Rear Axle 60 Dodge Pickup

[Guest Dodge Joe]

I have a 60 dodge pickup that is leaking grease into the brake area. The axle should be as the piot house truck rear axle as far as maintance. Is there any Information on how to remove the bearing and to repack it? Maybe a step by step? I have a shop manual but is vage. There seems to grease everywhere. This is my first Dodge pickup I've owned and is it diffrent!

Thanks

[greg g]

First thing you want to check it the differential vent. If these get plugged, the heat from operation will force the gear lube past the end seals. There is what lookl like the end of a bolt sticking up on the top of the axle. The "head" of this should jiggle about freely. If it is stuck solid and covered in road grime, it will not allow the axle housing to breath. Locat this fitting and give it a good cleaning with some spray type solvent. This will many times stop the blow by at the axle seals. Even if it does however you will still need to get the hubs off and get the backing plates cleaned up. You need a large wheel hub puller and a BFH (big friggin hammer) to do the job. The hub puller is a very stout three legged device that you bolt onto the hub after loosening the lock nut from the axle. The hot tip is to leave the nut on the axle right at the end. This gives the puller a larger surface to work on and keeps the hub from flying across the shop when it breaks free. Then you tighten the puller down against nut/axle end and apply loving ministrations of impact and torque with the BFH. Some times they will pop sometimes they won't. You are dealing with a tapered keyed fitting that will resist to if last gasp. Some folks have suggested that it is easier to do if you soak the nut axle area with a good penetrant for a couple days or weeks, loosen the nut a few turns, then drive the truck aroud the block till you hear the hubs pop. If you use this method, loosen one at a time, then do the other side after the first one pops.

[Merle Coggins]

Once you get the brake drum off, you may want to pull the axle shaft to repack the bearing and replace the seals. You'll need some kind of puller for that too. I've had some success with a large slide hammer puller, but I've also had luck by putting some type of spacers between the backing plate flange and the brake drum then tightening the axle nut to pull out the axle.

If your '60 is indeed the same setup as my Pilot-House you should be able to match up your seals at Napa. Once I got my seals out I took them to my local Napa and they were able to cross reference the numbers and get me new seals. There is an inner seal to keep the axle oil out of the wheel bearings, and an outer seal to keep the wheel bearing grease out of the brakes.

Here's a scan from my service manual.

[Guest Dodge Joe]

Greg, Thanks for the info. I did get the drum off and thought I got most of the grease off. There was a lot grease after I took off the outer seal. and as far as the vent I'll check it.

Merle, Thanks for the photo, The seals I have, but never installed . I've been working on this truck for a year. When I bought it the guy said it was restored.

Again Thanks for all the help

Joe

[Merle Coggins]

"Restored" seems to mean different things to different people.

I am trying to stay away from that word when refering to my truck. It'll be more like "Revived", "Resurected", or just "Returned to operating status".

Good luck with your truck,

Merle

[mikeinkc]

so the 60 truck rears still had the tapered axles?

[Paul Beard]

I believe all MoPars had tapered axles and bolts to mount tires until somwhere in the mid sixties.

[Robert Thornton]

axles I just tried to replace my left rear axle on my 52 b3b with one out of my 53 parts truck. was supprised to find out it would not fit. 52 had corse spline 53 had fine every thing else was the same also found that gas tank bolted on diffrent and could not change. lucky i had got a 48 parts truck it was a match hope this will help someone Robert T.

[Guest Dodge Joe]

Merle, I got the hub off and the brake support off. Now the axle I've never had out. Is the axle hard to take out? Once you get the axle out is there a race to deal with? When you install the axle do you drive it in? As you can see I've not worked on Dodge Diff. that much.

Joe

[Merle Coggins]

Joe,

You will need a puller to get your axle out if it's the same as mine. I have had some luck with a large slide hammer puller. I have also had luck using the brake drum with spacers. If you don't have any puller tools that'll work, use the drum. With the brake assembly removed slide the drum back onto the axle just enough that you can start the nut with a couple of threads (using the washer too). Now measure the distance from the end of the axle tube (between the studs) to the inside surface of the brake drum. Now find some spacers to fill that gap. I had some 3/8 drive deep sockets that worked perfectly. Now fit your spacers and tighten the axle nut. It should pull the axle out. You may need to make two attempts with longer spacers on the second try.

What you are doing is pulling the outer bearing cup (race) out of the axle tube. Once the bearing cup comes free, slide out the axle. You may have noticed some shims between the axle tube and the brake plate. Save these for reassembly. These shims set the bearing preload.

Now that you have the axle out you can clean and repack the bearing. I don't reccomend trying to remove the bearing cone (inner half) from the shaft. Just clean it and repack it.

With the axle out you should be able to get to the inner seal. You may need some type of seal puller to get it out, and you will damage it getting it out. I used a 3 jaw slide hammer puller again. Luckily I didn't damage the numbers and I could cross them to new ones from Napa. The outer seal is in your brake backing plate. This is the one that has been leaking on you. I'll come out easy with a hammer and a drift (punch).

Now just replace the seals with the lips in on both, replace your axle with the regreased bearing, tap the bearing cup back into place with your hammer and drift (brass preferably) and reassemble your brakes. (don't forget those shims) When you reinstall your brake drum be sure to retorque the axle nut and install a cotter pin.

Good luck,

Merle

[Guest Dodge Joe]

Thanks Merle, I will give that a try. I had alot of help on this forum and because of that my Dodge is alot better for it.

Joe