So...how difficult to change axle seals in a 14 bolt FF?

[BrianDamage]

So...been REALLY broke in the last year...and let my membership here slide...didn't want to, just had to...but I got a little money recently, given to me to finish my one-ton conversion on my 87 K5...I figured it would be a good investment to renew my membership here...being that the site has helped me so much over the years...so prove me right LOL

finishing up my 1 ton conversion...dana 60 up front, 14 boltFF in rear with disk brakes, swapped the 700R4/208 for TH400/205

truck has been sitting for a couple of years now. borrowed space in my father in laws shop and put 4 inch springs up front, ORD shackle flip in rear


buddy came over yesterday and noticed I had gear oil leaking out of the right rear axle...dang thing hasn't even made it to the road yet

I've searched and not finding much info. Do I have to remove the diff cover and fluid in order to change the seal? one friend says I can remove to axle itself without doing that but wasn't sure about the seal, and didn't know if the axle would have both an outer and inner seal, or just the outer...I think it came out of a 87 or 88 cucv

 

[sloth]

You do not need to remove the diff cover. I would jack up the side you're going to work on so it is tilting to the opposite side so you don't lose more gear oil/make a mess.

1. Pull the axle shaft
2. Remove the hub retaining hardware and brake caliper
3. Slide the hub off (watch out that you don't drop the outside bearing)
4. replace the hub seal in the back of the hub

On a related note, if you haven't already changed the fluid, you probably want to pull the cover anyway to make sure everything inside is OK.

-Mike

 

[4X4HIGH]

Is the oil leak coming from the axle itself (where the 8 bolts hold the axle to the wheel hub) or from behind the hub/rotor assembly? If it's just the axle where the 8 bolts are that is an easy fix, just pull the axle and clean both the axle flange and also the mating surface on the wheel hub and install a new gasket using Ultra Black RTV and put it back together. If it's the wheel hub seal then a little harder simply because of more stuff to remove but still easy to do.

Also, a 14ff the outer bearing is trapped and CANNOT fall out.

 

[BrianDamage]

Is the oil leak coming from the axle itself (where the 8 bolts hold the axle to the wheel hub) or from behind the hub/rotor assembly? If it's just the axle where the 8 bolts are that is an easy fix, just pull the axle and clean both the axle flange and also the mating surface on the wheel hub and install a new gasket using Ultra Black RTV and put it back together. If it's the wheel hub seal then a little harder simply because of more stuff to remove but still easy to do.

Also, a 14ff the outer bearing is trapped and CANNOT fall out.

not sure...have to look closer...wasn't really sure what I'm looking for...I bought the axles rebuilt already about 3 or 4 years ago...so I've never tore into one...it's fresh gear oil though..only moved the truck about 50 yards glad to hear that thogh I didn't want to have to do all that over again

 

[sloth]

Sorry about the misinformation, 4X4HIGH is correct. I got my rears mixed up. The 14 bolt outer hub bearing is captive between the outer end of the hub and a snap ring.

It is still the same procedure to get to the hub seal minus worrying about dropping the bearing.

-Mike

 

[Mastiff]

Sorry about the misinformation, 4X4HIGH is correct. I got my rears mixed up. The 14 bolt outer hub bearing is captive between the outer end of the hub and a snap ring.

I know this is an ancient thread, but I'm confused and wondering if my axle was assembled incorrectly. I went to get my drum off today and found that first the axle came out, then a snap ring, then a square pin and nut requiring the special GM tool to remove. Under there was the outer bearing. What holds that in place? I was concerned it would fall out.

This is for a CUCV M1008 by the way.

Also, who makes a disk brake conversion now? I went to the diy4x site and it appears to be gone. Out of business? I'm a little unclear how the disk conversions work, is there a new spindle of some kind that contains the FF bearings?

The CUCV drums are frickin huge!

 

[76zimmer]

the outer bearing is held in place by a raised lip in the hub casting. It is machined for the bearing race to mate up against this raised lip, and then the bearing goes in from the inside of the hub, not the outside. The hub has to come off the spindle to remove the bearings.
I got my disk brake brackets from DIY4X, not sure whats up with their site, but try calling on Monday. Kert or Tracey should be there.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Don't worry, Kert is not out of business, he is having troubles with his server and he will get it resolved on monday if not sooner.

The 14ff has a captured outer bearing meaning that it will not come out until you remove the hub assembly and then the inner bearing, then a snap ring then you can remove the outer bearing and race through the inside of the hub. In order to remove the snap ring though it will require tapping the outer bearing race outward a slight bit in order to remove the snap ring.