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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / 1946-48 Rear Axle Seal Replacement

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Discussion Topic: 1946-48 Rear Axle Seal Replacement

51woodie

07-10-2022 @ 4:22 AM

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Posts: 526
Joined: Jan 2017

Chris,
There are a lot of good suggestions here. The bearing grease that is highly recommended by some, is Sta-Lube 3131, available at NAPA. https://www.napaonline.com/en/search?text=SL3131&referer=v2

The wheel hub puller from Vintage Precision Inc. is excellent.
http://vintageprecision.com/products/hub_pullers/index.html

The torque on the axle nut is 200 ft/lbs. It is important that the axle shaft taper and the inside of the hub are clean of any lube.
When you have the hubs off, check the underside of the axle end where the wheel bearing rides. It should be smooth, but a very slight bit of pitting will be okay. If you are not sure, post a good clear picture here, and you will get good advice on the issue.

supereal

07-08-2022 @ 1:06 PM

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Unless there is a problem with the rear axle, it does not need to be removed and disassembled. That requires experience beyond the usual old car owner. The rear wheel bearings are serviced by removing the hubs using a puller designed for the task. Don't forget to back off the brake shoes to allow the hub assembly to be removed after removing the cotter key that secures the nut holding the hub to the axle. With the inside of the hub facing upward, locate and remove the large snap ring
that holds
the seal in place. Pry the seal out, and remove the bearing. Clear out any remaining grease inside the hub and pack it with new grease. Use only the grease designed for the task. It is available at most parts places, and should be labeled as
"heavy duty wheel bearing grease". Pack the bearing until it is filled with the grease. Place a new seal over the hub and bearing gently and tap it into place with the lip of the seal facing the inside of the hub. We use a plastic pipe coupling from a "home center"that fits over the seal and allows driving it until it is past the snap ring groove. Insert the ring, and be sure it is in the groove all the way around. Lube the seal surface with a bit of the bearing grease. Turn the hub up and remove any remnants
of the old seal, which looks like a washer. Place it over the end of the axle and secure it in place with the large nut and washer. Tighten the nut securely. We mark the end of the axle to show the position of the cotter hole. Tighten the big nut until it can't be turned further. This seats the hub on the taper of the axle. Turn the nut only far enough back to allow the
cotter pin to be full inserted (that is why we mark the end of the axle) and be secured.

37RAGTOPMAN

07-04-2022 @ 11:46 AM

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THIS is NOT a EASY JOB
I would advise you to get a shop manual and study it, before attemping
you need to pull the rear end out and split it,
you will need to disconnect the rear spring, use a spring spreader. for safety.
the axle seals are installed from inside to outside,
you need mount the axle tube so you can take it apart, and make adjustments,
There will most likely more worn parts as you take it apart,
check the rear end ratio, you might want to use a 354-1 ratio for better highway travel and gas milage
I would check the rear end oil and make sure it is at the correct level and not to high and and not to thin, like someone might have installed the wrong weight oil ? which will leak out easier then thicker oil lile 80-90 wieght

hope this helps, 37Ragtopman Maine

kubes40

07-04-2022 @ 11:27 AM

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Chris, that tool you refer to is well worth the cost. Simple to use and well worth the investment.
As far as gasket thickness goes... are you having any issues with the differential? Whining? If not, measure the existing gaskets very accurately and replace them with identical thickness (new) gaskets).

Mike "Kube" Kubarth

47fordor

07-04-2022 @ 10:51 AM

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Ok, I think I've half-way found an answer to one of my questions, via the shop manual. The manual says to adjust ring gear backlash by checking with a dial indicator using different thicknesses of axle housing gaskets (sounds easy enough). Am I missing something here?

Chris

47fordor

07-04-2022 @ 10:18 AM

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You tube seems to have videos on how to do ANYTHING, unless it's something that I need to do! When I removed the rear hubs on my '48 Ford (car), I found my wheel bearings were well lubricated with axle oil. Considering the fact that the manual says to pack them in grease, I think it's a fair assumption that the 74 year old axle seals have seen better days. I know a guy that could fix it for me, but he has a 6-month waiting list and I'd really like to have my car back on it's "feet" before then. We all know that there is no worse feeling, on our old Fords, than to start a do-it-yourself project, only to have to admit later that you are in over your head or, worse, cause further damage because you overlooked something. Questions:

1. I've been told that assembly of these rear ends can be tricky but how deep do you have to go before the tricky part begins? You obviously have to remove the "trumpets" and axles but I don't see any possible adjustments required for reassembly, as long as you don't go any further than that (new gaskets is obviously a no-brainer). Am I overlooking something here?

2. Has anybody had good luck with an inexpensive tool to install the seals? Given that I will likely only use it a couple of times, ever, I really don't want to invest in an antique "correct" tool but, given where they are, I don't see installing them with a typical seal installer.

Chris

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