Rear axle problem
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Rear axle problem
Hello all, first time post for me. I have a 2004 Ranger XL 2WD Reg Cab with a serious problem. I have had a vibration so I got the tires balanced but I still have it. So today I jacked the rear up and put jack stands under it and cranked her up put it in gear and watched the wheels turn and noticed the left rear wheel was warped. So I swaped wheels from right to left to see if it may be the rim but no, the left side is warped. Could this be the axle bearing or the shaft itself? There is no gear oil around the hub but there is a slight snug spot when you rotate it. I've only had the truck for 2 months so far and it only has 26k miles on it. Please respond with any help.
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From: Aurora
Welcome to FTE joejude!!!!
Sorry to see it could'nt be under better circumstances. Try this. Jack up the rear left and support it with a jackstand and pull the wheel and drum. Block a couple of wheels and put the truck in neutral. Rotate the hub while looking 'down' at it. Do you see any obvious 'runout'. The hub may be bent a bit at the end of the axle shaft because the previous owner spun the rearend of the truck into a curb (maybe while doing doughnuts!!). If its not obvious, use a dial guage to check it. This has to be it.
You might get it straightened, but it might be better if not cheaper to buy a boneyard shaft.
Again, welcome, good luck and keep us posted
Fred
Sorry to see it could'nt be under better circumstances. Try this. Jack up the rear left and support it with a jackstand and pull the wheel and drum. Block a couple of wheels and put the truck in neutral. Rotate the hub while looking 'down' at it. Do you see any obvious 'runout'. The hub may be bent a bit at the end of the axle shaft because the previous owner spun the rearend of the truck into a curb (maybe while doing doughnuts!!). If its not obvious, use a dial guage to check it. This has to be it.
You might get it straightened, but it might be better if not cheaper to buy a boneyard shaft.
Again, welcome, good luck and keep us posted
Fred
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Well the hub is bent there is obvious runout, and it feels like the bearing is bad too. Would a chiltons manual help me with this? I work on my other vehicles but never pulled an axle shaft before. Do I need any special puller tool for the bearing and seal? I don't need to get in a hurry with this because beside the truck I own 2 cars and a motorcycle. Any advise or expertise would be very helpful.
joe
joe
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From: Maine
You will need a slide hammer for the bearing and seal. I believe you can rent/borrow them from many auto parts stores.
You don't need any special tools to take the axle out, though. If you've never done one, a Chiltons or Haynes manual would come in handy. Basically, you pull the cover off the diff, then take the bolt out of the cross-pin, and slide it out of the way. Then, the axle slides inward, and you can pop the C-clip off it and the axle just slides right out. It's pretty clear if you see an exploded diagram.
You don't need any special tools to take the axle out, though. If you've never done one, a Chiltons or Haynes manual would come in handy. Basically, you pull the cover off the diff, then take the bolt out of the cross-pin, and slide it out of the way. Then, the axle slides inward, and you can pop the C-clip off it and the axle just slides right out. It's pretty clear if you see an exploded diagram.
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If you decide to go with a used axle, I would advise installing a "repair bearing"... it's a bearing/seal in one piece which shift the seal back a bit... to compensate for the groove that tends to form on the axle over time.
It's not a bad job at all to do... and you're almost due to change the rear differential oil anyway... so it's like knocking out two birds with one stone
It's not a bad job at all to do... and you're almost due to change the rear differential oil anyway... so it's like knocking out two birds with one stone
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From: Aurora
Good to see that you've got other wheels. Takes the stress right out of the situation.
Great Saturday afternoon project. Ice up a twofour, invite the boys over, set up a picknick table with crackers and cheeze(don't forget to cover the cheeze to keep uninvited guests away and from drying out - I hate that), and have at it. Read the Chilton passage over a few times till your comfortable with the procedure, and away you go.
Oh yeah. Ignore the guys at the picnic table. Armchair mechanics are worst than armchair quarterbacks, lol. I've never heard of a 'repair bearing' myself, but sounds like a good idea, if they've got one. Slide hammer's a must. You could do the brakes while youre at it. Just be carefull not to contaminate the shoes with lube when you pull the axle. Jack the wheel high enough that lube runs back to pumpkin.
Fred
Great Saturday afternoon project. Ice up a twofour, invite the boys over, set up a picknick table with crackers and cheeze(don't forget to cover the cheeze to keep uninvited guests away and from drying out - I hate that), and have at it. Read the Chilton passage over a few times till your comfortable with the procedure, and away you go.Oh yeah. Ignore the guys at the picnic table. Armchair mechanics are worst than armchair quarterbacks, lol. I've never heard of a 'repair bearing' myself, but sounds like a good idea, if they've got one. Slide hammer's a must. You could do the brakes while youre at it. Just be carefull not to contaminate the shoes with lube when you pull the axle. Jack the wheel high enough that lube runs back to pumpkin.
Fred
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Thanks guys for the replys! I really appreciate you taking the time to talk me through it. I feel pretty confident about doing it myself...gonna try to pick up Chilton's Manual next week, so you may hear from me again once I get started. So keep a look out for me! You've been a big help...
Joe
Joe
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Well I did the job this past weekend and eveything appears to be fine. Job was not that bad but I did have a hard time pulling the bearing. Only thing is it fills like there is some air in the brake lines. I'll work on that today but from inspecting the old axle shaft it is bent pretty bad and it has been like that for sometime. Pulled up car history and it had been involved in an accident and had moderate damage to the left rear side (bent axle side) in late 2005. This vehicle was a lease and who ever had it must have just not repaired this for whatever reason, but what gets me is the dealer took it back after the lease and sent it to the dealer auction in Atlanta GA in this condition. I purchased it strait from the auction as is, I'm not really bitter about it but on a lease vehicles don't they inspect them for mechanical problems and charge for any repair it may require after it is turned in by a company or individual? Just some info to help others from a lesson learned the hard way. Thanks for the help and support from you guys here you made it easy for me
joejude
joejude
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From: Aurora
Glad to hear it went well. And good feedback to close off the thread.!! The best was to get stubborn air from the lines is the two man method and hold the pressure on the brake pedal really good when the assistant cracks the bleeder. It maximizes velocity through the line.
Too bad they didn't catch the bent axle when they repaired it. Check the auction paperwork to see if the balance of the drivetrain warranty came with it. From the best of my knowledge, they go at the auctions 'as is', but its worth a try. Or you can try working with a dealer to see if they can apply the factory warranty to at least the parts.
On edit: I should have said the warranty for the repair shop that did the work and certified it. You might even call the insurance company that covered it to see if they can help.
Fred
Too bad they didn't catch the bent axle when they repaired it. Check the auction paperwork to see if the balance of the drivetrain warranty came with it. From the best of my knowledge, they go at the auctions 'as is', but its worth a try. Or you can try working with a dealer to see if they can apply the factory warranty to at least the parts.
On edit: I should have said the warranty for the repair shop that did the work and certified it. You might even call the insurance company that covered it to see if they can help.
Fred
Last edited by fflintstone; Jul 2, 2007 at 11:55 AM. Reason: warranties don't cover accidents
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