Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.

A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
friend with a shop help him change it.

They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.

So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.

He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
wheel falls off!!!!

The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
fell out on the first tight turn.

I couldn't freaking believe it!

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

Boy oh boy Mike Lucky day for your bud to still be alive. Shaking my head in
total disbelief.

--
CJ & XJ JIMMIE VP.of The North Iowa Off-road Club


"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4085B3DC.F6135D5@sympatico.ca...
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

Boy oh boy Mike Lucky day for your bud to still be alive. Shaking my head in
total disbelief.

--
CJ & XJ JIMMIE VP.of The North Iowa Off-road Club


"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4085B3DC.F6135D5@sympatico.ca...
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

Boy oh boy Mike Lucky day for your bud to still be alive. Shaking my head in
total disbelief.

--
CJ & XJ JIMMIE VP.of The North Iowa Off-road Club


"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4085B3DC.F6135D5@sympatico.ca...
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

Boy oh boy Mike Lucky day for your bud to still be alive. Shaking my head in
total disbelief.

--
CJ & XJ JIMMIE VP.of The North Iowa Off-road Club


"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4085B3DC.F6135D5@sympatico.ca...
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

I thought it was pressed on tighter than that, I remember Matt
Macchiarolo pulling his apart with an axle puller and using in the axle
nut to sock it back on. Of course having the axle in or out makes no
difference to the floating bearing, Real Jeep hub.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Mike Romain wrote:
>
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

I thought it was pressed on tighter than that, I remember Matt
Macchiarolo pulling his apart with an axle puller and using in the axle
nut to sock it back on. Of course having the axle in or out makes no
difference to the floating bearing, Real Jeep hub.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Mike Romain wrote:
>
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

I thought it was pressed on tighter than that, I remember Matt
Macchiarolo pulling his apart with an axle puller and using in the axle
nut to sock it back on. Of course having the axle in or out makes no
difference to the floating bearing, Real Jeep hub.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Mike Romain wrote:
>
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

I thought it was pressed on tighter than that, I remember Matt
Macchiarolo pulling his apart with an axle puller and using in the axle
nut to sock it back on. Of course having the axle in or out makes no
difference to the floating bearing, Real Jeep hub.
God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

Mike Romain wrote:
>
> Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
>
> A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> friend with a shop help him change it.
>
> They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
>
> So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
>
> He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> wheel falls off!!!!
>
> The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> fell out on the first tight turn.
>
> I couldn't freaking believe it!
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Re: Wow, had to help a friend with a TJ - Front wheel Fell Off!!
 

"L.W. (ßill) ------ III" <----------@cox.net> wrote in message
news:4085E182.ED718580@cox.net...
> I thought it was pressed on tighter than that, I remember Matt
> Macchiarolo pulling his apart with an axle puller and using in the axle
> nut to sock it back on. Of course having the axle in or out makes no
> difference to the floating bearing, Real Jeep hub.
> God Bless America, ßill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
> Mike Romain wrote:
> >
> > Wow, I mean holy ----, I think I have seen everything.
> >
> > A friend has a TJ and he blew a front axle u-joint so had a 'mechanic'
> > friend with a shop help him change it.
> >
> > They couldn't get the right u-joint or it didn't seem like it because
> > the jerk bent the ears on the yoke trying to hammer the old one out
> > before he ended up using a cutting torch to cut the old u-joint out.
> >
> > So buddy says ok, I will get a new or the right u-joint tomorrow and
> > come back after work. The mechanic says fine and puts the front hub
> > back on and send him off on the 30 mile highway drive home.
> >
> > He gets home and on the first tight turn he takes to park, the front
> > wheel falls off!!!!
> >
> > The 'mechanic' didn't install the short stub of the axle back into the
> > hub. That is all that holds the inside bearing race in place! The race
> > fell out on the first tight turn.
> >
> > I couldn't freaking believe it!
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Like on most FWD vehicles with unit bearing hubs, the stub axle and nut on
non-locking hub Jeeps hold the wheel bearing together. Whoever this poor
guy's tech is needs to start using his brain, he could have killed the poor
guy.