[mwarchut]

Good Evening


I decided this weekend I would freshen up the front suspension with new ball joints, tie rod ends et al.. I was able to get the snap ring out of the hub, but I can't seem to get it back in. Does anyone that has messed with this have any ideas?


TIA

Mike

 

[ZMANN]

the proper external snap ring pliers are critical

took me a bunch to find a set that would do this task reliably

 

[mwarchut]

What did you end up using??


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[ZMANN]

it was a pair from Grainger, Knipex brand I can get the part#

 

[mwarchut]

Sweet. Thanks.


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[mwarchut]

I did find an article that suggested the gearwrench X snap ring pliers. I guess they put out a lot of force with that design. But there is a grainger just down the road so the knipex ones may do just as well.

 

[ZMANN]

give me a few

 

[ZMANN]

Knipex 4611A2 19-60mm external

they don't have any multi pivot force multipliers or look insanely long but it was the only set out of 10 that worked for me

@mwarchut

 

[mwarchut]

Awesome.. Thanks.. Ill check tomorrow and see if they have them.

 

[lopealle]

Knipex 4611A2 19-60mm external

they don't have any multi pivot force multipliers or look insanely long but it was the only set out of 10 that worked for me

@mwarchut

Is there a special way that you need you to hold the snap ring to get it to go back in? I can't get mine to go back in for the life of me.

 

[Hydro]

Takes three hands and a couple of small screw drivers, plus the snap ring pliers -- easy peasy.

 

[tofer]

Here's a trick I used.........Take your snap ring/ snap ring pliers........take handles of snap ring pliers and insert into a vise, now carefully close the vise and expand your snap ring.....I say carefully as ya have to make sure pliers don't fly out of the vise and your snap ring then goes flying...oh yeah eye protection is recommended. Now with vise closed and snap ring expanded......take a few zip ties and secure them around the handles of your pliers....it takes a few ties as that snap ring is pretty strong. Now when you open the vise...voila....your pliers and snap ring are held open. You can now insert/guide the snap ring into position with one hand and use a screw driver to help line it up with the groove.....Once lined up with the groove in the axle......you simply hold it there with one hand....and with other hand you take some cutters and cut the zip ties......bammo snap ring is in position.....

 

[acjet88]

Here's a trick I used.........Take your snap ring/ snap ring pliers........take handles of snap ring pliers and insert into a vise, now carefully close the vise and expand your snap ring.....I say carefully as ya have to make sure pliers don't fly out of the vise and your snap ring then goes flying...oh yeah eye protection is recommended. Now with vise closed and snap ring expanded......take a few zip ties and secure them around the handles of your pliers....it takes a few ties as that snap ring is pretty strong. Now when you open the vise...voila....your pliers and snap ring are held open. You can now insert/guide the snap ring into position with one hand and use a screw driver to help line it up with the groove.....Once lined up with the groove in the axle......you simply hold it there with one hand....and with other hand you take some cutters and cut the zip ties......bammo snap ring is in position.....

This is the exact same method I used. Zipties FTW. I tried for several hrs and even tried to hunt down a local snap-on truck as I was told those would work as well. I broke 2 pairs before I found a pair of Craftsman pliers that worked. However they were pretty bent up after just doing the two hubs.

Edit: I just realized this is for the 6.4L trucks as I did this on a '12 6.7L. Although I sure they probably haven't changed.

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[lopealle]

Takes three hands and a couple of small screw drivers, plus the snap ring pliers -- easy peasy.

Here's a trick I used.........Take your snap ring/ snap ring pliers........take handles of snap ring pliers and insert into a vise, now carefully close the vise and expand your snap ring.....I say carefully as ya have to make sure pliers don't fly out of the vise and your snap ring then goes flying...oh yeah eye protection is recommended. Now with vise closed and snap ring expanded......take a few zip ties and secure them around the handles of your pliers....it takes a few ties as that snap ring is pretty strong. Now when you open the vise...voila....your pliers and snap ring are held open. You can now insert/guide the snap ring into position with one hand and use a screw driver to help line it up with the groove.....Once lined up with the groove in the axle......you simply hold it there with one hand....and with other hand you take some cutters and cut the zip ties......bammo snap ring is in position.....

This is the exact same method I used. Zipties FTW. I tried for several hrs and even tried to hunt down a local snap-on truck as I was told those would work as well. I broke 2 pairs before I found a pair of Craftsman pliers that worked. However they were pretty bent up after just doing the two hubs.

Edit: I just realized this is for the 6.4L trucks as I did this on a '12 6.7L. Although I sure they probably haven't changed.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

I'll have to try all these methods out. I had just changed the wheel bearing. Not a tough job at all. The hardest part of the whole is dealing with the snap ring.

I will it drove it maybe 20 miles with it sitting in there (I had to) but, it's parked until I figure it out.


Thanks for the help guys.

 

[lopealle]

I still can't get the snap ring in. It's like there is no room for it. Is there any damage that could be done if I drove the truck without the snap ring in it?

 

[ZMANN]

u need to pry the axle shaft forward by prying at the u joint inside the knucke
wedge the tool inplace untill you get the snap ring on

 

[ZMANN]

read = https://www.powerstroke.org/forum/g...7-need-help-inner-axle-snap-ring-wont-go.html

 

[lopealle]

read = https://www.powerstroke.org/forum/g...7-need-help-inner-axle-snap-ring-wont-go.html

Thank you, Sir

 

[bobofthenorth]

That snap ring is a bear. I bought every pair of snap ring pliers I could find and none of them worked. I eventually built a set with really long handles - like 18 or 20 inches long. They're ugly and crude as hell but they worked where nothing else did. The zip tie idea looks like a winner for putting the snap ring back in but it was getting the miserable bugger out that had me stumped. Good luck. I wouldn't dream of driving it without the ring.

 

[Boudah]

i picked up a set of Snap riung pliers from Napa. for me, the clip didnt look like it was seated, so i banged on the axle towards the hub from the back, then took a long flat head andbanged the snap ring till it fully seated. it seemed to just be "crooked" i guess not fully flat against the hub/axle shaft. it popped right in with a few taps of the mallet.