Help!! Newbie just hit brick wall trying to change hub assembly

[generalpuller]

Read the article on how to do this but this is what happened... When I got my 15mm socket and ratchet to try and loosen the bolts I couldn't get them to budge... So I got the impact wrench... Well bolt number one came out however the bolt was rounded a little bit... When I attempted the second and third bolts I ended up rounding both ot them... I went and got some bolt out sockets from sears however the base of the socket will not go through the bolt access holes on the front of the hub so in other words they wont reach the bolts.... Has anyone had this happen to them before when the changed their hub assembly?? Any suggestions what I could do ??? Thanks

---------- Post added at 09:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:36 PM ----------

One more question... When I do get the hub bolts out and put the new hub on, will I be able to go and get these 15mm bolts at autozone or other simular parts store the heads of the bolts are going to be trashed and I'm concerned about the bolt quality of the new bolts, I don't want a wheel to fall off on me.....

 

[SunlitComet]

Never had to deal with stuck hub bolts but if the new hub did not come with them get them from the dealer only.

 

[generalpuller]

Thanks for the advice Sunlitcomit... I guess I'm going to get the grinder and start cutting and grinding until I can access those bolts with the bolt outs..
will be back to update what happens....

 

[generalpuller]

After cutting and grinding I was able to get the bolts out finally.... Does anyone know what the torq specs are for the axle nut and the three bolts???

 

[SunlitComet]

A whopping 165 foot pounds for the axle nut and 133 for the hub to knuckle mating. As mentioned before don't use just any bolt on the hub to knuckle joint.

 

[ChiTahoe]

Sorry to hear bud, I went through the same thing, but before I started I had gotten 8 hub bolts from my local GM dealer. Figured if they broke I had them, if not then I would use the new ones anyways. Total for bolts was ~ $30.00

 

[generalpuller]

Got the hub bolts ordered and should be in tomorrow at the local chevy dealer... the old bolts had rust in the threads, if I didn't light that candle I would still be messing around trying to remove them....

 

[generalpuller]

got the hub assembly back on, went to take the Tahoe for a spin around the block... Noticed the abs light was on??? Talked to two diiferent mechanics today, they both told me the speed sensor has a exposed wire inside the hub close to where the axle nut is?? (I guess I missed that one) Anyway they said if not careful you can break the wire when refastening the axle nut .. or possibly rub the nut enough when it grounds the sensor wire.... Has anyone here experienced this before??? Anyway I going out to remove the axle nut to see what is what I hope I didn't break anything.. Hope the nut it just rubbing the wire....

 

[SunlitComet]

sounds like

How the hell is the axle nut hitting a wire?

 

[generalpuller]

Thats exactly what I was thinking and when they told me there was a small exposed wire inside next where the axle nut goes I thought to myself "what wire??" If there was an exposed wire in that location I sure don't remember seeing one... Sunlitcomet what do you think??? I am puzzled why the abs light now comes on.... When I drove it around it is braking like it's suppose to....

 

[SunlitComet]

Why not just remove the sensor and inspect it? Perhaps debris got in there.

---------- Post added at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:15 PM ----------

It could be any one of the things listed below but these codes are hard to get without a really expensive scanner.

DTC 21 Right Front Speed Sensor or Circuit Open
DTC 22 Missing Right Front Speed Signal
DTC 23 Erratic Right Front Speed Sensor
DTC 25 Left Front Speed Sensor or Circuit Open
DTC 26 Missing Left Front Speed Signal
DTC 27 Erratic Left Front Speed Sensor
DTC 29 Simultaneous Dropout of Front Wheel Speed Sensors
DTC 35 Open or Grounded Rear Speed Signal Circuit
DTC 36 Missing Rear Speed Sensor Signal
DTC 37 Erratic Rear Speed Signal
DTC 38 Wheel Speed Error
DTC 41-54 Brake Pulse Modulator Valve (BPMV) Control Valves
DTC 65 Open or Shorted Pump Motor Relay
DTC 66 Open or Shorted Pump Motor Relay
DTC 67 Open Motor Circuit or Shorted Electronic Brake Control Module (EBCM) Output
DTC 68 Locked Motor or Shorted Motor Circuit
DTC 71-74 EBCM Memory Errors
DTC 81 Brake Switch Circuit Shorted or Open
DTC 86 Shorted Anti-Lock Warning Lamp
DTC 88 Shorted Brake Warning Lamp

 

[generalpuller]

ok I just finished taking off the brakes and loosened the axle nut... Had my son start the engine to monitor the abs light while I assembled everything back on and tighten the axle nut... The light was off during this period and once all was done the light was still off... Then I put the wheel back on tightened lug nuts, and started the engine again... Light was back on...
Decided to go for a spin to O'reilly's to use the scanner... Brakes still feel fine just have the abs light on... When I scanned I got a abs code of co 227...

Sunlitcomet after reading the codes you just posted I'm assuming this might be dtc27 ?? So If thats correct and that code says left front sensor does that mean Driver or Passenger side???? BTW thanks for your help and for the code post....

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

That means the driver's side. Try sanding on the top of the hub bearing after removing the sensor from the hub. Those aftermarket hub bearings are notorious for being just enough out of tolerance that they cause the ABS Sensor to lose signal with the speed sensor gear inside the hub.

 

[ChiTahoe]

you may just have a defect hub, if it comes on again with the driver side code then get a new one and just replace it. Just make sure the wire is routed correctly though its holders.

 

[SunlitComet]

The sensor or wire is damaged on the left front hub and is not 100% functional all the time like something is getting shifted. On a side not what was the model of scanner that the part store had that was able to pull abs codes. I still don't see how an axle nut rubs a wire. Am I missing something or is the nut you are talking about on the outside of the knuckle that when a wheel is on that can be no wires near it?

 

[generalpuller]

sunlitcomet, i'm not sure what brand the scanner was... I think that mechanic I talked to was thinking of another type of hub assembly not one for a chevy tahoe... I never saw a wire where he said there was by the axle nut....

 

[generalpuller]

Well I have came to a conclusion to my abs problem that I was having...
I have read here and elsewhere that chevy's abs systems are very problematic and I decided to pull the abs fuse to give it a try... Well I have to say that my Tahoe now brakes much better and feels more like a truck...
I'm going to do this for a while and see what happens... If I like this I may just remove the cluster and remove the abs light.... I'm sure I will have those who will disagree with this and then have others who will agree....

 

[Gzes]

Lol that's what I would have done

 

[ChrisAU]

I just did this procedure on my '92 K1500 Sierra, so here's some useful knowledge:

If the bolts start to round off, beat a 9/16" socket on to them, ALL THE WAY. They will come off just fine with a pull bar and some sweat then. The replacement bolts are M14x2.00-50mm, I got 12.9 socket bolts from Fastenal, a bag of 5 was about $3. However they may have to order them. A 12.9 metric bolt is harder than a grade-8 SAE bolt.

http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=39688&ucst=t

Just wanted to put this knowledge here for anyone who will need it in the future!

 

[babyarm85]

had the same problem. turns out i severed the wheel speed sensor wire when i dropped my truck. simple fix though. took about ten minutes to re-connect the wires.