Axle Worries Revised

[Tall T]

About my worn right hub . . .

My deep washer temporary fix worked so that there is no more side to side play at the rear but I think that there might be something nobody mentioned in their help . . . although people did wisely suggest replacing taxle and bearing as well as hub.

When I showed that the hub end splines looked OK, nobody mentioned anything about the condition of the splines at the differential end of the axle,

I can't recall if I mentioned the disconcerting rotational clunky free play coming from the inner end of the axle. So now with the wheel on, when I go to move forward I get a clank/clunk with a short metal screech until the axle is fully engaged. I can eliminate it if I let the clutch out very gently.

So this is what I woke up worried about:
I'm assuming that the inner splines of the axle are totally worn out but do I have other damage in the differential?

Thanks,
Terry

 

[JMOR]

not to say it can't happen, but in the N axles that I have replaced, the differential end splines always looked just fine,

 

[Tall T]

(quoted from post at 10:45:41 06/04/19) not to say it can't happen, but in the N axles that I have replaced, the differential end splines always looked just fine,

JMOR

Ouch!
I usually think the worst and am wrong, but in this case maybe not; i.e., trouble at the diff end.

Got any handy pics of the drive end or suggestions as to the forward and backward slop.

With the wheel (and hub) off and just moving the axle back and forth, I could feel and hear the gritty metallic click of free play.

While wondering about the short screech maybe emanating from a dry bearing, I made sure the gear lube was topped up.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 14:31:09 06/04/19)

(quoted from post at 10:45:41 06/04/19) not to say it can't happen, but in the N axles that I have replaced, the differential end splines always looked just fine,

JMOR

Ouch!
I usually think the worst and am wrong, but in this case maybe not; i.e., trouble at the diff end.

Got any handy pics of the drive end or suggestions as to the forward and backward slop.

With the wheel (and hub) off and just moving the axle back and forth, I could feel and hear the gritty metallic click of free play.

While wondering about the short screech maybe emanating from a dry bearing, I made sure the gear lube was topped up.

Thanks,
Terry

screech" doesn't sound like splines. If the hub slops far enough inward on the axle, the hub can rub and eventually wear into the bearing retainer (observed this recently). Hub/lug bolts/brake drum can also contact brake parts and screech.

 

[Tall T]

It only gives a short screech sometimes and only at the split second the axle fully engages . . . but even so, maybe it is hub rubbing.

But even at the beginning, when I took the hub off, the dry sounding forward and back gritty sounding rotational free play coming from the drive end of the axle was very disconcerting.

Much appreciated,
Terry

 

[JMOR]

probably have to do some disassembly & observation/examination.

 

[Hobo,NC]

You are playing with fire... Put it in the lost column... Back up get some good parts repair it life will be good its not that bad of a job to do to defeat the beast...

 

[Tall T]

(quoted from post at 18:26:05 06/04/19) You are playing with fire... Put it in the lost column... Back up get some good parts repair it life will be good its not that bad of a job to do to defeat the beast...

I didn't create this problem when I modified the reach of the big axle/hub washer . . . that creepy inner free play was already there .

But if you're saying, cease and desist using the beast until I take it apart, I agree wholeheartedly. I decided yesterday after cultivating a small easy garden patch, to park it and not use it anymore.

Thanks for the encouraging at the end.

Problem is if it's not just the inner axle spline, I don't know what part to look for until I pull the trumpet.
. . . are all differential parts still available?.

T

 

[Jacobsen1450]

My 8N has sorta the same issue. My axles are fairly new but the hub has alot more wiggle room than the one on other side.

There is also a faint screeching sound on that side when im going at high speeds.

I suppose the bearing could be worn but it was not doing it before I replaced seals.

As for the axle nut. If I have 1.5 foot long breaker bar and I weigh around 100lbs is it possible for me to overtighten it?
Or should I just stand on breaker bar and that would be good enough?

 

[Tall T]

Jacobson,

You wrote:
[color=darkblue:8212453b5e] My 8N has sorta the same issue. My axles are fairly new but the hub has a lot more wiggle room than the one on other side[/color:8212453b5e].

If you are talking about shaking the rear wheel from side to side type of PLAY, and your axle nuts are very tight, then like mine, your axle nut washer has probably gone in as far as it can go and has bottomed out on the axle shoulder at the end of the threads. So no amount of tightening will remove the side play.

[color=darkblue:8212453b5e]There is also a faint screeching sound on that side when I'm going at high speeds. [/color:8212453b5e]

[color=darkblue:8212453b5e]I suppose the bearing could be worn but it was not doing it before I replaced seals.[/color:8212453b5e]

The last time I had to replace a rear bearing on a big station wagon, it had a muted squeal at 10 to 30 MPH and more.
I had a friend ride on the back bumper to determine which side it was.
Is your gear lube level up so that lube gets to the bearings?

[color=darkblue:8212453b5e]As for the axle nut. If I have 1.5 foot long breaker bar and I weigh around 100lbs is it possible for me to over tighten it? Or should I just stand on breaker bar and that would be good enough? [/color:8212453b5e]

No you won't be over tightening it. Don't hurt yourself standing on the breaker bar. I put a short pipe on my flex bar so that I could still have my left hand on the socket.! Without someone keeping the socket square to that shallow nut the socket may slip off. My right rear nut was tight, but it only took my friend a only couple of yanks to loosen it and with no extension on the 3/4" drive bar.

If you put a good keeper on the nut it won't back off so you don't have to go overkill on the torque. I made one out of a piece of 1/8" mild steel gas welding rod. Push the rod through the nut into the groove, heat and bend the rod and wrap it around the annulus of the nut working it into shape with a hammer, and connect it to your first bend then snip off the excess rod.

T

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 11:04:41 06/05/19) My 8N has sorta the same issue. My axles are fairly new but the hub has alot more wiggle room than the one on other side.

There is also a faint screeching sound on that side when im going at high speeds.

I suppose the bearing could be worn but it was not doing it before I replaced seals.

As for the axle nut. If I have 1.5 foot long breaker bar and I weigh around 100lbs is it possible for me to overtighten it?
Or should I just stand on breaker bar and that would be good enough?

hat would be 150 ft-lbs. book calls for 450 ft-lbs.. eat more beans or get longer cheater bar....about 4 1/2 feet.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I use a cheater pipe on my 3/4" ratchet I spec I am in the 3 ft range on the pipe plus a little on the ratchet I stand on it and sort of do a light bounce... I weigh in at 220lb... If the axle and nut are in good shape it handles me if not it gets a new axle and nut... I have never had one I set up with good parts need anymore of my fat asrse ...

That being said I have accumulated that feel by hand are foot when its gonna give in to me...

 

[dkcorbin]

You need to do it right! Get a new hub and likely an axle. Follow the directions for seal replacement and axle adjustment. Anything short of that is a poor and temporary compromise at best. Especially since you should know better in the first place judging from all the time you spend telling everyone else how to do things on this forum.