help with dust cover on 03 ford 350 (swd) not 4X4

j-d wrote:


The pliers are Channel Lock #420, about 10" long with about 1-1/2" opening with the moveable jaw slid all the way open and the handles closed.

The NON moveable jaw is hooked under the edge of the Dust Cap. The radius of the same jaw is resting against the inside of the recess of the Hub. The upper jaw (the adjustable one) is NOT touching anything.

I'm using the #420 only as a hooked pry. Move it a couple times around the cap, tweaking it each time, cap comes off.

I have a much larger Channel Lock and it won't fit in there.

Guess I should pick up pair that size. I have one bigger and couple not big enough.

Thanks

Parked at my favorite ford dealer and asked mechanic. He said "just get them off anyway you can and buy new ones. No matter how careful you try to get them off they never seem to fit right after getting them off. "Bearing caps" are about as strong as tin foil better to just get new".

My channel locks wouldn't go in deep enough. A little 6 or 8 inch crow bar did the trick.

Thanks to everybody.

The pliers are Channel Lock #420, about 10" long with about 1-1/2" opening with the moveable jaw slid all the way open and the handles closed.

The NON moveable jaw is hooked under the edge of the Dust Cap. The radius of the same jaw is resting against the inside of the recess of the Hub. The upper jaw (the adjustable one) is NOT touching anything.

I'm using the #420 only as a hooked pry. Move it a couple times around the cap, tweaking it each time, cap comes off.

I have a much larger Channel Lock and it won't fit in there.

j-d wrote:
If it's dual rear wheel, the front dust cap should have a little raised rim at the top.

I don't have a pair of pliers that'll grab it on both sides of that rim, but I can use the top jaw of my Channel Lock pliers to get under one side. Then I pry back using the inside of the hub as a surface and the back side of the pliers jaw as a fulcrum.
Probably hard to visualize. If you need a picture, PM me and I'll take one in the morning and post it for you. No need to struggle. The Channel Locks ("Water Pump Pliers") make it easy.

I can visualize it, but my dust cap is to for recessed in to get my channel locks on it.

Going to pick up "new" style brake tool and very small crow bar today.

pauldub wrote:
This tool might work if the hub recess is larger enough.

I "almost" have one of those. My (really) old one is that type except one end is different. My old one has a thing for getting the brake spring clips on for the old drum brake style. Looked in my tool box and can't find anything with a little hook on end that is small enough to get a grip on the dust cap recessed in. Guess I'll be picking up one of those with a little hook at the end today.

This tool might work if the hub recess is larger enough.

I use Channel Locks.

If it's dual rear wheel, the front dust cap should have a little raised rim at the top.

I don't have a pair of pliers that'll grab it on both sides of that rim, but I can use the top jaw of my Channel Lock pliers to get under one side. Then I pry back using the inside of the hub as a surface and the back side of the pliers jaw as a fulcrum.
Probably hard to visualize. If you need a picture, PM me and I'll take one in the morning and post it for you. No need to struggle. The Channel Locks ("Water Pump Pliers") make it easy.