<VV> Getting the yoke off of the axle

[JRVIDRINE@aol.com]

Folks,

I want to thank everyone who offered help in giving me advice on pulling the 
yoke off of the axle on my 62 Monza.  This was in order to change out a bad 
rear axle bearing.

Well, I want to report SUCCESS!!!  I had been warned that my yoke may be 
loose.  Well, folks, it was anything but loose.  I finally bought a good K/D 
harmonic balance puller and bolted it to the yoke and turned the screw until it was 
off.  I had tried a Pittman arm puller and had heated  the yoke up with a 
propane torch.  The Pittman arm puller didn't have enough purchase on the 
shoulders of the yoke.  Primarily it was too wide at the fingers to do the job.  Even 
with the harmonic balance puller it was hard coming off the entire time until 
it came free.  It hadn't been off since the assembly line and must have had a 
form of rust fusion.  I shined up the spines on the axle with a wire brush 
wheel and used a rifle bore brush (after using a knife point to clean out the 
groves) to clean up the splines cut into the yoke.  I took the axle to a good 
local automotive machine shop and in no time I had the old bearing off and the 
new Clarks rebuildable bearing assembly on.  I had to take the brakes apart on 
the wheel in order to get the assembly onto the bolt studs on the swing arm.  
My 14 year old son gave me some excellent assistance (although begrudgingly).  
He is learning mechanical things from the old man just like my older sons 
did.

Again, thanks for the help and advice.
Randy Vidrine 
62 Monza Coupe w/ PG
Branch, LA