removing spindle...dana 30 on an 85 cj7

Try soaking them down around the mounting surface with PB Blaster over night, thenGENTLY tapside to side on the end of the spindle with a brass hammer. (Not on the threads!) Eventually theyl open up enough you should be able to wedge a large screwdrive between the spindle & knuckle. You may even have to use a bit of heat, but they will eventually let go. FWIW, the stub axle seals are inside the spindle, so you have to get them off to replace these items.

Soak it good with penetrating oil and get a 'Big' hammer.

I use a sacrificial bolt and put it in one of the 3 ears, then cut the steering to the side so I have room to swing the hammer and give the bolt a 'hard' hit. Once that one ear comes loose, I cut the wheel the other way and move my bolt over there and hit it hard.

Eventually it will crack loose.

I also have had some luck with a cold chisel coming side on to the crack.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

serg wrote:

I hit my spindles with a rubber mallot and they fall off pretty easily.

You may need to see if you can get a chisel to slide in ...

Use an axle puller with a slide hammer.. took me forever even with that, but I eventually got it.

-Brent Bogrees '89 YJ 4.0L w/ 33" BFG MT's '94 XJ 4.0L w/ 31" BFG AT's

CJs are much different than that.

You will destroy the wheel bearings doing it that way.

You have to be hammering directly on them to get the inside spindle to move. Not something I would recommend unless the bearings and races/seats are being replaced.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Brent Bogrees wrote:

success! last night i just *had* to get at least one of them off so i took a big hammer and a piece of wood and beat the sh*t out of the driver's side spindle. it finally came off! this morning i got to work on the passenger side one. no amount of liquid wrench and beating would get it off. then i remembered the "hot wrench". i took a propane torch and heated up the area behind the spindle for a while. i didn't want to heat the spindle itself, else it would make it MUCH harder (if not impossible) to remove. after heating and beating it for a little while longer, it finally gave! thanks to all for the ideas-u guys rock! and so does the hot wrench... :)

I hope you didn't change the temper of the metal. If you heat it alot, then cool it too slowly, the metal gets soft, if it cools too fast then the metal gets brittle.

That is probably true as you guys say, but the CJ comes apart entirely differently and this method can't even be used.

Sure it can. Just leave the axle in like he did. The axle bolt holds the bearings in the same way.

It puts as much stress on a YJ hub as a CJ one doing it that way.

Mike

CRWLR wrote:

When you go back together be SURE to replace the outer stub shaft seal inside the spindle. Replace the little o-ring like seal on the stub shaft too, where it rides up against the needle bearing.

I guess my spindles come off too easily. It would never occur to me that a slide hammer would get this stuff apart.

So did early Gelandewagens, (and Land Rovers), and what a pain they were as well... no seal could keep the dirt out for long ...

yeah, i was careful not to heat it up too much. it didn't come close to getting red in any areas. i was trying to avoid annealing the knuckle. i'm going to check them after i clean them up some. thanks for the tip!

will do! my plan is to change all the seals, and bearings. they're all almost 20 years old...and not looking too good. thanks!

true they are the only design used in heavy equipment. However, I found for Landys (and Gwag owners had the same problem) that the ball pitted easily and cost a lot to replace.