[JPBrecheisen]

For anybody thats following along or cares, I'll make a few more updates.

So I got the knuckle all the way aparts so I can replace the ball seal and the trunion bearings. The ball has some damage from years of dry/dirty usage. I have a plan to get it repair. What I'm going to do is use some JB weld epoxy (original formula). It takes longer to cure, but its much stronger. What I'll do is mix it up, then paste it into the grooves that have been cut on the ball, then fair it down with a strip of emory paper. I've done it before, and it works pretty well, so the new seal will have a nice smooth surface to seal against. Its kinda like doing body work on a knuckle ball.

I talked some more with Paul and John out at R&P 4WD in Oregon about the compatibility issues with these disk brakes on this closed knuckle drum-original axle. The reason the spindle was stuck was because the newer spindle bearing ID was smaller than the bushing/bearing race on the outter axle stub. They recommended that I take the outter stubs off and have a machinist take about .015 off the axle so it will fit inside the spindle bearing.

I'm still looking for some original parts to go back to stock, but no luck so far. I have no issues with drum brakes as I usually don't take my old 4x4 stuff above about 55 mph. The guy that had this truck before complained it wouldn't stop really well, but after looking over the back brakes..the wheel cylinders weren't even replaced..and they're frozen and leaking...no kidding the thing wouldn't stop.

Anyway if anybody has wheel hubs, backing plates and spindles, let me know. I can get the rest of the stuff aftermarket, but I'd rather go back to drums than cut more original stuff.

I posted some pics so you guys can watch the progress.

Jonathon