Give me you opinion regarding my front axle - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

jeffspower · 04-06-2008, 03:33 AM

Unless you don't plan on keeping it long, I'd spend the money fixing it. The only special tools that are "must haves" are a wheel bearing nut socket, and a upper ball joint spanner socket. Underneath the upper ball joint nut is a threaded preload collar that must be ran down & torqued to specs AFTER the lower joint is tightened. Don't try to back the old one out until you have beat out the ball joint either. Be sure to get new spindle bearing kits- cheap and easy while you are in there. Before sliding the axle shafts back in, make a scraper to go down in the axle tube & drag the debris out- or you will push it into the output seals and end up with seals that leak bad. If there is any sign of oil in the tubes- might as well go further & replace those seals. But that means pulling the diff.

It can easily turn into a long days work, but worth it if she's a keeper

Jtrux · 04-06-2008, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffspower

Unless you don't plan on keeping it long, I'd spend the money fixing it. The only special tools that are "must haves" are a wheel bearing nut socket, and a upper ball joint spanner socket. Underneath the upper ball joint nut is a threaded preload collar that must be ran down & torqued to specs AFTER the lower joint is tightened. Don't try to back the old one out until you have beat out the ball joint either. Be sure to get new spindle bearing kits- cheap and easy while you are in there. Before sliding the axle shafts back in, make a scraper to go down in the axle tube & drag the debris out- or you will push it into the output seals and end up with seals that leak bad. If there is any sign of oil in the tubes- might as well go further & replace those seals. But that means pulling the diff.

It can easily turn into a long days work, but worth it if she's a keeper

Yeah we had to get those special sockets when Critter did his. I do remember that the order they are torqued is very important, do it in the wrong order and it will be SUPER tight and not move so do it in the right order.

View Poll Results: How should I take care of my axle situation?
Yank and replace with buddy's 3/4 ton axle	4	16.00%
Put in new ball joints, good skill to learn anyway	21	84.00%
Stop being a whimp, step up to Rockwell axles (Just Kidding)	0	0%
Voters: 25. You may not vote on this poll

04-06-2008, 03:33 AM	#1
jeffspower Well, Whoop-dee-do! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Easton, Mo. pop.- me & scarcely a few others Posts: 2,302	Re: Give me you opinion regarding my front axle Unless you don't plan on keeping it long, I'd spend the money fixing it. The only special tools that are "must haves" are a wheel bearing nut socket, and a upper ball joint spanner socket. Underneath the upper ball joint nut is a threaded preload collar that must be ran down & torqued to specs AFTER the lower joint is tightened. Don't try to back the old one out until you have beat out the ball joint either. Be sure to get new spindle bearing kits- cheap and easy while you are in there. Before sliding the axle shafts back in, make a scraper to go down in the axle tube & drag the debris out- or you will push it into the output seals and end up with seals that leak bad. If there is any sign of oil in the tubes- might as well go further & replace those seals. But that means pulling the diff. It can easily turn into a long days work, but worth it if she's a keeper __________________ '68 GMC shortbox 4x4 350/SM465/T221- bought it in '83 SOLD '72 K20 500 Cad/TH400/NP205 SOLD '92 Chevy 2500 6.5 mech TD 4L80E crusty daily driver '72 Monte Carlo... sweet low mile toy '11 Dodge Challenger IE 392 6spd... midlife car



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