Need Axle Help

[MrFixit469]

Both axels on my 85 xlt are leaking but functioning fine. I have a 351 W with a 4 barrel and auto trans. with manual hubs. I want to re-seal both but am unsure exactly what I have. The front is independant suspension with the diff. carrier bolted to the inside of one of the I beams. I believe it's a dana 44 but don't know how to tell if it's H.D. or standard. The rear diff. has the housing welded to the solid axle with a removable carrier, possibly a 9"? How innvolved is it to remove these and re-seal? Any special tools required?

 

[4xfan78]

The rear sounds like you have a 9" they are easy to do, no special tools to remove. Take the 4 nuts off that are holding the axle in place. Pull the axles out the lock have to be pressed off as wel as the bearings then you can replace the seal buy new bearings. Get them pressed on along with the bearing lock. Be real carefull when installing not to dammage the seals. The front on the other hand is a little more difficult I usually let a drivetrain shop handle that because I do not have the tools to get the ring gear and carrier housing out. Some times have to use an axle stretcher to remove them.

 

[Broncoholics]

Axle stretcher??? That doesn't sound health for the axle.

Its not that bad on the front D44 unless its a TTB D44. Does the front axle pivot in the center? If not you will see a diff cover you can unbolt to see the carrier and you can do this by...

pulling the brakes, hubs, bearings, axle shafts & pull off the front diff cover. Now undo the four bolts holding the carrier in. Do not mix up which way they came off. Mark them top/bottom/left/right so you know whick way to re-install. Then take a small hand pry bar and pry out the carrier. Be carefull not to drop it on the floor. Now you have access to the axle shaft seals. Since they are bad just pry them out with a ***** driver and tap the new ones in. Re-install how it came out.

The rear, you have to pull the four bolts behind the rear drum brakes. No need to take off the brakes. Once the bolts are off you can yank real hard with a chain or something and the axles will slide out with the bearing still attached to the axle.

Good time to replace them. If you have some round tube insert the spline end of the shaft into it and hit the end of the axle so the new bearings press onto the axle. No need to have them pressed on by a shop.

Then take off the 3rd member off the axle housing and reseal it. Some use gaskets others just use RTV form-a-gasket. Its up to you.

 

[Guest_MrFixit469]

For the rear, do i need to pull the pinion out and reset the angle after i replace the seal? How??? The only part i can see leaking is between the carrier and axle housing, the seals at the pinion and axles seem fine. Since i'm pulling the axles anyway, i might as well replace the rear axle bearings and seals.

 

[Broncoholics]

If the pinion seal is OK don't touch it. I've never heard of re-setting up the pinion angle. Its just a seal repalcement on the pinion.

If its the largest seal that is leaking its the 3rd member that bolts to the axle housing. After the axle shafts are pulled you can unbolt the outer ring of bolts and it fall right off so you can replace the seal. get ready to catch it with a block.