1990 F150 Custom about 190k miles

Hello, just got done limping my truck home. The rear end started dragging when I was out picking up some furniture.

It starts right at about 30mph and just shakes the truck really bad for a few seconds. Over about 6 miles it went from minor to dragging any time I tried to speed up.

I recently had work done on it. I was told my wheel bearings and seals were bad and my break shoes were bad. I had them replaced and after getting my truck back I noticed my pinion seal leaking. They also replaced my carrier assembly.

This was all done on 5/12/16. It hasn't even been a month and the original issue I had is now worse. Is there anything I can check that would bring me to a conclusion on if I got screwed by these guys or if other things are going bad?

Here is all the work they did and what they charged me:

Replace axle bearings & seals rear both sides
- parts: $185.98
- Labor: $314.49

Rear shoe brake job : includes replacing shoes, machining drums
- parts: $57.98
- labor: $29.75

BG break flush
- parts: $9.99
- labor $50.00

Rear diff labor install posts carrier/ set lash
- parts: $478.98
- labor: $104.83

This is all from the receipt word for word.

Thanks for any help.

 

Have you used the parking brake recently? The cables for it often seize up and a dragging brake will produce a lot of vibration. Pull the drums off and have a look and also inspect the park brake for correct operation, it should be pretty obvious if something there is broken or not working correctly.

 

The parking brake has been disconnected since I got the truck. It won't disengage if you do engage it. Could it still be the parking break even if it's not connected?

 

I don't want to tell you that you got ripped off.

But those prices for parts are outlandishly expensive. You can pick up 2 SET36 bearing sets for $22 and 2 TRP1559TV repair bearing sets for $40 at rockauto. I get that they need to make their money but Jesus.

They also replaced the carrier assembly but for some reason decided to use the old ring and pinion, which means they didn't replace the pinion bearings or seal. They charged you for an entire new carrier assembly when they most likely could have just replaced the spider gears, side gears, and/or clutch packs....

If it were me I would be driving it back down tot he shop and demanding they fix it for real this time - you have already spent the money. It may be something as simple as the parking brake but you shouldn't have to be the one to figure it out with that bill already paid.

 

Sorry I haven't replied for a while I have been busy with life.

When I took it back and asked them to take care of it they told me they didn't touch that part of my diff... but that confused me since they changed my carrier. Wouldn't they have to remove everything to get that out?

I also did a better visual inspection of the outside of the pinion seal, the seal isn't damage on the outside at all, but there is oil leaking from the inside of the yoke, near the nut in there as far as I can tell.

 

Is the pinion flange itself loose in the axle?

 

I don't thing so. Is the flange behind the yoke? It looks to me like the yoke gos straight to the diff. Everything is tight the driveshaft has no play and the yoke is solid.

 

Picture for reference of leaking area.

 

Wow! I'd have that truck parked up somebody's ...

They tried to save you money by not doing the job right and made a very poor decision to get what money they could without scaring you off!

In my opinion, that seal replacement is their lunch!
Unfortunately, they are going to just pull the yoke, pull the seal, stuff a new seal in and toss the yoke on calling it good!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

U-joints worn maybe? The driveshaft can get out alignment with worn out bearing cups in the joints and shake a truck pretty well.

 

It's probably leaking through the splines ... Regardless that's part of the pinion seal replacement job that should have been done.

It was obviously leaking when the carrier was done.

I'm curious if they put a wrench on the yoke (pinion) nut or unhooked the driveline!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

They told me they didn't touch that part of the diff so I'm guessing they just took the cover off swapped everything out and put the cover back on ignoring that part of it. It didn't leak before they worked on it and it's leaking pretty bad now. I'm hesitant to ha e them fix it since I feel they will half *** it.

 

In my opinion that is a very safe assumption!

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

You can't properly setup the differential gears without removing the pinion. I have a real hard time believing they replaced the carrier, and got it properly shimmed without touching the pinion shims.

 

That only applies, IF, you know what you are doing!!!