How do you clean the inside of axle tubes? A big ol' pipe cleaner or what? There's a bunch of rust and crap in my Dana 60 front that I want to get out. Thanks. 
CK5
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Cleaning Axle Tubes
- Thread starter B_to_C
- Start date
spearchucker
1/2 ton status
First use a vacuum cleaner with a couple extensions on it to get all the loose stuff out. Then make a home made pipe cleaner using a broom stick handle and a rag to wipe down the inside of the tube. You can also cut a 2" pvc pipe (I think that's the right size) in 1/3's length wise and lay it inside the tube and leave it there. That way when you're out on the trail you can just pull the pvc pipe out and clean it off so when you slide the axle shaft back in it'll be clean.
surpip
1 ton status
I wonder if you could use a chimney sweep for this???
mabye cut the steel bristles down to size with sme wire cutters, thast would get everything out
mabye cut the steel bristles down to size with sme wire cutters, thast would get everything out
mr_clean
1/2 ton status
I used a shotgun cleaning kit. It seemed to work pretty good.
Muddytazz
1 ton status
I made my own tube cleaner out of a flexible wire wheel about 1/2" bigger in diameter than the axle tube, threaded it into a piece of 1/2" steel rod about 4 feet long, mounted it in a drill motor and went to town cleaning after spraying the crap out of the inside with brake kleen. Worked slick 
make one..
We used a large washer welded to a metal rod to scrape crud and roller bearing "logs" out of axle tubes at work..sometimes if we pulled the diff out,we'd use a pressure washer or steam cleaner to give it a good bath...and blow it out with the air hose good...the wire brush/electric drill with an extension rod sounds like a good idea too..
We used a large washer welded to a metal rod to scrape crud and roller bearing "logs" out of axle tubes at work..sometimes if we pulled the diff out,we'd use a pressure washer or steam cleaner to give it a good bath...and blow it out with the air hose good...the wire brush/electric drill with an extension rod sounds like a good idea too..
loafer
1/2 ton status
I use a ski pole with a round basket. The plastic basket is oversized enough so it's a real tight fit in the axle tube and scrapes all the junk and scale off the walls.
BigCountryx
1/2 ton status
Does it hurt anything to just not clean them?
Thanks for all the tips guys 
That's a good question
BigCountryx said:
That's a good question
Dang, lots of complicated solutions for a simple problem. A simple $2 round toilet brush duct taped to the end of an old broom handle does an excellent job of cleaning out axle tubes. 
Use a bit of aerosol engine cleaner as a solvent and swab 'er down.
DON'T use a chimney sweep! The metal will scratch the crap out of everything.
Use a bit of aerosol engine cleaner as a solvent and swab 'er down. DON'T use a chimney sweep! The metal will scratch the crap out of everything.
mr_clean
1/2 ton status
Only problem I see with not cleaning them is when you install an axle, you will most likely scrape up some crud and end up with that in your diff. Of course you could not clean them and do the PVC trick mentioned earlier and be ok.
