Reinstalling Front Axleshafts

[JoeAngelicchio]

I'm doing my front axleshaft u-joints and when pulling the shafts out, along came a ton of grit /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif. What's the trick to reinstall them without pushing all that crap back in and getting it on the shaft? Vacuum it out?? Any other methods?? /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
Thanks
Joe

 

[Shaggy]

I made a tool to scrape out the axle tubes, then once everything was loosened up I jammed in the hose of a shop vac to get the loose stuff out. Just make sure you yank the cover before vacuuming inside of a tube, or else you'll suck grit from the opposite side right into the diff. /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

 

[readymix]

I use a shop vac, or pull the carrier and use a garden hose /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

[ QUOTE ]
use a garden hose /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you nuts?

DON'T EVER OFFER TO HELP ME WORK ON MY TRUCK!

A garden hose, inside a gearcase?

Maybe if it's torn down for rebuild or something, but otherwise, BAD IDEA!!!!!

 

[readymix]

Note that i said "Pull the carrier and use a garden hose"

I did it when i installed my detroit in the D60. You just have to keep the water slow or the dirt could end up around the pinoin. But if done right you can stick the hose in the pumpkin end of the tube and wash out almost all of the dirt.

 

[JoeAngelicchio]

[ QUOTE ]
I made a tool to scrape out the axle tubes

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what I did too. Used a 1 1/2" pulley on the end of a 3' length of 7/16" threaded rod. Worked really good too with 2 edges scraping away. Then I used a long strip of thin cardboard to slide the axleshaft back in to keep any dirt I may of missed off, then pulled the cardboard out when done. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif