My 69 F-250 has a nasty rattle in the back driver side brake drum. I was going to pull it off and have a look but after I got the wheel off I didn't know what to do next as this Dana 60 is a different animal compared to the 8.8" in my 98. I also looked in the hole for the adjuster, and there was not an adjuster there. The pass side had an adjuster, no rattles, and doesn't drag but I still may take that side off also and have a look at the wear of the shoes/drum. I thought it looked like I needed to take the little hub deal off (with the 8 bolts holding it on) but I wasn't sure so I didn't do that. I feel like an idiot because I can't get the drum off, so if anyone could help it would be awesome.

Thanks
Jake

 

That little hub deal is the outer side of the axle, with the whole shaft behind it. That needs to come out, then there is a large nut, a retainer, and another large nut. Then the complete hub will slide off.

 

Wow, that is alot of work just to take the brake drums off!!!! Now I don't feel so bad. Are there any specific torque specs on the large nuts?

Thanks
Jake

 

On the Dana 60 first preload the bearing to 50-80 ft/lbs to seat while rotating the drum, back off, add greased lockwasher install locknut and tighten to 90-110 ft/lbs. Hub end play should be .001-.010" when done. I prefer the low side of the spec or just detectable. The rears are a PITA, go in with new wheel cylinders and shoes as you don't want to go in there any time soon.
Early bumpsides 67 to early 69 will have 2 7/16" nut, later is 2 9/16" as later have larger bearing support tubes. Early also have collets and a tapered hole in the axle stud holes, don't loose the collets. Hope this helps, Carl.....=o&o>.....

 

So I didn't post back up the other day when I saw this, but how much do I back off the first nut? Also, what's considered "early" or "late"? I have a build date of 10/68 and my serial number is E26,###.

Thanks
Jake

 

Hey Jake, on my 68 CS the numbers I have, F25YRC177xx which I haven't checked build date has 2 3/8" wheel bearing lock nut size. I went off the brain and posted 2 7/16" on the above reply (me stupid). It would be best to pull an axle and measure the nut for the correct size, there are nuts with a point or corners and rounded corners. I have a socket from KD Tools # KDS2434, 2 3/8" RN HEX, it's 3/4" drive. As far as bearing adjustment you want to back off the adjustment nut after seating bearing until you feel a loose wheel bearing. The jam nut will push the adjustment nut the opposite side of the thread on the axle tube, thread clearance or slop, this will reduce your clearances. This will be a trial an error thing hang in there. I've seen a lot of trucks were the jam nuts been chiseled loose and tight, worked on by "animals".
I haven't located those tab lock washers for the small tube axles just the larger so be careful should you reuse yours. While your apart replace the inner hub seal and use anti sieze on the axle shaft collets if you have the older axles. Use a sealer between the hub and axle flange which might have been hard to break loose, I used a slide hammer with one jaw of a 3 jaw slide hammer puller. Carl.....=o&o>.....

 

OK, so I'm gonna resurrect this old thread because I haven't done anything yet, but still have some questions. The way I read this, it sounds like the whole axle shaft has to come out. Is that right....or am I mistaken (again)? This sounds like a major PITA. I was just going to take the driver's side apart and take all the crap out of it so it doesn't rattle and drive me nuts, but if it's that much work I may as well do everything while I'm in there. The only problem is that dad doesn't think it's worth the money since she's pretty beat up......so we butt heads alot on this particular subject.

 

As far as butting heads that's normal with pops, I did it.
A big PITA if your into the rear brakes on a 3/4 ton full floater rear axle.
Remove the nuts holding axle, pull axle then you'll see a large jam nut, peel back the locking washer first. The rest is lock washer, adjusting nut and cone bearing then pull the hub assembly off. For all the work to get into the brakes I would replace shoes and wheel cylinders, rear grease seal and repack bearings.
The proper jam nut torque is 95 to 105 pounds torque, not a hammer and chisel which many owners use. When torqued you should have "just detectable" bearing looseness. A gasket for the axle flange with sealer or just RTV only seems the standard for axle flange.
.....=o&o>.....

 

Well, thanks for all the good info. I should understand better when I see exactly what it all looks like. I'll see if I can get him convinced to let me do it.

 

If it's a early 69 the wheel bearing nut it could be 2 3/8" rounded point or sharp point, later 69 on up had a larger axle tube with 2 9/16" rounded point or rounded corners on the nuts. In my case on the 68 with 2 3/8" nuts a KD Tools # KDS2434 X 3/4" drive socket does the trick.
Make sure the E brake cable retracts when the E brake is off to prevent a dragging brake and unneccessary shoe wear.
.....=o&o>.....

 

Haha, thanks for the tip on the E-brake......ironically, that side isn't even hooked up and is tied up on the underside of the truck. Thanks again for all the great advise on this. I'm pretty sure that mine is an early 69, but I'll wait til I tear into things to see which size I'll need.