At the beginning of October I was pulling into the in-laws driveway thinking my wheel was loose. It turns out because of the lowered stance, my camber is off and has caused my front tires to wear on the inside to the point one went flat.
So I order new tires from Tire Rack and wait for them to come in. Once they arrive I go and remove my wheels so I can get the new ones mounted and balanced. Sounds easy, right?
It was not. I broke the key to my wheel lock while trying to remove my left front. So I order a new key. McGard fails to return my email, so I call them and finally get results. So, my key comes in and I go to remove my wheel. PING!!!! I just broke the lock. They key is good, but the actual lug broke. But now there is now way to grab it. Remember, this all started back in the first week of October and I'm driving around in a 90's Dodge Dakota that my father-in-law was kind enough to loan to me.
So this Saturday I become a man on a mission. I go to Sears and get a 32mm socket and some nut extractors. My goal is to remove the hub and grind off the back of the stud and beat it out of the other side. So now I must remove the sway bar linkage, strut, tie rod, ball joint, brake caliper and the caliper mount all with the wheel still on. At this point I call in the expert, OutlawdSVT is on his way.
The brakes were no big deal, it's really not that bad with the wheel still on!
Swap bar link? Nope, not budging!
Tie rod end? No big deal. I backed the nut off to the end of the bolt and started beating it to get it out. It doesn't budge. Outlawd shows up, hits the mount twice and it pops loose. But now the bolt is jacked up and the nut is stuck on. PISS!!!!
So Robbie goes after the broken stud with his air hammer to no avail. We break out the torch but can't get it lit. Sounds about right, huh? Robbie kicked the wheel, we both beat on it with hammers, pried with a crow bar just trying to force the hub loose. F it, we take a brake for chow.
Robbie picks up the air hammer once we get done eating and somehow the nut starts spinning! PROGRESS!!!
The nut is now loose enough to be spun by hand, but it's damaged and stuck in the wheel. Some work with the slip joints and it comes out. Just take the wheel off now, right?
WRONG!!!
It is rusted to the rotor and the rotor is rusted to the hub!!! We tried heat, hammers, kicking, wheel puller (it broke the rotor), pry bars, cussing, and more kicking. Finally it broke loose from the rotor. It took the wheel puller and tons of hammering to knock the rotor loose. Oh yeah, when I pulled the brakes off,the pads fell apart and I noticed I have been driving around without a shift linkage bushing! You can just reach up and pull off the linkage!
We drop the wheels and tires off at NTB and head for Advance Auto for parts. That is where we meet kscontourkid who helps us out with parts advice on rotors, pads, and a tie rod end.
All this for a flat tire!!! Close to $500 after it is all said and done! I could have saved some money and went home and grabbed Eric's old pads, but I felt froggy and bought my own.
But hey, I got to drive it home!
THANKS Outlawd! I could not have done it without you!!!
And thanks Tom, all of the parts fit perfectly! Even the castle nut/pin combo worked out! If you have a shift linkage bushing laying around in good shape I will buy it off of you!
What a nightmare.
So I order new tires from Tire Rack and wait for them to come in. Once they arrive I go and remove my wheels so I can get the new ones mounted and balanced. Sounds easy, right?
It was not. I broke the key to my wheel lock while trying to remove my left front. So I order a new key. McGard fails to return my email, so I call them and finally get results. So, my key comes in and I go to remove my wheel. PING!!!! I just broke the lock. They key is good, but the actual lug broke. But now there is now way to grab it. Remember, this all started back in the first week of October and I'm driving around in a 90's Dodge Dakota that my father-in-law was kind enough to loan to me.
So this Saturday I become a man on a mission. I go to Sears and get a 32mm socket and some nut extractors. My goal is to remove the hub and grind off the back of the stud and beat it out of the other side. So now I must remove the sway bar linkage, strut, tie rod, ball joint, brake caliper and the caliper mount all with the wheel still on. At this point I call in the expert, OutlawdSVT is on his way.
The brakes were no big deal, it's really not that bad with the wheel still on!
Swap bar link? Nope, not budging!
Tie rod end? No big deal. I backed the nut off to the end of the bolt and started beating it to get it out. It doesn't budge. Outlawd shows up, hits the mount twice and it pops loose. But now the bolt is jacked up and the nut is stuck on. PISS!!!!
So Robbie goes after the broken stud with his air hammer to no avail. We break out the torch but can't get it lit. Sounds about right, huh? Robbie kicked the wheel, we both beat on it with hammers, pried with a crow bar just trying to force the hub loose. F it, we take a brake for chow.
Robbie picks up the air hammer once we get done eating and somehow the nut starts spinning! PROGRESS!!!
The nut is now loose enough to be spun by hand, but it's damaged and stuck in the wheel. Some work with the slip joints and it comes out. Just take the wheel off now, right?
WRONG!!!
It is rusted to the rotor and the rotor is rusted to the hub!!! We tried heat, hammers, kicking, wheel puller (it broke the rotor), pry bars, cussing, and more kicking. Finally it broke loose from the rotor. It took the wheel puller and tons of hammering to knock the rotor loose. Oh yeah, when I pulled the brakes off,the pads fell apart and I noticed I have been driving around without a shift linkage bushing! You can just reach up and pull off the linkage!
We drop the wheels and tires off at NTB and head for Advance Auto for parts. That is where we meet kscontourkid who helps us out with parts advice on rotors, pads, and a tie rod end.
All this for a flat tire!!! Close to $500 after it is all said and done! I could have saved some money and went home and grabbed Eric's old pads, but I felt froggy and bought my own.
But hey, I got to drive it home!
THANKS Outlawd! I could not have done it without you!!!
And thanks Tom, all of the parts fit perfectly! Even the castle nut/pin combo worked out! If you have a shift linkage bushing laying around in good shape I will buy it off of you!
What a nightmare.