Axles with u joints removed from bumper!
Well, I worked in the garden this morning, hoed the tomatoes,okra , squash etc and worked off some steam. Then I went to the barn and started on the axles. I decided to tear apart the top bearing on the one end so I could at least see what I was up against. I got my dremel tool with a pointed rock and ate enough of the outer and inner rims of that bearing to get the roller balls out of it. This let me look below to see what was happening and to put some PB Blaster down there. I take it back to the feed wagon bumper and with the 20 ton hydraulic jack try to push the axle out of the RTV bumper again. I figure with the one top bearing destroyed purposely by me ,the grip has been reduced by half or so. It works ! It pops down and I got it. Now for the next one but wait... the 30 yr old dremel is toast now. So I think "oh heck, go get Daddy's old press." I got over to the other old barn and there it was- Quite proud but abandoned.rusty and dirty under a pull through.. It was much heavier that I remembered - I was pleased... it just might work! So I got it back to the shop ( did I say It was heavy?) and elevate it enough to get the bumper in the right place and start pumping the hydraulic jack. It makes a slight noise -a slurp- the soaking fluid around the Bearing /axle disappears as the axle drops downward and comes lose. Now I still have to get the top bearing out of one end and the remnants out of the other, but I feel much better with both axles out. I will approach these leftovers from the inside to the outside since that is the only way for them to go. Tomorrow , I will try a hand at the joints on the press. They are soaking with PB Blaster tonight. I'm posting pictures of the nifty 60,000 lb press still dirty, and the 20 t hyd jack. another picture of the rusty bearing soaking. I felt like my Dad was there helping me today -It was tough opening his tool box for the first time since he passed last year . I thanked God for giving me a good Dad for almost 50 years and for him taking the time to show me how to think things out and not give up nor wait on someone else to do it for me.. ........... I will keep ya'll updated on the u joints... Bordercollie