open adapter between the carb and intake. Be sure that the secondary butterflies aren't catching on the gasket, adapter, etc.

15 inches of vacuum is not at all bad on a carbureted engine. Install a fuel pressure regulator from your local parts store(the one with the large dial on top(the same maker as the class fuel filters)) and set it at about 1 1/2 - 2. That will confirm the proper fuel pressure. Run as much advance as your engine will take without pinging under load or bucking the starter.

Do these things and I 90% guarantee that your running problem will be over!

Reply to
Shades

Yeah, I don't doubt that it could be set incorrectly... but I'm starting to understand the balancing act involved between engine components. As soon as the vacuum situation is under control I'm going to set it as close as possible to a proper mixture, run it, and adjust accordingly.

I will probably take the top off the carb and set the floats to about

3/8" instead of 7/16" as was suggested. Maybe re-jet too if needed.

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

I added a fuel pressure gauge on my fuel line between the filter and carb. It bounces wildly at idle (fuel pump pulsing I assume???) but when I gas it, it reads steady at like 2 psi...so I think fuel pressure is under control.

I know the springs are rated at 4" of vacuum. But the timing really has me confused. It's supposed to be between 4 and 6 degrees BTDC at idle right? Not 15! But it's not fighting the starter at all. There's something weird there. The mechanic said something was up with the harmonic balancer. I think he said it slipped (??). Not sure, but the gist of it was, the timing marks were off. I pulled the spark plug in cylinder #1 (front piston on drivers side) and put a small screwdriver in the hole. I turned the crank with a breaker bar a few times to feel where TDC was, then made a new mark on the balancer.

I'm definitely gonna attack the floats after I get the EGR block off plate. I'll have to take the carb off to install it anything, may as well do it then.

As far as flooding goes...you can visibly see gas flowing in the carb. It's circled in red in this picture:

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That's with the rods in place...Is that normal?

Now what's that about the carb adapter? It is...OPEN I suppose. Like sort of squarish, with round corners... It's not the kind that smoothly flows from the smaller Edelbrock bore to the larger Quadrajet bore. Should I have one of those instead? I was told it wouldn't matter.

This should NOT be this damn hard! :-P

(pulling my hair out)

~jp

Reply to
Jon Pickens

Dyna-Trac.

Reply to
Charles Bendig

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