Opinions requested (1 Viewer)

[rusty_tlc]

Here is the situation:
My rear differential has severe leakage. I have identified the problem as the differential side bolts.
These should actually be studs but after dragging the diff over a few trails the nuts are a lot harder to remove than bolts. At any rate the threads on the axle are so worn that I cannot tighten the differential anough to keep the oil in.

Option 1:
Drill and tap to a larger size bolt. Doing this on the truck sounds like about as much fun as sticking needles in my eye. If I have to remove the axle from the truck.......

Option 2:
Ditch the old axle and transplant all my goodies into a less well used axle. The biggest hurdle here is moving the anti wrap bar which needs to be re-engineered anyway. It also opens the door to a rear disc brake upgrade. I think I can find a doaner axle pretty easy.

Option 3:
JB weld studs into the axle. Ghetto, but the fastest way back on the trail.

Option 4:
???????? Completely open to other suggestions.

 

[Krusty Krab]

I say JB Weld it (if that would work) and maybe tack weld it a couple of spots(?) and lets hit the trails. I carry a grinder now. You could source a new housing somewhere and start working on the disc brake mod. This fall and winter you'll have your shop all set up and you can just swap out the guts to your new housing at your leisure. Actually, having just done that, and screwed it up, it is a filthy hard job that Dean had to finish for me cause I couldn't get the pin out of the ARB to pull the axles. So drilling the holes out and tapping them may also be a way to go. OK I'm rambling. Let's get back on the trail!

 

[rusty_tlc]

Had a brain storm (fart) today. I am going to contact the Henkel regional sales rep about some good thread locker, they own Loktite now. I buy all kinds of other crap from them he may have something that will work.

 

[WILLD420]

Do you mean the bolts around the removable chunk that holds everything to the housing?

JB weld doesn't like shock loading in a movable assembly.

I have a torch, we can cut your anti wrap off pretty quick.

If you pull the center section out, drilling and tapping for bigger studs is easy. Have you considered a T-bolt like Ford 9" uses? They just press into the housing and cannot turn due to the t-shaped head.

 

[WILLD420]

9 Inch Ford Rearend Axle Housing 3rd Member Carrier Studs

Housing studs and ring gear bolts complete the package for your racing or street use 9" Ford axle. Side bell thru bolts torque to 40-45 lbs. Knurl diameter .398-.403 "

www.speedwaymotors.com

 

[RAYJON]

I have a housing you can have... came from Lee its in the car garden... swap your 3rd and axles... while its apart we can plate the bottom...if you supply lunch/liquid refreshments we can do it here with the forklift... might be a good day for a bbq/club mtg...aka cheep labor..

 

[WILLD420]

Whoa....who said I'm cheap?? Easy, yes.. but my rental rates are going up daily as I get lazier.

 

[RAYJON]

Lol.. mine is isnt lazy its how much i hurt from what i did yesterday that i shouldnt have.. brain still young body not so much....

 

[WILLD420]

Beginning to understand why old people drink themselves to sleep at night. Half alcoholism, half anasthetic.

 

[Krusty Krab]

So what did you decide Rusty? I think at one time we had talked about the option to drill all the way through and bolt it. Would that even work?

 

[lelandEOD]

I see Ray already beat me to it. I put a -40 axle in Ray's Parts Garden for just this reason...

 

[WILLD420]

Shouldn’t be too bad, except he’s in the middle of building a house and working a full time job...