Ok, here's how the kid learned it and applied it (thanks 10musketeer!)..
Front End Dissassemby 101 on a wire wheel car
I'll just cover the pain in the butt stuff. You can pretty much figure out everything else otherwise. I'm only going as far as pulling and replacing the rotors, rebuilding the calipers, changing the coil springs, steering rubber boots and tie rod ends.
1. Moss sells a tool for getting the wheel bearing dust cover off for 27 bucks, but there is a cheap tool you can make that wont damage the hub.
What's needed
a. 5/16 fine thread bolt (24TPI) at least 4 inches long.
b. Nylock nut, 5/16, 24TPI
c. Vise grips
d. Hammer.
how to use:
thread the nylon threaded side of the nylock onto the bolt, leaving a couple of thread exposed. Thread the remainder of the nylock onto the wheel bearing dust cover. Grab some vise grips and clamp the grips onto the bolt. Now, grab a hammer and smack the vise grips. Cover comes right off.
2. Moving on to the next pain in the arse- loosening those bolts that hold the rotor onto the hub. The point here is to unbolt the hub off the rotor
before you remove the two off the car. Once you pull both off the spindle, a tap with a hammer will break them loose.
In this case this required the following.
a. I had to grind down the edges around a fully enclosed 9/16ths wrench, so that I could get onto the bolt. You'll round the corners otherwise.
b. A little bit of leverage on the end of the wrench.
c. Put the wheel on
backwards over the hub and use it as fulcrum when you go to loosen the hub bolts. I didn't even need to use a hammer.
Make the tools do the work for you!..
..isn't that what they say? Anywho..
Other option is to leave the caliper on and have the lovely
Heather Peters get in the car and press on the brakes so that you can remove the bolts. However since I don't have any brakes, this was not an option.
If you plan on pulling the hubs,
figure two new cotter pins into the cost. I ended up having to break one off with a small chisel and the other I was lucky enough to get one off with some real long needle noses, an old flat blade screwdriver and a hammer. Regardless, you are either going to bend them up badly or destroy them when trying to get to them as they are recessed deeply into the hub.
3. Next. Front springs. This requires 2 pieces of thread stock, 5/16ths, course (or you will spend all day long unthreading a fine bolt, like I did) and at least 4 and a half inches long. Also you will need 6 5/16ths inch nuts.
a. Pull two of the four bolts that hold the spring perch to the lower control arm (opposite from each other).
b. Jack the lower control arm up far enough to get the shock lever off the bump stop. The reason for this is that the spring needs to be straight so that it will come out through the space in the lower control arm.
c. Put the studs in the 2 holes and double nut the studs on top. Thread a single nut onto the stud from the bottom side.
Leave enough thread so that you can get a deep well socket onto the bottom side (and that means with the socket barely over the ratchet) .
d. Remove the remaining two bolts that fasten the spring perch to the lower control arm.
e.
Equally loosen the nuts on the bottom side of the studs and the spring will start coming out through the lower control arm. Keep in mind that
if you cannot freely move that spring, then there is tension on the spring.
and what do you get?
You get a car sitting in pieces waiting on parts.
Again.