Do you have a bearing removal tool for the press? I forget the official name, but it will have two heavy pieces of metal that are adjustable with heavy all-thread rods. If you don't have one, run down to a Harbor Freight and buy one. You will need it to surround the bearing to press it off.

Most presses are tall enough to lower the center piece on the press almost down to the floor. Put the bearing remover underneath the bearing but on top of the press bed, and the press down on the axle shaft with the press. You will then flip everything over and raise the press bed back up to put the new bearing on.

You can also take a cut-off wheel and make a slit in the old bearing and retainer ring, and bust them off the axle, but you will need the press to put the new bearing back on the axle.

 

I agree with Franlin2 - if you top it off with gear oil and drive gently, you should be able to get it home.

If you pull the axles and buy the new bearings and seals, most automotive machine shops can pull the old bearings off and press on the new ones. Shouldn't cost too much. If you want to save a little money, you can remove the old bearings yourself. It takes time and patience. Just don't nick an axle in the process. It will turn it into scrap metal.

I just put new bearings and seals in my 1982 9" rear. If you buy new bearings, don't buy the cheap Chinese bearings. Stick with Timken. My 9" (the highest load rated version) used Timken SET20 bearings. The seal comes with the bearing. If you have the lighter duty axle, the bearings are a little cheaper.

I also agree with Franklin2 about the tapered bearings being a joke. When I pulled mine apart and saw how they were pre-loaded, I shook my head and said "There is no damn way this can work." I called Strange Engineering to ask about a better option for bearings. The guy there laughed about the Ford tapered bearing and said that he didn't understand how it could work either. He said they sell ball bearings for 9" rears, but he said the ball bearings are for drag racing only - they can't take the side force of street driving. He said the stock design sucks, but didn't know of anything better for the street.

 

sounds like I have a mess on my hands. i think I am going to try to limp it home. Take things apart. Thankfully my wife is now off for the rest of the summer i can now take her van and bring the parts back into work. I might just leave the truck here and take it apart here. Thanks everyone for all the advice.

 

It takes a special bearing clamp to press the bearing on. Otherwise, nearly anyone with a press and knowledge of how to use it can do this.

FWIW, I'm kinda in the same boat on dad's truck, except it's the passenger rear seal.

You will need to use some brake cleaner to get that gear oil off the brake shoes and drum, as well as all the little pieces inside the drum, or there can be problems later. Oil + brakes = not good.

As for trying to drive it home before replacing the bearing (if needed), that can be a crapshoot. The entire axle is retained by the outer plate, as mentioned. If the bearing is bad, the axleshaft can work it's way out. If that happens, you're dead in the water with no power, no brakes, and putting the trans into park won't hold it still.

I'm guessing the bearing is bad, considering the funny noise we were hearing......

 

I have never had any luck with solvent cleaning the oil out of the shoes. The shoes soak the oil up, and I can never seem to get it all out. Then as you drive it, the oil left in the shoes works it's way out and gets the shoes and drum gummy, and it makes the rear wheel want to lock up. The only way I have gotten them to work in a emergency was to take a torch and heat the shoes and burn the oil off. But the easiest best way is to buy new shoes when you do this.

 

I have decided to leave the truck here at work. i will take it apart tomorrow and possibly take the axles to a shop and have them take care of the axle bearings.

One more question. What about the races? Are they pressed into the axle housing?

 

The outer race may be a snug slip-fit, or pressed it. It depends on which bearing your axle has. The outer race of the Timken SET20 will require a bearing race puller and a slide hammer to yank it out of the housing. If you have the other style bearing, it should come out with the axle. You may need an axle puller to get the axles out, too. With the SET20 bearings, you can usually yank the axle out by hand. The other style bearing will probably require an axle puller (a slide hammer type that bolts to the lug nuts).

You will want to pull your axles to confirm which bearing you need before you buy replacements.

 

Okay everyone. I wanted to update you on the status of my rear axle. I pulled the drivers side inner axle out. The rollers from the bearing fell out of the bearing retainer. Literally the bearing much have detonated on me the last mile before work. There was no way I was going to be able to drive it home. I tried pressing the bearing and everything off the axle but had no luck. I couldn't get a good bite on it with straight pieces of metal in the press.
SO....I just replaced the whole axle. Thanks to Gary Lewis. He sold me his 3.00:1 axle out of his blue parts truck. I had it swapped in in a matter of a few hours. It sucked though, doing the swap in a gravel parking lot with no shade and 108 degrees outside. But I got it done. Drives nice too.

 

Glad to help. Did you finally get the brakes bled? If not, maybe tomorrow afternoon in the shop? And, we'll swap speedo gears. Do you know what color gear/how many teeth yours has?

However, you'll have to help me carry the parts truck out now that it is a 2x2. Actually, I've bolted skates to the rear springs, but will need to cut some kind of ramp to get them up the lip into the shop. Shouldn't be a problem.

 

I will try to bleed them tonight in the driveway again. Do you have a power bleeder? Anyways, i am going to go get a tube to stick on the valve and run it into a jar of fluid and try again. I am sure that will do the trick.

Is the blue truck out of the garage sitting on skates in the driveway? Anyways..I will come help you out when I get some time. I am trying to get my pool back up before my parents come to town for week to watch ray while we go to denver. And I have an endless honey-do list before then...but let me know if you need help right away and i will try to hurry up and get over there.

 

I'd offer to help tonight, but today's our 42nd wedding anniversary and we're going to T-town to celebrate - Cowboys & Aliens awa a steak dinner.

The blue truck is still on the lift, but with 1 skate on and 1 to go - tomorrow. I'll cut a 2x4 at an angle to get over the lip into the shop (been needing to do that for some time and now's the time), so should be able to get it in and out. But, thanks for the offer of help.

I don't have a power bleeder, but do have a Mityvac that sucks fluid through the system. However, my experience is that the bleed screws leak air around the threads and you don't know whether the air you are seeing is from them or out of the lines. IOW, I prefer the old-fashioned method of pumping the brakes and turning the bleed screw.

So, if you can wait until tomorrow we could do that pretty quickly awa put the speedo gear in.

 

Glad you got the axle issue resolved.
Easiest way to do a "1 man" bleed, is the tube/jar. Barely crack open the bleeder, and slowly pump the pedal. With the tube on the barely open bleeder, air will not get sucked back in.
2nd easiest way, is open the bleeder a bit farther, and crack open a beer. Gravity will do the rest, just keep an eye on the res level.....

 

I guess that decides it then, im stopping by the liquor store for some beer on my way home, and the autoparts store for a spare bottle of brake fluid. cheers