MAJOR SUSPENSION FAIL !! Now what? (old aftermarket)

[eightynine4x4]

Yes, the conversion is just the same locknuts manual hubs use, as long as it's for the right axle (after this many posts I don't remember if you have a Dana 28 or 35...)

Thanks! That’s great to know.

Got sick of shopping mind and built a new pin…

For anyone checking in future, a 3/32” drill out and bit segment is perfect. Seems exactly the size of old one.
I just put the scrap bit in a bench vice, allowed some extra material for the break, then smacked it lightly from the side with a heavy hammer and it broke, then ground off say 1/16” of extra material and Bobs your uncle. Just gotta make sure you lay the nut and washer together with the pin inside to make sure it isn’t poking out and grind more if needed. Took maybe 15 minutes.

On a side note, I realized that since this washer also has a notch that fixes to the spindle shaft (or whatever it’s called) that the washer itself is the anchor point for the inner lock nut to not deviate from…. Inwardly. Because it can’t go outward, since the washer is fixed there. So even without the pin, its hard to imagine the inner lock nut moving INWARD at all, since you know it’s receiving force from the bearing. So this pin seems like overkill but hey I’m fine with overkill.

All systems go!

Both drop brackets are installed and torqued. Chanting to the gods that when Iower the truck I don’t discover I’m totally mistaken with my drop bracket size.. again!!

 

[Shran]

Nice fix. FYI, your torque numbers should be in INCH pounds, not FOOT pounds. But, that is a moot point. My process for used bearings is to go "pretty snug" (guessing 20-30 FOOT/lbs) and then spin the rotor. If it spins really easily, time to replace bearings... if it spins but takes some effort, I back the nut off about 1/4 turn and then assemble the washer & outer nut. Done.

Those torque readings are spot on for brand new Timken bearings and brand new spindles but our sloppy old junk and Chinese bearings just don't work well with the factory spec - following that is a recipe for really loose bearings in short order.

 

[Josh B]

Awesome yall

 

[eightynine4x4]

Scheisse!!
Yeah I missed the one note of inch pounds. Checked shop manual and you’re right the inner locknut gets at first torqued to 35 FT lbs to push the bearings in, then spun, then backed off 1/4 turn, then re torqued to 16 INCH pounds. Totally missed that one being inches.
Fortunately the big bad outer one is in fact FT lbs. I was worried for a sec that I had cranked it insanely hard. But it’s just the inner one, which I have mine torqued to 16 FT lbs.
I missed out on the order of events…. Did my brake pads before seating the bearings. This means my pads were lightly grinding / resisting, covering up any sense of the bearings possibly resisting. It didn’t add to the resistance though, when I got the lock nuts done.
So I hope 16 FT pounds on these old bearings is ok and doesn’t brake them while I drive!
Will be putting new ones in in a couple months when I do the U joints and all that…

But thank you fellas for all the help!!!!
Took it for a short drive and it all felt so much better. Wheels look straight. Need to do a little toe adjustment but that’ll be easy.

 

[Shran]

16 ft/lbs should be no problem with used bearings, as long as there is no slop and the wheel spins freely but not TOO freely, you're good.

And yes the outer one is FOOT pounds, as many as possible, lol

 

[eightynine4x4]

Extra special sauce thanks to @4x4junkie for eagle eye pointing out my loose locknut. I’m still new to this and would not have noticed or touched it until a few months from now when I planned to dig into the u joints behind it and learn the axles/hubs better.
That outer lock nut was over 1/8” away from other stuff, and the inner lock nut was so loose I could have breathed on it and moved it. With no pin!! A couple more drives and who knows what.
Might have spared me a real ugly incident or accident. Hmm I wonder if it’s possible to drop ship a six pack of beer ……….

Next week I plan to do the radius arm bushings and the sway bar bushings. I really tried to undo one of the sway bar connections but holy hell is it tough to get leverage since they just love to sway.