Rear Axle Check?

[bozkm]

Hello,
Its time to dive into my project of replacing my rear diff, with the one on my parts car. Seems fairly straight forward, remove lower control arms, shocks, panhard, brake cables, then drive shaft/bracket. My question is, while the diff is still in the parts car, is there anything I can do to see if it is good..as in the bearings and such. The axle bearings in my current one seem OK, but it has a loud hum while driving. Mechanic says it sounds like it is coming from inside the pumpkin area.

[nobody]

Kevin, Start with jacking up just one side and the tranny in gear to see how much play you have. You also need to check the fluid as most times it is never changed. I have a perfect one here if you want to compare.

[bozkm]

Thanks Dave. That was an easy check, just got in. Using the end of the axle as a guide (the approx 3 inch round circle in the middle of the drum), I made a mark on the top of this circle, the axle will turn about 1/8 inch before it catches. I then went to the diff on my car, this will move about 1/4...so a little more..so far, so good?

Next thing is determining the year, the parts car is a 1970, but it is missing the vent cap..there is a small piece of wire sticking up where its supposed to be, I can grab and move up and down...feels spring loaded. The one on my car is just missing, there is just a hole where its supposed to go. Can these be replaced? Thanks.

[nobody]

Kevin, A 70 has an axle bearing that is no longer made so you might want to reconsider putting that one in. On the other hand once the gears are pulled you can have the 73 I have here to mix and match. At least parts are available for it.

[bozkm]

Yes, I do understand that..but I would have no idea how to replace gears from one to another. That why I was hoping there would be a way to tell if wheel bearings are good in this one or not. It actually looks fairly good from the outside. I guess I could just replace and see, maybe I'll get luckly and its good. Then I just can keep an eye out for another newer style. If anything else, I would just be out my time.

[bozkm]

Got to start this project today..most went OK, but now I'm stuck. How do you get the emergency brake cable out of the brake housing without cutting it? The spring holds it in, but there is a plastic grommet that looks like it holds it on. The only way to get it off looks like to break it...then how do you get a another back on?

Thanks.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Those plastic grommets stay on the cable, when you disconnect the cable from the rear brake lever, the grommet comes out of the hole in the backing plate with the cable. The same size grommets are also in the fittings on the trailing arms and just slide out. I don't remember if there are clips that hold the grommet in the brake housing, but there could be. This is from memory when I replaced the cable with a new one from OGTS a year or so ago. HTH.

[Opelmn70]

Kevin, it sounds like the parts car axle is from a later model. If there is a tube sticking up with a wire up out of it I believe it is a later axle and definately worth keeping.

[Opelmn70]

With regards to the emergency cable, there are "e" clips that hold the plastice grommet in. They can hard to see from the inside of the brake area because of dust and dirt, but they can be removed by a small standard screwdriver. Just out of curiosity, did the parts car axle have the ball or a loop on the end of the cable? This may also tell you which axle you have. Earlier axles had a ball end and later had the loop.
Gerry

[bozkm]

Thanks. So when I take these "e" clips off, the cable and spring will slide out correct? Also, these cables have balls at the end whcih goes on the brake shoes, but i believe my 71 has these same balls on the cable (just verified, yes it does). Thanks.