ok i have been trying to figure this out for awhile... i got a late 99 psd 4x4. i noticed while driving down my dirt road with the windows down when hitting bumps a clanking sound from the front passenger side wheel. i thought it was a loose center cap on my rims but nope. l leaned in over the tire and grabbed the ujoint that is between the spindel and the hub and jiggled it up and down. wow the thing was really loose. it had alot of play up and down. whin i lifted it up and dropped it clank that wes the noise. i felt the other side and it was tight and right.

so i replaced the hub because their is a non serviceable berring in the hub for the axel shaft and did guzzles auto hub service as well. once put back together i still got the same result. from their my next guess is a form of carrier bearing in the end of the axel housing to support the long axel shaft. this is where all my play is.

in conclusion i need to replacr that bearing. the one on the passenger side of the axel shaft near the end of the shaft. has anyone ever had this prolbem or replaced it before? and if so a little know how on how to remove and install the bearing. also as to what parts i need and where to get them? thanks a ton anything helps

 

Are you talking about the bearing that's actually part of the carrier assembly within the differential?

 

ummmm idk what im thinking is the bearing that holds the axel shaft up..... the diff chunk sits on the driver side. from their the long axel shaft that runs to the passanger side spindel or hub i can take the axel shaft and move it up and down alot im thinking their is a bearing in their that holds the axel shaft up. also if you look in to the axel tube their is a seal hanging arround the axel shaft.

 

Imagine you took off your diff cover and you're looking at that right there. You see those 4 bolts? They're holding the carrier setup in there. Those bolts clamp the bearings into place via those two straps. You have to pull out the entire assembly to replace the bearings. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you might have to re-shim things if you go replacing those bearings.

The small needle bearing that's pressed into the hub assembly that has the non-serviceable bearing can be replaced. http://www.frontiernet.net/~jmray/F250NeedleBearings.htm

Those are the only bearings that your axle runs through, sans non-serviceable hub bearing.

Did you install new dust seals?

 

AWWWWWW dang really man i was hoping their would be a bearing at the end of the shaft that i could slip in and out. so those are the only ones? how in the world can that one bearing on the very inside hold up that long shaft all the way to the spindle???? that boggles my mind and dust deals no havent replaced them their both hanging on the axel shafts.

 

so i guess im up the creek wo a paddle. well what will it hurt to keep running my truck with all that play up and down

 

I just did my ball joints, axle u-joints, hub service and new front axle oil seals last weekend, so I'm going off of my memory and limited experience here.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~jmray/F250BallJoints.htm

Scroll through that ball joint replacement write-up and note the large dust seal that you have to press/tap onto the axle with that homemade tool. That dust seal is pressed/tapped into the knuckle. If that dust seal is in bad shape, or not pressed onto the axle properly, perhaps it could allow for some slop??? That one seemed like a pretty significant part. There's the other smaller dust seal you'll see in that same write-up and it's at the end of the tube where you thought a bearing would be. Maybe someone else w/ more experience will pipe in.

 

BTT



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I am having the exact same issue with my 2000 f250, except i have movement on both sides. I was originally told that i need to replace my left front hub assembly, but with movement on both sides I'm not buying it. Friday I talked with someone else and he showed me that there are at least 2, possibly 3 seals that need to be replaced. 1 seal at the hub, 1 at the spindle I believe and 1 at the axel shaft. I haven't torn into it yet, but might some time this evening. I'll update if I get any more info.

 

Maybe I am missing something myself, but I think there is a little confusion here. There is no bearing, that holds the axleshaft on the axle tube side. The only thing on the axle tube side that holds the axleshaft, is the spider gear in the differential, and the inner axle seal. The inner axle seal doesnt really support anything, the axleshaft just goes through it. The knuckle side, is what holds and aligns the axle assembly. (both sides) It goes through a dust seal, the inner axle bearing, often refered to as "needle bearings", and then goes into the actual locking hub. Since you said you replaced the unit beaing, you would have also replaced the needle bearings, because they are on the back, inner side, of the unit bearing. Something you can try, thats really quick and easy, is swapping your hubs, from left to right, and seeing if the looseness follows. Other then that, your probably looking at the dust seal, as it does actually offer support. While you have it apart, look at your stub shaft for excessive wear, if it has gotten warn down, all the new parts around it will not fix the problem. So start by swapping hubs, and let us know. Good luck!

 

Ok, so you're saying there's not one bearing in the spider gear that the axle's teeth mesh with? Because I just had the gears out of the front end of my truck and if you pull off the bearing cover that's held in place by one of those straps and 2 bolts, sure enough, there's a bearing.

Edit:
D60 on the left.

 

That bearing is the carrier bearing. It holds the carrier in place. It doesnt actually locate the axleshaft. The spider gear does. If you look at were the axleshaft goes into in the side of the carrier, you will notice, that the hole is larger, then the large OD of the splines on the inside of the spider gear. Meaning, it actually is floating/loose inside there. The carrier should not have any contact with the axlshaft. Only the spider gear.

 

Ahhhhhhhh, that makes sense. So the axle is concentric with the clearance hole through the inside of those bearings and mesh with the inside splines of the spider gears. Those bearings just allow the carrier to rotate.

 

Yeap, no need for . We ALL learn together! While you had it apart, you may have noticed that the spider gears can rotate out, and axleshaft also keeps them were they need to be, by way of coming in the side of the carrier, and the axleshaft not having a place to go. That is one of the jobs for the oil. (However, they typically stay in place, you usually have to slide them purposely out.)

I just love, drivetrain. Its practically an obsession at times LOL. I have broken, and replaced nearly every part of an axle. Except king pins, unfortunately I have not owned a king pin axle, but one day will own a 78-79 vintage ford 60, for my project truck. When I get caught up in the funding department.

 

ok up date..... i replaced the passanger side hub assembly "the one with all the slack in the axel shaft" 6 months ago. couldent figure out the axel prolbem but the roaring vibration was gone. sat morning was driving and hit small bump and there come the noise si i said ummmmm. the other hub went out....... so i replaced it and drove it this morning and damn if its still doing it. idk if the axel prolbem wore out the hub i replaced 6 months ago or what. but the noise is still their. im going to take a closer look and look at the dust seal and c if i can get it to go back in. but for giggles and to answer my overall question...... why is my axel shaft moving up and down and how do i fix it