I would guess that the bearing didn't get greased before installation and may also have been overtightened. The damage is just too extreme for this to be a "common" failure. It looks like it was at least a high cherry red, hot enough to ruin any hardening or tempering done to the shaft.

 

I'm wondering why no one noticed the noise and smell of burning bearings?

 

Sorry guys, been asleep. Time zone difference. Will post a link to Truck Campers Australia when I have the full story up there, might amuse. I travelled 600km after picking up truck from mechanics who serviced it. It was winter and cold, 4 degrees C, had the radio on loud listenening to the football and heard nothing. It was night, no other cars on the road. Stopped every 200km and checked camper (Lance 825 - not heavy) tie downs etc. When it broke, just lost drive and stopped in middle of road, as if it had jumped out of gear. Rear wheel was at 30 degree camber and hot enough to cook on, with a warm glow eminating somewhere behind it, but no smoke. No trace of oil evident on back or under truck. Was advised that if there was any oil in the diff, it would have caught fire.

 

That looks to me that the wheel bearing come apart and was rubbing the axle to the point when smaller diameter combined with high temperatures would twisted off.
That thing had to make noise for some time, but again listening to the radio in truck that is noisy on its own would explain it.
In US the shop that did the service would be in deep do-do very fast.

 

Yup, that would be a complete replacement on the rear end probably from a salvage yard.

 

Looks to me like at some point the axle bearing had been changed and likely the old one was cut off and nicked the axle you can see in one of the pics where the crack started (shinnyer then the dull gray of the rest) and the twist of the axle metal that resulted. failure would have been quick and the other damage was after failure.

I used to own a 65 f100 that had a 9" rear before me it was used every day by a landscaper who routinely over loaded the truck were talking 4ft side walls on the bed and filled mounded over the top with wood chips and towing the chipper. 3 years after i bought it was driving empty and thought I'd blown the clutch was like some one kicked it in to neutral. it snapped halfway in the the bearing my wheel stayed upright i just glided in to a parking lot your looks like the wheel laied over some and rubbed hard.

44

 

I thought it was summer down there when it is winter up here?

 

Hi Bayou Barataria,
This happened in July in the centre of Australia. I am just at the point of trying to recover the costs of repair and the 600 kilomtre tow. Sick of being being ripped off by incompetent mechanics who are also placing my life and others in danger. This was just the beginning of the saga. Had to pay $10,700 for a replacement reconditioned diff. and it wasn't reconditioned. Full story will be on website soon. New F250s are selling in Australia for $140,000 +, Not bad considering the Australian and US dollar are on par.

 

You are a camping fool I love your rig..... I want on... this is my new backdrop.. this is so awesome.. Aus. must be hot.. Dang i Love it.

 

Isn't that a Sterling 10.5 full floating rear? If so, the axle shaft doesn't ride on a bearing at the wheel end. Looks like it was fatigued and broke, then as you kept driving, it rubbed the two halves together and gave it the 'melted' appearance. That would also be why you didn't hear or feel anything. You may have noticed a pulling or increase in engine RPM/speedo reading higher than you were actually making over ground.

Wonder if it was dropped or bent during service or??

EDIT: Somehow I missed your post that the wheel was tilted and you also experience a failure of the wheel bearing in the hub as well as the broken axle shaft. So there wasn't any oil in the diff and no evidence that it leaked out? I would have gone after the shop that just serviced it either way. They definitely failed you and should pay for the damages.

 

One circumstance that can cause this is if the axle was deep in water, so deep that water ingested into the diff (it is normally hot, so if you go into a deep cold stream, it sucks water in).

Water gets inside the diff, it takes quite a bit...

Then as you drive it, it heats up, and what lube you have is expelled from the J tube (as it is lighter than water).

Then the water boils off --- leaving no trace of water and oil in the diff.

The bearings, once it is water soaked, the grease goes and so you are riding on greaseless bearings.

Sooner or later, they heat ... and have exactly your failure mode.

I have seen this before with vehicles that are driven in floods --- forded streams too deep without the right gear and maintenance.

Proper gear include a J tube on top of the diff (the vent) that is connected to a hose and then to a filter mounted much higher up, giving air a way to breath without ingesting water (think of a snorkel).

Even then, the bearings must be taken apart and regreased after each stream ford --- with the old grease (and water) completely purged.


Did you ford any streams?

If so, you probably have a similar problem up in the front...

bearings... etc.

 

That is correct but he mentioned the tire was at a 30 degree angle to the truck and the hub was glowing red. The axle failure could have been from the bearings seizing up and either spinning the bearing nut off causing the truck to fall on the axle breaking it or the axle broke from the bearings and axle locking up. If that was the case the wheel should have stayed on the truck and looked normal though so I will have to go with the bearing nuts spinning off. Either way there was no fluid in the rear end.

 

Yah, I missed that part and just edited my post. That is what I get for doing six things at one time, LOL!

 

I totally forgot about the full floater rear end until you mentioned it.

 

[quote=ford005;9835016]Isn't that a Sterling 10.5 full floating rear? If so, the axle shaft doesn't ride on a bearing at the wheel end. Looks like it was fatigued and broke, then as you kept driving, it rubbed the two halves together and gave it the 'melted' appearance. That would also be why you didn't hear or feel anything. You may have noticed a pulling or increase in engine RPM/speedo reading higher than you were actually making over ground.

I assumed that once it broke was when I lost drive - like being knocked out of gear? No increase in RPM etc. cruising at 60mph then the motor was just revving, no drive. I immediately went to put it back in gear and then thought the clutch was dead. By that time I was stationery in the middle of the road with a wonky wheel.