steering arm removal

[chaseheadrick]

Today I started the process of actually putting my new (to me) front axle together. I'm converting the '80 front end to Hy-steer, along with the other typical items. Got the arm for the drivers side on as well as the lower cap, then realized I had forgot a shim. I could not for the life of me figure out how to get the arm, or cap, off without destroying the bearings. I need something that will push the cap and arm away from eachother, like the tool in the FSM. anyone have any tricks to getting the arms off, or know a cheap tool I could buy or build?

[KYOTA]

you do have the cone washers removed right? should be able to tap the steering arm up and off pretty easily

[chaseheadrick]

yeah took the nuts, washers and cone washers off. Beat the S*** out of it with a 5lb sledge and it only went up a 1/4'' then no further. I had all the nuts, top and bottom, almost torqued when I realized i forgot the shim. So the pin on the arm was pressed into the bearing.

[79coyotefrg]

the arms  shouldnt be that hard to remove,

were these Marlin hysteer arms  or  some cheap imitation ??

[chaseheadrick]

genuine marlin products only for me. I wonder if I should have given the pin a little polish with some scotch brite or something, first? It looked pretty clean to me though.

[yotaboy79]

when mine where new they would just slide on and off but now i need atleast a 5lb sledge to get the arms off 

[79coyotefrg]

   well pull  the  birf  and use a  6 inch extention  as a  dowl  and  pry up  on it  from the center of the pin in the bearing

[chaseheadrick]

Didn't think of using a lever. I got the arm off, but only after I destroyed both bearings. Now I gotta go to the stealer and get some new ones, unless NAPA carries timken, nsk, or Koyo. anyone know?

[yotaboy79]

the napa close to me carrys some timken and koyos and they had the koyo trunion bearings last time i checked