Replace seals when repack bearings?

[Ldub]

You don't need the bearing tool...even a little.

Once the little phillips head retaining screws are out, (use a hand impact driver to remove them, & if possible, replace them with metric stainless screws of the same size/pitch) it's easy enough to put a flat blade screw driver on the edge of one of the non tapered holes & give it a little force in the right direction. I've never had to use more than the force of a couple of quick palm strikes to get them started. If you need a hammer, you MIGHT be trying to turn it the wrong way.
If the hole that you put the screw driver blade in is on the top, you want the hole to move left.
...

[MSHardeman]

The Ford hub nut tool works like a charm but you DO have to "alter" it. I think Kenny went over that in his instructions, but if he didn't; you have to grind off two of the four "prongs" of the Ford tool leaving two of them opposite of one another, then you have to grind the existing two prongs thinner (grind from the outside of the tool towards the center). Here's mine:



If you had more time I would gladly send you mine, but it sounds like you want/need to get this done today.

I'm sure the screwdriver and hammer work well, but I was just a bit paranoid about whacking my hub nut with a sharp object.

[LiquidVX]

The Ford hub nut tool works like a charm but you DO have to "alter" it. I think Kenny went over that in his instructions, but if he didn't; you have to grind off two of the four "prongs" of the Ford tool leaving two of them opposite of one another, then you have to grind the existing two prongs thinner (grind from the outside of the tool towards the center). Here's mine:



If you had more time I would gladly send you mine, but it sounds like you want/need to get this done today.

I'm sure the screwdriver and hammer work well, but I was just a bit paranoid about whacking my hub nut with a sharp object.

Yeah I thought about the screw driver and hammer but I will need to torque it properly on reassembly anyways. The Ford 1/2 ton locknut tool I have is 2 1/4" diameter. Its way too big. Do you have a part number on yours? Where can I get the smaller ford tool.

[MSHardeman]

Don't know if this is the part number, or not, but the number stamped on the outside of the tool is KD 2467. That's the only number that I see on it, but I think I got the tool from NAPA so it may be their part number.

The tool itself is 2 3/8" outside diameter, but I shaved the prongs down to an outside diameter of 2 1/8".

Also, don't know if this was in Kenny's write-up, but I also used an article that I found on www.planetisuzoo.com that describes, really well, how to repack the front bearings of an Amigo (pretty much the same set up as ours).

http://www.planetisuzoo.com/articles...Bearing_Repack

In the instructions they just call the tool a "4 prong Ford 1/2 Ton pickup front axle tool". It also says that if you want to use the special Isuzu tool it can be found at NAPA in the special tool catalog as part #3375.

This is all at hand because I just repacked my front bearings two weekends ago.

Hope all of this helps.

[Ldub]

FYI, the torque value isn't measured at the hub nut.
Proper preload is set by tightening the hub nut, & measuring resistance at the wheel stud, by using a fishing type scale. (before the caliper is reinstalled)
My personal favorite is a digital one I found at harbor freight.
You can easily get the hub nut tight enough using the same method as described for loosening.

[MSHardeman]

That's true, Dub, but I was just super paranoid about whacking at my hub nut. I tend to be mechanically disinclined and I was worried that I was going to stab or smash something that didn't like that sort of treatment.

I used my torque wrench as I was doing the pre-load on the hubs with the scale, and it came out to about 18-19 ft/lbs for my old, repacked bearings which is a pretty low torque number so a screwdriver and a hammer could easily reach that number.