10 and 12 bolt axle bearing failure cause!

[eagle mark]

Found this on a B body forum but it could very well be the problem to axle bearing failure in our trucks too!

My 1990 Suburban has needed axles and bearings for awhile because of the wrong gasket installed at factory! I have been overfilling the rear diff for a couple years to lubracate axle bearings and only use the truck around town anymore. Now that I have a 12 bolt rebuilt and ready to install in place of the 10 bolt I found the article above (got a B body too) sure enough, wrong gasket!

So when you service or repair your rear axle make sure you have the correct gasket that does not cover the holes!

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showpost.php?p=2200154&postcount=9

 

[sweetk30]

sounds almost like people using WAY to much rtv on covers and full float axle hub flanges and filling the holes up so much thay brake off a bolt or rip the threads out cause the rtv makes a stop inside the bolt cant get past.

i have even seen a rear full float hub with a blown out bolt hole section to the inside of the hub.

this is why i always run a tap in the holes to remove all the rtv i cant get out with a pic.

fyi i just scrapped 2 14ff axles and 1 had a hub with 2 helicoils and 1 stripped out hole for the full float axle to hub . some of the rtv i pulled from the holes was almost 1/2" long no wounder the threads get ripped out of the hubs.

 

[eagle mark]

I don't think the holes that need to be open have threads! The wrong gasket covers the holes! Of course RTV would do the same. But those holes need to have an opening in gasket to flow oil...

 

[GalDemSuga]

hell i dont use the gaskets as they leak way too early. i am sure not to cover those holes that lube the bearing with rtv. good info to have still

 

[eagle mark]

Yup! I'm used to thick covers on Dana 44/60 front, no lube holes and 14 bolt rear, not sure? off roaders and use RTV black, never have leaks even after bashing the hell out of them. Gaskets let the thick covers move and they leak. GLUE them together and never a leak. But after reading that thread I will have to rethink and look hard for lube holes.

 

[tRustyK5]

I always thought those were "spreader" holes for using a case spreader...

 

[eagle mark]

I think they are on Dana 44! But lube holes on 10 and 12 bolt...

 

[smier]

Thanks for the info, now I'm wondering if I'm not the cause of my current problems... I hate learning things the hard way.