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  • Frango100
    Experienced
    • May 2 2016
    • 453

    Leaking rear axle seals

    The rear axle seals are leaking a bit on both sides. Can i just replace the seals, or should both wheel bearings be changed as well? There is no play on the bearings.
    sigpicFrank
    1958 T-Bird "Trovão Rosa" - "Rose Thunder"
    Thunderbird registry #61670
  • Dakota Boy
    Super-Experienced
    • Jun 30 2009
    • 1561

    #2
    Replace the bearings if the age of them is unknown.
    http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=33517

    Comment

    • Deanj
      Super-Experienced
      • Nov 26 2015
      • 631

      #3
      Dakota Boy: Replace the bearings if the age of them is unknown
      You better tell Frank what that entails. I didn't replace mine because these were fine and the new bearings might be inferior.

      Dean

      Comment

      • simplyconnected
        Administrator
        • May 26 2009
        • 8778

        #4
        I never replace bearings unless they show signs of failure. Before a bearing goes, it normally gets loud, then they feel funky as you rotate by hand.

        If an inspection shows a smooth bearing 'to the feel' with no lamination or discoloration, why swap it with another that looks the same? Don't get me wrong, at the slightest sign of failure they should be changed.

        Certainly, you can change your seals and gaskets without changing your bearings. At the same time, I would use this opportunity to clean out the differential housing and replace two quarts of 90W gear lube. If you want a reason, remove some of the old gear lube into a bucket and look at it in the sunlight. The job will only cost the price of an additional paper gasket and NO shim adjustments will be required. Simply follow your Shop Manual. - Dave
        Member, Sons of the American Revolution

        CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

        "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
        --Lee Iacocca

        From: Royal Oak, Michigan

        Comment

        • Frango100
          Experienced
          • May 2 2016
          • 453

          #5
          Thanks for the answers guys. My wheel bearings seem to be ok, but there is some noise coming from the rear end, what seems to be from the differential itself. When accelerating there is noise, but when coasting there is no noise. I did change the fluid some months ago, since I didn´t knew when it was done before, and it was looking good. Since the pinion seal also has a slight leak, I will be opening up the diff and see how the pinion itself looks. It could be that a pinion or diff bearing is causing the noise.
          sigpicFrank
          1958 T-Bird "Trovão Rosa" - "Rose Thunder"
          Thunderbird registry #61670

          Comment

          • pbf777
            Experienced
            • Jan 9 2016
            • 282

            #6
            This response might be a little late but; one other consideration is the fact that many an axle bearing failure has actually been the result of a seal failure first.

            In the 9 inch Ford unit which uses the sealed ball bearing (not all do), along with keeping the gear lube off the ground, the seal is responsible for keeping the lube from entering the bearing, diluting the grease and causing it to migrate out of the bearing assy.

            The gear lube witnessed as a leakage has two routes in its' escape once passed the seal to be visible. Either around the alxe bearing's outer circumference, between the O.D. of the race and the I.D. of the housing, or thru the bearing assy. itself. In the prior instance there is no effect on the bearing assy.; in the latter, the grease is liquified and "washed" out of the bearing causing failure do to lack of lubrication. Note: that although the definition applied to the bearing may be "sealed", this is understood as a grease seal for the retention of the grease for lubrication about the bearing, not as a capable fluid seal for retention or separation of gear oil.

            This is another one of those "things", that with experience, and a developed "feel' for how things should be, one is able to decide, "Ya or Nay" to the serviceability of.

            Scott.

            Comment

            • Frango100
              Experienced
              • May 2 2016
              • 453

              #7
              Thanks for your reply Scott. I was also thinking about this and wonder how the bearings will be. The leaking started not long ago, so maybe its not that bad yet, but strangely enough it leaks on both sides and also the pinion seal. I thought about a closed breather, but the cap is loose. Is the breather suppost to be directly on the axle, and not remotely with some hose?
              I didn´t start this job yet, since I'm looking for the sledge hammer tool for removing the axle shafts here locally. I had found a kit and even bought it, but after two weeks of waiting they informed me that they can´t supply it anymore, since Stanley doesn´t make the kit here anymore. And so far I couldn´t find any other kit here. Looking on e-bay now for a reasonably priced kit.
              sigpicFrank
              1958 T-Bird "Trovão Rosa" - "Rose Thunder"
              Thunderbird registry #61670

              Comment

              • Yadkin
                Banned
                • Aug 11 2012
                • 1905

                #8
                When you get the half shafts out inspect the area where the seals ride. Mine were corroded so that new seals couldn't do their job. I found a local machine shop that was able to repair the shafts with sleeves. The process involves machining the area to receive the sleeve, heating the sleeve to expand it then pressing it into place.

                Here is what a repair sleeve looks like installed.
                Attached Files

                Comment

                • pbf777
                  Experienced
                  • Jan 9 2016
                  • 282

                  #9
                  [QUOTE: Is the breather suppost to be directly on the axle, and not remotely with some hose?

                  On most automotive car applications of this period, the vent often consisted of the "rattle-cap" assy. screwed directly into the axle housing. A hose attached to a nipple screwed into the housing and then extended up to the the frame was used on automotive light truck units, due in part to potential off-road excursions.

                  Scott.

                  Comment

                  • Frango100
                    Experienced
                    • May 2 2016
                    • 453

                    #10
                    Thanks again Scott. Do you know if a slide hammer really will be necessary to get the shafts out? I was looking at e-bay for a slide hammer, but with the shipping costs almost equaling the tool price, then I even have to pay taxes which equal the sum of the tool and the shipping. So that will be four times the tools price at the end. I do like to have tools, but not for those ridiculous prices. Maybe I will have to construct some tool myself.
                    sigpicFrank
                    1958 T-Bird "Trovão Rosa" - "Rose Thunder"
                    Thunderbird registry #61670

                    Comment

                    • Dakota Boy
                      Super-Experienced
                      • Jun 30 2009
                      • 1561

                      #11
                      Nobody in Brazil uses or sells slide hammers? I can rent a kit for free from one of the big auto parts stores here in the States.
                      http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=33517

                      Comment

                      • simplyconnected
                        Administrator
                        • May 26 2009
                        • 8778

                        #12
                        We always used the tire, with the lug nuts barely screwed on. Grab it by one side, push it in, then jerk it out hard. I still don't own a slide hammer. - Dave
                        Member, Sons of the American Revolution

                        CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

                        "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
                        --Lee Iacocca

                        From: Royal Oak, Michigan

                        Comment

                        • Frango100
                          Experienced
                          • May 2 2016
                          • 453

                          #13
                          There was only one shop which was selling a slide hammer, which I paid for, but then they told me that they don´t have it anymore and that the factory doesn´t make it anymore. So far I was not able to find any other.
                          I will try your trick Dave, that should do it.
                          sigpicFrank
                          1958 T-Bird "Trovão Rosa" - "Rose Thunder"
                          Thunderbird registry #61670

                          Comment

                          • scumdog
                            Super-Experienced

                            • May 12 2006
                            • 1528

                            #14
                            Originally posted by simplyconnected
                            We always used the tire, with the lug nuts barely screwed on. Grab it by one side, push it in, then jerk it out hard. I still don't own a slide hammer. - Dave
                            Same here!

                            Take off drum, undo backing plate/retainer bolts, put rim back on, (Sometimes facing the wrong way can give you an advantage if space is tight) put on the lug-nuts a few turns each and slam away!
                            A Thunderbirder from the Land of the Long White Cloud.

                            Comment

                            • Yadkin
                              Banned
                              • Aug 11 2012
                              • 1905

                              #15
                              Back in the mid 80's I had a '69 F100 that was a rat rod before the term was popular. I purchased it from an old drunk that had let it sit in the mud for a long time. This was upstate NY so everything was rusted on this truck.

                              One day I passed a car on a two lane and when I turned back into the travel lane my left half shaft came out. Talk about excitement, LOL. It turned out that the bearing had run out of grease, and I don't remember the assembly details, but that had allowed the shaft to leave the housing.

                              I replaced the right side bearing as well and I guess that the shaft was pressed into it somehow? In any event, I needed a large slide hammer to disassemble it. And of course I did not own one.

                              But I did have a big slug of steel that weighed about 20 pounds and some heavy chain. So I bolted the chain onto one of the half shaft lugs, the other end of the chain fastened the the slug. By swinging the slug away from the axle it hammered it when the chain was un-slacked. It took about 10 minutes of work-out but she came loose!

                              Comment

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