Axle shaft removal

[IvaTiger]

I have spent quite a few hour studying how to remove the axle shafts including Tiger notes, cat forum and the red 260 manual. I do not need to replace the bearings so surely the hubs don’t need to come off ? If the 4 backing bolts are removed and a slide hammer on the wheel studs will the axle shaft come out leaving the cone outer bearing in the axle tube and the inner bearing comes out attached to the axle shaft ? If I am correct is it still a fight using the slide hammer to get the shaft out and is it the 4 backing bolts that pull the axle back int place when installing the shaft ?

 

[Austin Healer]

I just reversed the brake drum and loosely threaded the lug nuts onto the hub and used the brake drum as a "poor man's" slide hammer... the axle came out pretty easily! I use the same technique on Ford 8/9" axles! the cone will come out with the bearing... if the cone is on the inside, the axle was assembled incorrectly. The shims at the retainer need to contact the cone in order to establish the proper load on the bearing...

Why are you pulling the axles?? w/o removing the hub you can't replace the bearings OR the axle seal. You'd only be able to replace the seal that's in the axle tube. The retainer holding the brake backing plate has a seal as well.

 

[IvaTiger]

I just reversed the brake drum and loosely threaded the lug nuts onto the hub and used the brake drum as a "poor man's" slide hammer... the axle came out pretty easily! I use the same technique on Ford 8/9" axles!

Why are you pulling the axles?? w/o removing the hub you can't replace the bearings OR the axle seal. You'd only be able to replace the seal that's in the axle tube. The retainer holding the brake backing plate has a seal as well.

I need to have the preload adjusted on the differential and to have the crown and pinion gear mesh probably reset I think the axles have to be removed in order to get the pumpkin out in order to put in a new crush washer on the pinion shaft ?

 

[Austin Healer]

yes they do, but there is no pumpkin to remove as the Dana has a rear cover. There are a couple of methods to remove the carrier gear assy... Brute force and a pry bar, or a case spreader... as the Dana is used on a lot of other cars (including Jeep, Dodge and Ford) it shouldn't be an ordeal to find the spreader and do the job correctly. Then it's just a matter of using the special yellow paint on the ring and pinion to make sure the contact patch between the 2 is correct.. Unless the crush washer has been disturbed , it's doubtful that there's anything wrong with it. You can use a dial indicator or a depth gauge to establish where it is at now. The carrier bearings are also shimmed side to side for proper contact with the pinion. If the preload has been wrong for any length of time, you have likely done serious damage to both the ring and pinion.

If it's making a "whirring" sound, that's down to bad bearings. As soon as you get the cover off the axle you will be able to see any obvious damage.

in any event, when you get it all apart, you will be able to determine the condition of the pinion bearing and carrier bearings... I usually farm this out anyway.

I just went through the axle for my Mk2 and replaced both of the axle seals and axle bearings and pinion bearing.. unfortunately, since I live in NE bumfuckistan, the machine shop was unfamiliar with the axles and tried to use a puller instead of a hydraulic press. He broke his puller, bent one hub and managed to mushroom the threads on both axles. Thankfully I have a pal who is a much better machinist and he was able to recut the axle threads and I had a spare hub...

I could have told him how to remove the hubs from the axles, if he'd have bothered to ask...

 

[0neoffive]

yes they do, but there is no pumpkin to remove as the Dana has a rear cover. There are a couple of methods to remove the carrier gear assy... Brute force and a pry bar, or a case spreader... as the Dana is used on a lot of other cars (including Jeep, Dodge and Ford) it shouldn't be an ordeal to find the spreader and do the job correctly. Then it's just a matter of using the special yellow paint on the ring and pinion to make sure the contact patch between the 2 is correct.. Unless the crush washer has been disturbed , it's doubtful that there's anything wrong with it. You can use a dial indicator or a depth gauge to establish where it is at now. The carrier bearings are also shimmed side to side for proper contact with the pinion. If the preload has been wrong for any length of time, you have likely done serious damage to both the ring and pinion.

If it's making a "whirring" sound, that's down to bad bearings. As soon as you get the cover off the axle you will be able to see any obvious damage.

in any event, when you get it all apart, you will be able to determine the condition of the pinion bearing and carrier bearings... I usually farm this out anyway.

I just went through the axle for my Mk2 and replaced both of the axle seals and axle bearings and pinion bearing.. unfortunately, since I live in NE bumfuckistan, the machine shop was unfamiliar with the axles and tried to use a puller instead of a hydraulic press. He broke his puller, bent one hub and managed to mushroom the threads on both axles. Thankfully I have a pal who is a much better machinist and he was able to recut the axle threads and I had a spare hub...

I could have told him how to remove the hubs from the axles, if he'd have bothered to ask...

Over the decades I have had to deal with lots of hub and axle damage as novice "mechanics" & "technicians" run up a billing sheet without being accountable. Time again I will tell people, "if you do not know how to remove that hub, get a bigger wallet first". The worst units will have a replaced Woodruff key that is both too long and lacks the clearance taper . Once the hub has been snugged over that non-taper you might as well have welded the thing to the axle!!