I tackled the front differential bushings this past week. I decided to drop the entire differential so I could more easily bang on the bushings. You can get the bushings out with hand tools.
What I did was use the ball joint tool to push the rubber center out. Then cut the bushing with a saw. I then curled the edges back on both sides with a hammer and punch. At this point you just start pounding from the back side rotating sides where you hit. The damn thing will start moving slkowly and then pop out. i was able to position the differential on my floor jack and steadied it with one hand and lifted it up and wedged it so it stayed. Then connected the front bushings, then passenger side, and finally drivers side. The drivers side would be a lot more difficult if I had not removed my mid pipes. I rented the ball joint tool from autozone and it worked pretty darn well pushing the new bushings in.
The worst part of the operation was I punched a hole in one of my half axle boots. With 100k miles I decided to just replace with cardone new units. This was where everything went wrong.
To remove the half axles you need to remove the lower clevis bolts and remove the clevis. This was the worst thing I have ever had to do. You need to have an impact, torch, pb blaster, and at least 2-3 hours per side. Heat and spray, pound with a hammer, heat and spray. At this point take the impact and start rocking the bolt back and forth. You will see the rubber bushing flexing as you impact the bolt. Stop again, heat and spray, hammer... Then impact again. You will have to do these steps over and over again, probably 6-7 times. Be careful not to heat melt the rubber bushing in the lower control arm... They say if you ruin it you will have to order an entire new unit for like 700 bucks. Finally the bolt will break its rusty hold and start spinning freely inside the bushing.
The job is not over by any means. You have to pound the crap out of the bolt. Give it four or five good whacks. Then take your ratchet and spin the bolt. This will be difficult because you are pulverizing the rust inside the bushing. When the bolt spins easier give it four or five good whacks again. Spin bolt again. I did these steps 30-40 times moving he bolt a few mm at a time. Once you get the bolt about half way through the bushing you can just put a punch inside and beat the crap out of it.
It you live in a cold climate with salty roads.. Your suspension bolts will be a lot like mine. If I were paying a stealership to do this work I'm sure the bill would be over 1500 dollars. Just invest in an impact from harbor freight for $50, a set of impact sockets for $25. You will have to order new lower clevis bolts because the old ones will be ruined.
Also, I was able to pound one of the hubs off the half axle, but the other one was completely frozen onto it. In the process of pounding on it I actually pulled the half axle through the control arm. So I had to order new omix Ada hubs just to finish things off right.
Advice... Don't rupture your cv boots doing the bushings on the front differential. If you need new half axles do it yourself and save big money... Because he dealership really won't be able to do the job much faster... It is a slow labor intensive process. There are great write ups on jeepforum for taking apart all this stuff... I just wanted to stress the difficult nature of those rusty lower clevis bolts.
What I did was use the ball joint tool to push the rubber center out. Then cut the bushing with a saw. I then curled the edges back on both sides with a hammer and punch. At this point you just start pounding from the back side rotating sides where you hit. The damn thing will start moving slkowly and then pop out. i was able to position the differential on my floor jack and steadied it with one hand and lifted it up and wedged it so it stayed. Then connected the front bushings, then passenger side, and finally drivers side. The drivers side would be a lot more difficult if I had not removed my mid pipes. I rented the ball joint tool from autozone and it worked pretty darn well pushing the new bushings in.
The worst part of the operation was I punched a hole in one of my half axle boots. With 100k miles I decided to just replace with cardone new units. This was where everything went wrong.
To remove the half axles you need to remove the lower clevis bolts and remove the clevis. This was the worst thing I have ever had to do. You need to have an impact, torch, pb blaster, and at least 2-3 hours per side. Heat and spray, pound with a hammer, heat and spray. At this point take the impact and start rocking the bolt back and forth. You will see the rubber bushing flexing as you impact the bolt. Stop again, heat and spray, hammer... Then impact again. You will have to do these steps over and over again, probably 6-7 times. Be careful not to heat melt the rubber bushing in the lower control arm... They say if you ruin it you will have to order an entire new unit for like 700 bucks. Finally the bolt will break its rusty hold and start spinning freely inside the bushing.
The job is not over by any means. You have to pound the crap out of the bolt. Give it four or five good whacks. Then take your ratchet and spin the bolt. This will be difficult because you are pulverizing the rust inside the bushing. When the bolt spins easier give it four or five good whacks again. Spin bolt again. I did these steps 30-40 times moving he bolt a few mm at a time. Once you get the bolt about half way through the bushing you can just put a punch inside and beat the crap out of it.
It you live in a cold climate with salty roads.. Your suspension bolts will be a lot like mine. If I were paying a stealership to do this work I'm sure the bill would be over 1500 dollars. Just invest in an impact from harbor freight for $50, a set of impact sockets for $25. You will have to order new lower clevis bolts because the old ones will be ruined.
Also, I was able to pound one of the hubs off the half axle, but the other one was completely frozen onto it. In the process of pounding on it I actually pulled the half axle through the control arm. So I had to order new omix Ada hubs just to finish things off right.
Advice... Don't rupture your cv boots doing the bushings on the front differential. If you need new half axles do it yourself and save big money... Because he dealership really won't be able to do the job much faster... It is a slow labor intensive process. There are great write ups on jeepforum for taking apart all this stuff... I just wanted to stress the difficult nature of those rusty lower clevis bolts.