Rear End Destruction.

[VDOG]

New pictures, not for the faint at heart!!! LOL

I got tired of looking for a rearend or hearing prices that match a brand new Currie rear end. After almost 2 1/2 weeks of hitting my hand with a hammer and old socket extension, using a torch to loosen, breaking a bolt removal tool making it worse on the rear end, I decided to grind and cut the borken bolt and the pin out.
Luckly I have another rear end I can use that I got a couple of years ago.
Enjoy.

[shortbed70]

Damn thats alot of work. What were you going to do?

[OLDIRON69]

I saw your first post about this, you were doing an axle swap right? Man, I was terrified when I did mine a few days after. My donor rear, a '73 or 4 did the same thing to me and had to use a punch and a BFH to get the pin out of it, when it came time to pull my 6 lug axles I was puckered up the whole time taking out that damn bolt! Glad to see you got it out! I'm doing my front disc swap from a '71 in the near future and that I hope will go much smoother. The only thing that I dred is the pressed in lower ball joint! I wish there was a way to do it ON the truck. '69 with 5 lug and front disc/rally wheels in the near future!

[powell72]

I feel your pain, in Dec I had to cut one side of my carrier in HALF so I could get to the spider gear to cut it in half since it was welded to the cross shaft. It took a few hours at the shop I work at, what a nightmare.

[ERASER5]

Originally Posted by OLDIRON69

The only thing that I dred is the pressed in lower ball joint! I wish there was a way to do it ON the truck. '69 with 5 lug and front disc/rally wheels in the near future!

There is a way. It is a ball joint press. It looks like a very large C-clamp with different cups to fit your "pressing" needs. You may be able to rent the press if you have tool rental place. New part prices run from $75 to $200 depending on quality and extra press cups. You will also need an impact gun. Setup is not hard, but holding everything in place until there is a little pressure can be anoying. A third hand is nice as long as that hand knows when to get out of the way. Oh, the press removes ball joints as well as installs them.

[jwalk]

that broken bolt is very common and there is a tool kit that takes it out easy i have had to do it to 3 rear ends i got mine off the snap-on truck it includes a bolt that screws in the hole that is hollow and there is a long drill bit drills right in the center and then easy out comes right for future referance but that does suck

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by olskool59delivery

a bolt that screws in the hole that is hollow and there is a long drill bit drills right in the center and then easy out comes right for future referance but that does suck

That was the problem, I drilled a hole in the broken bolt, then when I tried to remove the bolt with the bolt removal tool, it snaped in 3 pieces leaving a piece in the hole I just drilled. Could not drill that removal tool out.

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by OLDIRON69

I'm doing my front disc swap from a '71 in the near future and that I hope will go much smoother. The only thing that I dred is the pressed in lower ball joint! I wish there was a way to do it ON the truck. '69 with 5 lug and front disc/rally wheels in the near future!

i would much rather do the front disc install again than tackle the back.
Figured working on the back suspension would be easier than the front,..........NOPE!!!!
On the ball joints, I took my lower control arm to the neighborhood auto shop, they pressed mine in for 10.00 each. The hardest part of the front was grinding out the rivets on the upper ball joint.

[Mt Man Chad]

DAM.... Ouch!!!!

Last week swapping out a pair of six lug axles in a posi rear end, I was a bit worried about the retaining bolt after seeing your story.

Mine screwed right out and the center pin slipped out so easy. Too easy compaird to your story.

Sorry It didn't go better for ya!

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by Mt Man Chad

DAM.... Ouch!!!!
Last week swapping out a pair of six lug axles in a posi rear end, I was a bit worried about the retaining bolt after seeing your story.
Mine screwed right out and the center pin slipped out so easy. Too easy compaird to your story.
Sorry It didn't go better for ya!

Thanks MTMan, it was hell. Buying diamond tip drill bits, tittainum bits, and even if it worked, I had to retap the retaining bolt hole, so I just said what the heck. Time to get this part done so I can work on my kitchen.
You know how it is, a project for yourself, 2 projects for the wife. LOL

[OLDIRON69]

Originally Posted by VDOG

i would much rather do the front disc install again than tackle the back.
Figured working on the back suspension would be easier than the front,..........NOPE!!!!
On the ball joints, I took my lower control arm to the neighborhood auto shop, they pressed mine in for 10.00 each. The hardest part of the front was grinding out the rivets on the upper ball joint.

My neighbor has a 40 ton press I can use, I looked at the tool you use to do it on the truck, I can buy all new front end parts for what it costs. I'll be pulling my lower arms!

[Stoney]

ouch

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by VDOG

Luckly I have another rear end I can use that I got a couple of years ago.
Enjoy.

Ok now that I have gotten the axles out and the 4 bolts out that hold the carrier, how do I get the carrier out? All it does is rotate.

[70c10swb]

Thats funny, the pin in my 96 gmc came out with little effort

[sodak69c10]

two words ... holy crap

[mnunn454]

There's normally a little preload on the carrier bearings but once both the carrier bearing caps are off and both the axles are out, just a pry bar (maybe two), should coax it out. Nothing else physical stands in the way of its removal.

[VDOG]

Got the rearend back in, new axles from Summit, truck has been to the Alignment shop and everything is done. Now if I can figure out why my rearend is whinning like a bird!!! I was told that when the gears are not lined up exactly right, then whinning could happen.
Im getting my wheels powder coated black in a few weeks.
My other issue, if you look at the drums, the right side drum skirt sticks out past the backing plate about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch. The left side is almost flush with the backing plate. CPP is sending me another drum.
Cant seem to win.

[mnunn454]

I'd start with the drums to make sure they're the same. Try swapping sides with them to see if the problem moves to the other side. If so, then you'll need at least one drum, but I'd replace both to ensure even braking.

If the problem is independent of the drums, then it sounds like the new axles may not be the same length.

Also, the whining rear end could be a clue. Is everything correctly spaced and adjusted inside the differential?

[RACINJASON22]

Originally Posted by 70c10swb

Thats funny, the pin in my 96 gmc came out with little effort

Isn't that just the way things go. The cross bolt comes out with out being broken when you have a faliure like this.

I have taken a few out with a broken cross bolt and one or two similar to this also Thats why I went to a F^%* rear in the race car. IMO the 9" is the best and one of the only things they did right.

RJ22...

[EFI70Blazer]

Originally Posted by 70c10swb

Thats funny, the pin in my 96 gmc came out with little effort

I did the same thing in my 86 before upgrading to a 14 bolt, except mine broke in more pieces than that. Nothing like big block power and big tires to put a hurtin on parts.

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by mnunn454

If the problem is independent of the drums, then it sounds like the new axles may not be the same length.
Also, the whining rear end could be a clue. Is everything correctly spaced and adjusted inside the differential?

I will check the axles but from what I remember, they were the same size.
Talk to a friend of mine who works on differentals (Shop is a bit away) told me that I probably have to take out a shim. One side has a thick shim while the other side has 3 that are as thick as a sheet of paper. That should fix the noise. Now I have to go and get another diff cover gasket.

[LONGHAIR]

Ok now that I have gotten the axles out and the 4 bolts out that hold the carrier, how do I get the carrier out? All it does is rotate.

What did you put back in there? Since you obviously cut the carrier nearly in half to get the pin out, I assume that it is a new or at least different carrier and the same ring gear? If so, that is definitely your whining problem. The machining tolerances of carriers and axle housings are far greater than those of the ring and pinion. You can't just take a carrier out of one housing and put it in another. The clearence/relationship of the ring and pinion are critical and it is even more important on reinstalling used gears. Plus all of that grinding has introduced the possibility of grit in the works. Cleaning is very important.
If you have driven this thing any kind of distance or at highway speed....you have probably killed it. Unfortunately a gasket is the least of your problems. BTW if you install the gasket dry, or glue it to the cover side, it will come off UN-damaged and be re-usable.

[mnunn454]

Originally Posted by VDOG

Talk to a friend of mine who works on differentals (Shop is a bit away) told me that I probably have to take out a shim. One side has a thick shim while the other side has 3 that are as thick as a sheet of paper. That should fix the noise. Now I have to go and get another diff cover gasket.

This is worrying me a bit. Are you saying you paid no attention to keeping the carrier side shims organized when you took it apart and they may not be put back in the same place as they were before?

The Ring gear needs to be positioned within a few thousandths of an inch of the factory position. It took me 4 tries and about 20 hours of work to get mine right. If you've got yours out of line far enough to be causing that brake drum clearance issue, then you've got major problems with respect to ring gear alignment. No wonder the rear end is screaming.

One more question. Are you sure you put the same series carrier back into that rear end as the one you took out in pieces?

No matter, suggest strongly you get your friend to come over to your place and work on it. Don't attempt to drive it over there or it'll be garbage when you get there if it isn't already.

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

I assume that it is a new or at least different carrier and the same ring gear? If so, that is definitely your whining problem. The machining tolerances of carriers and axle housings are far greater than those of the ring and pinion. You can't just take a carrier out of one housing and put it in another. BTW if you install the gasket dry, or glue it to the cover side, it will come off UN-damaged and be re-usable.

Yes I took a carrier out of another C-10 (A 6 cyl truck) a few years ago and I was told that I needed the pinion to go with the ring. So the carrier just sat in my garage for years. When this problem happen, I removed my ring and installed it on the other carrier. Did not get the shims from the 6 cyl truck because I did not know I needed them. Would have been better off taking the whole 6cyl rearend wheels and all.

[VDOG]

Originally Posted by mnunn454

This is worrying me a bit. Are you saying you paid no attention to keeping the carrier side shims organized when you took it apart and they may not be put back in the same place as they were before? If you've got yours out of line far enough to be causing that brake drum clearance issue, then you've got major problems with respect to ring gear alignment. No wonder the rear end is screaming. One more question. Are you sure you put the same series carrier back into that rear end as the one you took out in pieces?

My original shims, one side would slide in no problem, the other side was too thick. Thus my reasoning for a shim kit. I checked the numbers on both carriers and they match. I did have an aligment problem which I why I thought I needed a shims. With it being the same ring and pinion could a simple adjustment be the cure all to my noise problem?