Axle woes
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Axle woes
Well I have another problem . . .
I got some tires put on my truck today and the tire place said my rear axle was shot.
I figured yeah right, typical shop wanting me to spend more money . . .
But I got home and decided to check, I grabbed the top of the tire and gave it a pull and a push, sure enough I hear and feel a clunk.
I tried the other side and it does the same, not as much as the left side but still does it.
I'm not familiar with axles and differentials so my question is would this be a problem with the Axle, the Bearings, or the Differential it's self? or possibly all three? I mean if I have to do repairs I will change the bearings anyway but I want to do this repair as cheap as possible as my budget is getting low.
would it be easier to just get a whole used axle assembly and swap it in or should I just take the time and put some new parts in this one and have peace of mind knowing it is all in good shape?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
I got some tires put on my truck today and the tire place said my rear axle was shot.
I figured yeah right, typical shop wanting me to spend more money . . .
But I got home and decided to check, I grabbed the top of the tire and gave it a pull and a push, sure enough I hear and feel a clunk.
I tried the other side and it does the same, not as much as the left side but still does it.
I'm not familiar with axles and differentials so my question is would this be a problem with the Axle, the Bearings, or the Differential it's self? or possibly all three? I mean if I have to do repairs I will change the bearings anyway but I want to do this repair as cheap as possible as my budget is getting low.
would it be easier to just get a whole used axle assembly and swap it in or should I just take the time and put some new parts in this one and have peace of mind knowing it is all in good shape?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 273
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axels..
Its good to know what you have to begin with..
the vehical code sticker on my f150 is on the drivers door jam-this has the codes as to what your truck has for options/equipment...tire sizes/air pressure-etc,etc.. on that sticker there is an area that reads " axel" and below it should be a code for that like B4,or B1,.so on.that tells you what kind of rear end..(-ford will tell ya what the code represents ) ..and you could climb under the rear and look for the tag on the Differential cover,-usually its a metal tag bolted to the cover by one of the diff cover bolts, and sometimes along the side..its flat and stamped.
-I didnt know what I had until I had to figure out a clunk back there
and come to find out I had 4:10's in a detroit locker posi trac..- alot of money to replace parts on.. hope you dont have the same problem -good luck.
the vehical code sticker on my f150 is on the drivers door jam-this has the codes as to what your truck has for options/equipment...tire sizes/air pressure-etc,etc.. on that sticker there is an area that reads " axel" and below it should be a code for that like B4,or B1,.so on.that tells you what kind of rear end..(-ford will tell ya what the code represents ) ..and you could climb under the rear and look for the tag on the Differential cover,-usually its a metal tag bolted to the cover by one of the diff cover bolts, and sometimes along the side..its flat and stamped.
-I didnt know what I had until I had to figure out a clunk back there
and come to find out I had 4:10's in a detroit locker posi trac..- alot of money to replace parts on.. hope you dont have the same problem -good luck.
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From: Solon, Ohio
Handsomerob...................sorry these guys are hijacking and cluttering your thread.
Possibly NOTHING is wrong with your axels.
Unless they are leaking, or making vibrations or noises leave them alone.
They normally slide in and out, some more than others. They are held in by "C" clips that slide into slots at the end of the axels by the pinion gears.
If they have too much UP and DOWN play while you have it lifted and the wheels off the ground, then perhaps you need bearings or the axels are worn where they go through the bearings. If this is the case, there are "Repair Bearings" available for about 20 bucks apiece that correct this by positioning the bearing at a slightly different place on the axel.
I did the bearing swap on one side about 3 months ago and it's working great...........and i'm kicking myself for not doing both while I had it apart.
You have to pull the rear cover off the rear end to remove the "C" clips to pull the axels.
Possibly NOTHING is wrong with your axels.
Unless they are leaking, or making vibrations or noises leave them alone.
They normally slide in and out, some more than others. They are held in by "C" clips that slide into slots at the end of the axels by the pinion gears.
If they have too much UP and DOWN play while you have it lifted and the wheels off the ground, then perhaps you need bearings or the axels are worn where they go through the bearings. If this is the case, there are "Repair Bearings" available for about 20 bucks apiece that correct this by positioning the bearing at a slightly different place on the axel.
I did the bearing swap on one side about 3 months ago and it's working great...........and i'm kicking myself for not doing both while I had it apart.
You have to pull the rear cover off the rear end to remove the "C" clips to pull the axels.
Last edited by netscaner; Sep 25, 2007 at 05:33 PM.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,324
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From: Michigan
Like said above, if the play is up and down and you have some leakage at the seal, axle seals and bearings will be what you need. If it is movement in and out of the axle, it's probably the clutches and shims in your limited slip differential. The clutches and shims are pretty easy to replace as well. You can get a clutch set for about $70. Axle bearings and seal will be about $50. Here's a site I used to do my clutches and shows how to repair the entire 8.8.
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/5o...5ohtech001.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/5o...5ohtech001.htm
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Originally Posted by handsomerob
Thanks for the info, I'll jack it up and give it a good look tomorrow, but I know for a fact that there is no leaking from the rear of the truck at all . . .
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