FL_Frank
New member
- 110
- 0
- 0
- Location
- Apopka, FL
While working under the deuce, replacing the torque bars and resting between assaults of the sledge hammer on the pickle fork, I noticed a small leak at the base of one of my drums. After pulling off the 2 tires, and wondering if they were that heavy, I pondered how heavy the hub and drum assembly would be. Not wanting to find out, I rolled over the old tranny jack and a few blocks of wood and found it actually made it much easier to remove (no strain at all) and wheel out of the way.
Turned out, it was an axle leak and the bearings were as clean as could be, no grease at all and no damage either from what I can tell. Apparently, axle oil will clean them nicely. From what I can tell, it looks like the brake job it got before leaving the service, they seemed to have forgotten to seal that little piece of cork in place in the key way. It was there, but wasn’t much left of it, so assuming oil ran into that and just crept inward from there.
So, my truck is grounded for a bit longer, but I am so glad I caught this before the bearings heated up and became one with the spindle.
Two pictures - one of the pole setting slide hammer, attached to a 3/4-1" pipe over the pickle fork. It took that level of force (for me) to unseat them, but they yeilded nonetheless. The second is of the mess that I get to clean up, you can see the oil spreading out from the inner bearing race nicely.
Turned out, it was an axle leak and the bearings were as clean as could be, no grease at all and no damage either from what I can tell. Apparently, axle oil will clean them nicely. From what I can tell, it looks like the brake job it got before leaving the service, they seemed to have forgotten to seal that little piece of cork in place in the key way. It was there, but wasn’t much left of it, so assuming oil ran into that and just crept inward from there.
So, my truck is grounded for a bit longer, but I am so glad I caught this before the bearings heated up and became one with the spindle.
Two pictures - one of the pole setting slide hammer, attached to a 3/4-1" pipe over the pickle fork. It took that level of force (for me) to unseat them, but they yeilded nonetheless. The second is of the mess that I get to clean up, you can see the oil spreading out from the inner bearing race nicely.
