Hello,

2005 F-350 SRW 4X4 with a 6.0L

Used a cheap eBay unit bearing a few months ago while stuck at a hotel.
(Chastise me later for using cheap parts, I NEVER do that but money was tight)

So, a few months go by til today and this bearing has failed, I am ordering two new Timkens from Rock Auto right now.

The old bearing is smoked, the inner axle looks like it wore out the seal in the axle tube, it can wobble around in there.

Here is the stupid question (I searched and searched)
Is that thing at the end of the axle tube just a seal? theres gotta be a bearing in there too right?

Do I have to remove the knuckle to have enough room to slide the axle out?

Is there a clip on the diff end of the axle that I need to remove to be able to slide the axle out?

Any help is appreciated, I have wrenchng experience, just not on solid front axles.

 

If you have an SRW (single rear wheel) F-350, I don't think you have a "Super 60" aka "Fat Boy" axle. I think those axles are for the DRW applications with the Tow Boss pkg, and the chassis cabs. I'm not sure, so I'd recommend you verify this, as it might make a difference with the parts required to fix and maintain the axle you have.

"The thing" at the end of the axle tube sounds like the dust seal. It is normal for dust seals on the Dana 60 to tear and pop out of their seat without much consequence in normal on road driving.

Timken unit bearings for our application are no longer made in USA. The new set my friend recently picked up were made in Mexico or China... I forget which. I'll go look and report back. They said Timken on the box, but not made in USA like the old days. I suppose that is why places like Rock Auto and Riff Raff can sell the Timken brand so relatively cheaply.

 

Oh yeah my mistake that is a regular Dana 60,

So that thing is a dust seal, is there a bearing behind it?

 

Deeper in the tube there is an oil seal (which is why the dust seal can be totally loose and still no differential fluid leaks out). Behind the oil seal there is a bearing (that is lubricated by the oil retained by the oil seal).