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'59 American rear axle/hub replacement

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pwreimers View Drop Down
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    Posted: Sep/04/2013 at 12:15pm
I have the few things assembled to finish the repair, mostly a break from the 100 degree heat; now it's mid to low 90s and my old body is okay with that.

I have a new axle and a used hub, total cost about $150 (including 2 used hubs, thanks RASelkirk!!)  I thought I'd begin a log of the project, as this procedure is not recommended by many. With a used, matched set, axle/hub costing close to $500 this approach must be considered as a prospect, and I know that at least one other has done this with 20-year success.

The inner seal and bearing are installed, with the new axle and the used hub on, splines aligned and nut at about 30 ft-lbs, temporarily. I plan to remove the hub, clean the hub/axle splines with lab grade isopropyl, air dry, use red loctite, and do the final install when I'm confident and prepared. While the loctite may do nothing it can't hurt; I figure that it might be best to get the hub on and tighten it MORE than the torque spec (250 ft-lbs) hoping to cut the hub splines a bit deeper to match this hub to this axle.

This means a 3/4" breaker bar with a good extender. I weigh just about 200, so getting over 300 ft-lbs is my minimum torque goal.

Questions, ideas and observations:
1. My 1958 TSM (Rear Axle Propeller Shaft, p 13) has this under Completing Assembly:
  • "Fill the axle with specified hypoid lubricant...Inspect the housing vent; a closed vent...The vent is a small drilled hole, located on a horizontal centerline a the rear side of the left axle tube; adjacent to the spring mounting."
Does this mean lubricant fills the tube between the differential and the bearing inner seal? Does fluid from the differential fill plug get into the tube, too?
  • A "blow-off hole is also located to the rear at each end of the axle tube to bleed off excess bearing lubricant. It will aid in..."
I noted a hole in the top of the axle tubing, right behind the 4-bolt mounting flange. It had a button-topped pin I had to tap out to remove the bearing (? or seal) and install the new ones. I tapped it back afterwards. QUESTION: should this pin be removed altogether? It would open up and expose all the grease to the elements as the hole is at the top of the tube.

2. Right now, the transmission will not hold the car in Park. This is a separate repair that a shop will have to fix next. I figure I must rely on wheel chocks to hold the car "still" while tightening the axle wheel nut. I'll do them both, right and left sides, as recommended by tomj. The parking break may help some, but this is a lot of torque. Since I have the differential cover off, is there anything I can do to safely lock up the differential (or the propeller shaft) to help keep the car still? I don't want to stress anything, of course.

3. TSM (same page) "To facilitate installation install two thrust washers with lubriplate between them; install the nut..." How do I interpret this? I can't see torquing the nut with two washers, then removing them to install only one washer; but that may be the intent. Help!!!


If there are folks with any tips, guides, etc. to help this have a good chance of success, please let me know. Thank you!

Regards,
Pete







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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Wrambler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/04/2013 at 3:38pm
I had a loose ujoint cap in our XJ. I peened it in several areas and applied a locktite compound.
There is a list of compounds and what temp and what application they work best in. You may want to take a peak at it before using basic locktite Red.
  the list is on the companies website and I believe I ordered it from either Advance auto or Summit racing and had it overnight with no problem at all.

The loctite I used on the ujoint cap has been in place over 2 years now and it has not moved a bit.
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pwreimers View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pwreimers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/02/2013 at 11:50am
Originally posted by pwreimers pwreimers wrote:


The inner seal and bearing are installed, with the new axle and the used hub on, splines aligned and nut at about 30 ft-lbs, temporarily. I plan to remove the hub, clean the hub/axle splines with lab grade isopropyl, air dry, use red loctite, and do the final install when I'm confident and prepared. While the loctite may do nothing it can't hurt; I figure that it might be best to get the hub on and tighten it MORE than the torque spec (250 ft-lbs) hoping to cut the hub splines a bit deeper to match this hub to this axle.


I opted to not use loctite. I can't see it's value; there is no way it can help the spline interface. If the splines give up due to abnormal torque impacts, this plastic film will be worthless. The metal does the work.

What I can understand is the idea to torque the used hub onto the new axle MORE than the original, such that the splines cut just a bit deeper into the hub. To this end, and while researching losses in nut torque (VERY interesting), I cleaned the splines as above, and rubbed in a dry graphite/molybdenum disulphide mixture on the axle and hub splines and onto the non-splined taper (this does absolutely nothing but please me; it's contribution to lessening torque losses is less than .01% of the total losses).

Previously, I purchased two 7/8" washers and sanded one face of each flat using #600 wet/dry sandpaper using isopropyl as the wetting agent.

After putting the hub onto the axle, I placed the two washers with flat faces touching each other and lubricated with more dry graphite/MoS2 on their faces. Also, the thread forms of the castellated nut and the axle were lubricated with the same. The idea is this: when the nut is torqued down, these friction losses occur: the nut/washer interface and the thread forms. Losses there reduce the  torque that can be used to stretch the axial length of the axle, which is used to force the hub onto the axle splines. This answered the third item on my original list.

Reference: http://www.repairengineering.com/bolt-torque-chart.html

The nut will strip before the axle and I'd bet that nut is grade 8 or better. This means I can't torque more than 600 ft-lbs before getting into trouble. I decided that my target was 400, torqued the nut down using the two washers, removed them, put on the castellated nut, torqued it to 400, then more to get the cotter pin in, per TSM.

Since I have a transmission that does not hold the car while in park, I know there is an additional problem and since there was an intermittent, violent, reverse engagement, the car will next go to the shop for a look-see. I did drive it just a bit and all the gears are functional, so that's encouraging.

After I get the car back, I'll know more about how this repair performs and will update as appropriate.

I  hope this helps future users,
Pete


Edited by pwreimers - Oct/02/2013 at 7:14pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pwreimers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/25/2013 at 4:25pm
The experiment is a success. Using a new axle and a used hub works fine. If there is a failure down the road, I'll make a note here.

The transmission 'park failure' was a little part (Lift Lever, 315 1166), $30, that required four hours labor to find and replace. So, not too bad.

The theory proposed by the transmission mechanic is to avoid placing the transmission in reverse if the carb is still in 'high idle' mode. First gear is half the pressure of reverse and more safe to engage if the motor is cold and the carb is in high idle.

I'm very happy to have the American back on the road.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RASelkirk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/25/2013 at 8:06pm
Originally posted by pwreimers pwreimers wrote:

The experiment is a success. Using a new axle and a used hub works fine. If there is a failure down the road, I'll make a note here.

The transmission 'park failure' was a little part (Lift Lever, 315 1166), $30, that required four hours labor to find and replace. So, not too bad.

The theory proposed by the transmission mechanic is to avoid placing the transmission in reverse if the carb is still in 'high idle' mode. First gear is half the pressure of reverse and more safe to engage if the motor is cold and the carb is in high idle.

I'm very happy to have the American back on the road.


Glad you got it sorted out!

Russ
'63 American 220 Sedan (under re-construction)
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