While wheeling last night I smell the wonderful smell of gear oil. Look at the drivers side rear and there it is leaking down the tire. Where we live here in FL it’s mostly mud terrain so we had mud and water mixed in dripping as well so didn’t think it was that bad.
I decide to limp home and realize it’s not just the seal when we get some smoke out of the drum assembly. No grinding but definitely a bearing issue.
I think this is odd since I just rebuilt this axle in June and only have 1k miles on it.
We get home and I pull it apart and it seems the inner race, which I didn’t think was used on 1976 models, has slid off the axle and is floating around the shaft. Hence the severe and sudden bearing issue.
Pics:
What would cause the race to slide off the axle while in use?
Am I right in thinking that a previous owner put an earlier model year axle shaft in this?
If so, can I replace the race with a new bearing and hope to be good?
If not, does anyone have the long side semi-float axle for a 1976 available?
I decide to limp home and realize it’s not just the seal when we get some smoke out of the drum assembly. No grinding but definitely a bearing issue.
I think this is odd since I just rebuilt this axle in June and only have 1k miles on it.
We get home and I pull it apart and it seems the inner race, which I didn’t think was used on 1976 models, has slid off the axle and is floating around the shaft. Hence the severe and sudden bearing issue.
Pics:
- race behind bearing laying axle housing
- Axle without the race
- Race
What would cause the race to slide off the axle while in use?
Am I right in thinking that a previous owner put an earlier model year axle shaft in this?
If so, can I replace the race with a new bearing and hope to be good?
If not, does anyone have the long side semi-float axle for a 1976 available?