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| Front rotor and hub service on a Dodge Ram HD 4x4 |
| I replaced my second set of front brake pads with 90,112 miles on my 99' 3500 4x4. While I was replaceing the pads I went ahead and took the rotors off to get turned. This process is not hard but dirty, if you don't like to get your hands dirty then you need to take your truck into a shop and let them do it or if you live around Cynthiana Ky call me up and I will do them for you. |
| The tools needed to complete this process is long so I wont list them here but print this page out and use a highlighter to highlight the tools as I explain each process. |
| Remember the below process and pics was done on my 99' 3500 Ram 4x4, the 4x2 are not set up like the 4x4s. The process took about 4hrs on my truck to remove the rotor and hub. |
| (1) I pulled the wheel simulators off the tire and used a 15/16 socket on a 2' breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts. I raised the front end of my truck and supported it with jack stands. I then finished removeing the lug nuts with the 15/16 socket and pulled tire off. I then used a 7/8 open/close box wrench to remove the spacer nuts ( the spacer is only on the 3500 due to the off set front tires to match the dauls on the rear). |
| (2) I then removed the calipers by useing a 3/8 hex allen wrench and laid them on top of the knuckle. Then removed the cotter pin by useing a set of pillers and a screw driver then removed the wheel nut.The wheel nut took a 1 11/16 socket with a breaker bar and I still had to heat around the nut and stand on the 2' breaker bar. This took about 35 mins to remove the wheel nut. |
| (3) I then had to move the 4 bolts on the back side of the knuckle that holds the hub to it, with a 14mm 12 point socket. These bolts are put on at the factory with lock-tight and are a pain to get loose. I used a break bar and a 3'x2" ID pipe to break the bolts loose, there is also limited amount of work space to work with a wrench and is slow work. Take you time and don't give up took me about 40mins to work them out.. |
| (4) I then used a 3 sided pulley to gently pull the rotor/hud off. But pull slow and use caution with the pulley, you can separate the front wheel bearing like I did the first time but I was lucky and was able to press mine back together. Click here to see the results if you use the pulley to fast and hard. The hub is a sealed unit and not meant to come apart. |
| (5) After you got the rotor/hub off the axle you need to prop something under the axle in the U joint to keep the axle level. You don't want to damage the axle seal in the axle housing. The axle will slide out of the housing if you aren't careful, if it does carefull insert it back into the houseing slowly till it stops but do it slowly or you will hit the seal in the axle houseing and it will start to leak. |
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| Lt pic, tire has been removed. RT pic, wheel spacer has been removed and second set of lug nuts(only the 3500 has the wheel spacer). |
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| two bolts holding caliper to knuckle |
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| Cotter pin comes out first then wheel nut |
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| I stuck a putty knift under the U joint to keep the axle level, a rag works the best.. |
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