Damned if you do........Damned if you don't.......

[Hoserman]

Cool. I do wish you safe trip and lots of fun dog downing.

 

[Yooper]

I changed a thermostat and fan hub in a motel parking lot during a prairie dog hunt several years ago. Dang if it wasn’t on a Dodge too! Doubt I would tackle a differential though.

An old timer at our sportsman’s club likes to say prairie dog hunting is the most fun you can have with your pants on. I tend to agree. Good luck on your trip and as the farmers say “shoot em all!”

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I probably did not word things well in the beginning, but this happened in June-August, so here is my story fellas…And from looking at my phones pic data, it's gonna be multi-day post with lots of pics, so be "for-warned", this will not be a post you, if you are on a "data diet".


So there I am not too long after crossing the border from Minnesota to South Dakota, about 800'ish miles into the trip. I decide to stop a some Taco Joint that I saw a sign for (Taco Joes or Johns????)

So when I fire up the truck, about 4 seconds later, I hear a "ding-ding" and the red "Check Engine" light pops on.....NOT good.....

After scanning the gauges, I see the alternator only putting out 10'ish volts....

M________________R. $%$%%^&&**** SUM-BITCH


I pop the hood to make sure the bearing hasn't failed and it hadn't, so I figure both batteries will get me probably a few hours down the road if I "conserve juice".

And Scenic SD is only a few hours away, so I am thinking I might be able to make it.

So I turn everything off........Including the A/C (F__K)

(This happened once before and I made it 1.5 hours homes, so I have at least that long....I hope...)

After some "back and forth" with my wife, she starts calling ahead and after about a 1/2 hour, she finally finds a NAPA store that has my alternator.........for 500 dollars......in a place called Phillip, SD which is about another 60-70 miles away


I call the guy up and he warns me to not try and make it to Scenic SD, as there is nothing there (Great advice too.....there is actually NOTHING in Scenic SD....I mean NOTHING)

.........He gives me directions to Phillp, and I ask hime if they "sell tools" and he assures me they do......So maybe I am not as far up "Shits Creek" as I think....

Low an behold the NAPA store is connected to a small shop.

I buy the alternator and I ask him if they will put it on for me, and he says "sure"........

As I am standing there, talking with the guy, 2 "kids" start working on it.

I am trying to make "small talk" with this fella, but keeping my "ears open" as to what is going on behind me.

When I hear "Kid 1" say to "Kid 2".....".So we gotta take this belt off first......"


I could not stop myself.....It was a instinctive reaction, I immediately spun around and "NO SIR......no one is removing that belt... there is no need to...let me show you how to save yourself 25 minutes of labor that you can bill the "customer" for......"

I then commence to walk over and explain/show them how to use a set of locking needle nose to clamp the belt after you loosen it, so that it will not fall off, then you can R@R the alternator and not have to figure out how to re-route the belt afterwards......

So after I get the alternator on, I start talking with these guys and we get to talking about Prairie dog shooting, and after about 1.5 hours I am on my way again.

Very nice people in Phillp SD for sure!!!!


Long story short.........I made it there and back with no "axle problems" and it sounded just like it did when I left

The “Ole Dodge” did not let me down, even though looking back, it was kinda risky.



Now it’s time to fix her up.

I have/had a feeling the noise was coming from the front axle, however, I have been fooled before.

Those noises can travel, and have made a fool of me more than one time, that’s for sure.

I decide that since it has nearly 300K on it, and 2 really bad rear axle seal leaks, AND a rear pinion seal leak,

Here are some "before pics"

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Basically, it’s a “mess” under there……The pics don’t tell the real story though….It’s pretty wet down there, and it finally need to be addressed.

It’s probably time to “Freshen her up” and replace all the bearings and seals at minimum.


I already know that the front has “something” going wrong so, I reason that before I tear into the front, I should do the rear.

Mostly cause I need/want a “victory” before tearing into a “known problem”.

It’s been at least 20 years since I last did an “axle job”, so I kinda want to “refresh my memory” on a “probably good axle”…At least that’s my thinking….

I also want to “spread out” the Visa bill for these repairs over 2 billing cycles……..

So I break out the impacts, and start tearing her apart.

I have not “thought about it” in a long while, However; it turns out that, back then, when you “checked the Diesel box' on the order form, it automagically came with the BIG 1 ton axle, the 11.5 AAM.....Even on the 2500's......

It may not look like it from the pics, but that's one heavy MF'r........At least it is now for my old broken down ass........(Man I must'a been a strong SOB back in the day, I don't remember them being nearly this heavy....)

One thing I did like about the AAM axles were the use of those "adjustable carrier bearing adjusters" Vs. using shims..........(But there are caveats to this, as we will find out soon.........)

Ok, well now I inspect the races.

All in all,

Every thing looks good really…..I am pleasantly surprised.


Now to remove those bearings.

I grab the "bearing puller" that was supposed to fit an 11.5 AAM.....And while it does "technically" kinda fit. I need to do some mods to help it work.

So some "judicious usage" of the grinder and a few minutes later, BAM.....She fits nice and snug now

But of course, as per normal, when God opens one door, he smacks you in the head with a window....LOL


The "spacer" is not quite long enough, so matter how it is adjusted.

Well this is easily enough remedied........TO THE LATHE SIR!!!!!!!

all I need is a small spacer, so I did through the scrap pile and find this little orphan, and decide that it will be the perfect use for an otherwise useless piece of "welding practice"

Then a few seconds on the lathe

 

[BBFarmer]

Basically, it’s a “mess” under there……The pics don’t tell the real story though….It’s pretty wet down there, and it finally need to be addressed.

It’s probably time to “Freshen her up” and replace all the bearings and seals at minimum.


I already know that the front has “something” going wrong so, I reason that before I tear into the front, I should do the rear.

Mostly cause I need/want a “victory” before tearing into a “known problem”.

It’s been at least 20 years since I last did an “axle job”, so I kinda want to “refresh my memory” on a “probably good axle”…At least that’s my thinking….

I also want to “spread out” the Visa bill for these repairs over 2 billing cycles……..

So I break out the impacts, and start tearing her apart.

I have not “thought about it” in a long while, However; it turns out that, back then, when you “checked the Diesel box' on the order form, it automagically came with the BIG 1 ton axle, the 11.5 AAM.....Even on the 2500's......

It may not look like it from the pics, but that's one heavy MF'r........At least it is now for my old broken down ass........(Man I must'a been a strong SOB back in the day, I don't remember them being nearly this heavy....)

View attachment 160661


One thing I did like about the AAM axles were the use of those "adjustable carrier bearing adjusters" Vs. using shims..........(But there are caveats to this, as we will find out soon.........)



View attachment 160662

Ok, well now I inspect the races.


View attachment 160663


View attachment 160664



View attachment 160665



All in all,

Every thing looks good really…..I am pleasantly surprised.


Now to remove those bearings.

I grab the "bearing puller" that was supposed to fit an 11.5 AAM.....And while it does "technically" kinda fit. I need to do some mods to help it work.
View attachment 160666


So some "judicious usage" of the grinder and a few minutes later, BAM.....She fits nice and snug now

View attachment 160667


But of course, as per normal, when God opens one door, he smacks you in the head with a window....LOL


The "spacer" is not quite long enough, so matter how it is adjusted.


View attachment 160668



Well this is easily enough remedied........TO THE LATHE SIR!!!!!!!

all I need is a small spacer, so I did through the scrap pile and find this little orphan, and decide that it will be the perfect use for an otherwise useless piece of "welding practice"



View attachment 160669


Then a few seconds on the lathe

View attachment 160670

Glad she's going your way sir.

Them races don't look too shabby either.

You gonna pull the pinion while your there or is she good?

For the first time in literally 15 years I walked into a parts store today, just for some oil and a filter (which was $55 btw) for one of the ole lady's odysseys.

Man did I feel weird LOL.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Perfecto.....................

It works great, so in "no time flat' I have those bearing off.




Now for the pinion.

Hmmmmmm......Now where did I put that tool that I used to use to hold those big ass pinions on the 11.5's ?????

Damn......another tool that must have fallen into the Abyss of Time.........

Do I have to shell out more money, and wait 2-3 days, for a tool that will be used once.....DAMN IT!!!

Wait....hold the phone.........An idea pops into my head.

I can just cut one out on the CNC Plasma cutter........So I take a few measurements, then jump on the computer, and a few minutes later.......TaaDaa!!!!!

Now "TO THE BATCAVE!!!!!"


( it also appears that I have finally found a "good use" for those weights I bought to "get into shape" with )

and about 25 seconds later.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Now I use the bearing puller in a "rather un-conventional" way.

I used a variety of my pullers/slide hammers, then I was just trying to "beat it" with the nut on to protect the threads, using my "Flintstone hammer" but I was getting a bad feeling, so I stopped to think it through a little better.

Then I figured that I could incorporate the new "Pinion tool" and use the "socket hole" in the center with the bearing puller.

And by shear luck, it fits.

In the pic below there is also a "collar" underneath the "pinion tool".

I did end up "dinging" a 1 or 2 threads, but I am confident I will be able to "file them" to make them work.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Somewhere along the line, I clean and inspected the ring and pinion, and I think it looks pretty darn good, so I decide not to replace them.

This of course has the advantage of not having to worry too much about pinion depth problems.

So I use the old pinion shim, and now I stack a variety of old races and other odds, and ends I find laying around.....

It looks sort of like something in a Dr. Suess book.....but hey, it works.

I also put an "expansion slice" in that bottom race, just so it did not 'get stuck" and have to beat it off.....(Hahah he said "beat it off")

In Like Flynn.......(whatever that means)

I also used solvent and some scotch brite to clean up the pinion sealing surface and inspect it for a "wear groove"

Looks good to me.

 

[RCW]

I'm the first to admit I've never torn a differential apart.

Or better yet, put one together. They seem to part science, and part "intuition" to me.

Appreciate your documentation and commentary.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I'm the first to admit I've never torn a differential apart.

Or better yet, put one together. They seem to part science, and part "intuition" to me.

Appreciate your documentation and commentary.

Thank you sir.

I would agree there are certain things that are kind of kind of "a feel", especially if a person tries to " read a pattern" using that marking compound.

Marking compound is/was akin to reading "tea leaves" or "bones" to me. I am sure there are people that can do it, but I never really could.

As you will see, I am a "numbers guy". I personally just set things up according to the "book" and make sure the numbers are on the "tight side", then let it fly.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

OK, well its "D_Day" so to speak.

Gonna slap her back together, and wish/hope/pray that I get it right.

I suppose that a little "aside" is in order here:

Aside:

After some reflection, it appears that, much of my "specialty tooling" was/could have been Dealership "shop owned tools". (At least more than I thought anyways.......)

I do remember a "station" being set up, and between my tooling and the shops tooling, the lines got "blurred".

So now I am looking to seat the races, and I cant find one damn race seating tool that fits this axle.

Although they are not complicated tools, as you will see, I have to make some homemade stuff.




So here we go.

First the pinion race needs to be seated, both front and back.

Now my "major concern' here is that I do not want to "ding" or "damage" the new races by using the old "hardened races"

My preference is to use a "soft material" to seat them so that I don't chip/crack/break/damage the new race.



Have I ever told you how much I love having a lathe.......

Yep, it's off to the scrap pile again to find some "donors to the cause"

So here is the "punch die" I made for my CNC Plasma table drain. It worked great, but now it will "answer the call" for my "pinion race seater-beater" (the aluminum part anyway)

Hard to see in the pic, but it is nearly perfect, and should "trim down" nicely, and it already has a hole for the "thing you beat on" (Manderal? Punch?....having a brain fart now)

My "beater punch" does not fit it well, so from past experience, I could probably "get away with it", but I would like to have more control over it, so a tighter fit would be better.

Flipping it over reveals a pretty good start. Just a few minutes on the lathe should be all that is needed.

Just to "taper it" a wee bit.

And BTW, now that I am thinking about it, THIS
is exactly why I keep all these seemingly "useless scraps" around.


I can't make that hole smaller, and I was going to make a "bushing" to make up for the difference, but I figured it would be faster/better to use my trusty old "big ass brass punch" .

Before

After

Now to "taper" it/ make it fit better.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I do not know how to taper something really. I kinda know the theory, but I can't recall how to do the math and stuff, so this is going to be "caveman tapering 101".

Please avert your eyes if you're a "real machinist"


I grab the carriage wheel, and the crosslide wheel, and try to "turn them both at once", creating a "quasi-taper".

Its ugly/brutish/not "the right way".....but it ends up working.

I must have forgotten to take a pic of the "final fitment" but it turn out pretty darn good.....

Here it is, 1 or 2 passes before the final pass.