Ok so I just got help from everyone on Frozen Hubs. (thanks again) Now those guys at the shop called and said they were unable to free them and are not going to try anymore so they are done. Does anyone know a good shop in Marysville/Yuba City. Im frustrated because I didnt grow up here or know the shops/mechanics who are good and honost. I really think these guys just dont want to get dirty and get it done. Oh well <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" />

Thanks,
D

Go buy tools and warm clothes and Superwinch hubs and PB-Blaster, take off the old ones and bolt on the new ones and drive it to the shop and gloat a few minutes. Makes your 'nads feel enough bigger that it becomes important whether you dress right or left.

The bolts on the hubs are allen heads, and prone to be stuck. PB soaking helps, overnight, and several. I like to use the appropriate allen hex socket with a breaker bar, and shock the bolt/tool under loosening tension with hammer blows to the tool flex head. Allen head bolts strip out easy, and these are small and hard to get at to grind off if you strip it out. The hammering serves two purposes. One is to keep the tool hex socked in the fastener head, and the other is to shock the stuck threads loose without brute twisting force. One snap ring, I think. Get the bolts loose and the rest is pretty easy. Most autohubs get gummed up with old hard grease, and might be resurrected with some heavy cleaning, and a light coat of oil. I ground down a putty knife to match the width of the internal splines in the hub to turn the hub manually while cleaning and grunch it loose/test the function.

BTW, look close at the hub bolts before you accept the return of the truck from the shop. They may have already stripped out the bolt heads.

And there are no "good" shops that I've found. There are some good techs, but no "good" shops...

That's a very good point. If they've already started and made the heads worse it's up to them to make it right.

What "make it right" means is what you and the shop can agree upon. For me, it would mean they finish breaking them loose. Any competent shop should be able to get any bolt loose enough to at least remove it and replace it with a new one.

Amen, brother.

Marysville/Yuba City is several hours away, but if you end up totally desparate and want to make the drive, I can recommend an independent shop here in San Jose... but I think the advice given to do it yourself is good advice. Patience will be your biggest friend during the R&R process. Good luck with it! PM me if you need the shop name in San Jose. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Eric W.