rear axle disassembly/reassembly

[zenndog]

1964 L320, rear axle disassembly, bearing removal

I am not very satisfied with this post but I think it still has some usful stuff in it.

exerpt from the factory service manual found on the620.com courtesy of kenbagby of olddatsunpickuplovers.com:

From page 156 in the online document ( Fig. 14 is on page 158)

AXLE SHAFT REMOVAL   

Jack up the axle on the blocks. Unscrew and remove the brake drum using a screw driver.    If the brake linings should hold the drum when the hand brake is released, slack off the brake shoe adjuster a few notches.    Take off the fix bolts of the brake disc and remove the axle shaft assembly as shown Fig. 14. Tap out with swing hummer holding wheel stud bolts with rear axle shaft. Draw out the shaft and disc assembly by gripping it outside of the brake disc.

Well the steps should be perfectly clear now. Having removed the bearing from the shaft you can remove the old grease seal and replace it. Wait, you look slightly confused, didn't the factory service manual describe everything clearly?   

How unsporting of me, how american, poking fun at the technical engineer who transcribed the real directions into english way back in 1964 or earlier. After all, I will probably never speak or write japanese.   

so here is the step by step as performed by me in my quest to replace my grease seals.

1. You must first disassemble the brakes, remove the drums, loosening the adjuster to get them off if you need to. Remove the springs, and remove the e-brake cable, you will need to pull the axle out of the rear end housing and the e-brake cable will stop you from doing this. the e-brake arm is attached to the rear facing brake shoe and it is clipped in and held by a spring, Maybe it is not necessary but i removed the brake shoe first so i could push back the spring and twist out the cable from the e-brake arm.   

here are some photos that show the parts, the backing plate will still be mounted when you do these steps, I just took the pics to show the parts and how they fit together because i didn't take pics while i was doing the work.


[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2854.jpg[/img]

E-brake arm and cable with spring

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2855.jpg[/img]

This shows how the cable goes through the backing plate

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2856.jpg[/img]

This is how i got it off

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2858.jpg[/img]

plus a little working in this manner. The cable was hard to get out of the plate, i was getting frustrated and had to remind my self to be patient!!

2. Once the brakes are removed then you can loosen the four nuts that hold on the bearing housing. The backing plate for the brakes will not come off of the axle, it is trapped by the bearing housing. After removing the nuts the axle was still tight on the rear end housing. The bolts have a tight fit through all the flanges , a light press fit. I used the nuts at the ends of the bolts and gently tapped with a small hammer to get them loose.Here are some pics.

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 2766-1.jpg[/img]

this is a pic of the axle pulled out, you can see the four bolts. See how the whole assembly comes out together.( That small ring you can see on the axle is supossed to be on the other side of the bearing, the last time someone worked on this axle they must have left it off when they pressed on the bearing and didn't want to redo it. I am glad they stuck it in there on the wrong side for me to find, intsead of tossing it out!!!!!!!!! )

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2736.jpg[/img]

Another pic showing the greasy stuff. This was the first one i took apart.

3. Now that the axle is off you must remove the locknut, it has a locking plate and threads on to the axle. Look for the tab on the locking plate which is bent up and tap it down to clear the lock nut. Then use a screwdriver and gently tap the nut off, once loose it should turn by hand.

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2734.jpg[/img]

Here is a picture, i think you can see the locknut and lockring


[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2894.jpg[/img]


[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2743.jpg[/img]

Here is the axle again with lockring removed, the bearing is pressed onto the shaft. In this pic i had set the backing plate on some 2x4's and tried to knock it out, no luck!!! This is the point i went and read the online manual and stared at it for a long time. Fig. 14 was the spark that ignited the flame. The "swing hummer" mentioned in the text was a "slide hammer". Well goly, I Have one of those. The text means that after you remove the assembly and take off the lock ring, put the axle back into the rear end housing, put the bolts back on. Then use a slide hammer which attaches to the lug nuts to pull the axle out of the bearing. here are the pics.

4. this step is in picture form

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 2747-1.jpg[/img]

The slide hammer

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 2757-1.jpg[/img]

Axle re-installed with slide hammer on lugs, a few good waps and.....

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 2758-1.jpg[/img]

TA DA!!!!!!! axleicus-removicus to quote the scientific jargon

Here is the front and back of the backing plate while off of the axle, before the bearing housing is removed

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2769.jpg[/img][img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2767.jpg[/img]

I removed the bearing housing by putting the nuts back on the studs and tapping them out with a small hammer, I saw it on a thread here about putting dics brakes on a 520 or 521.

5. now you can pop out the grease seal and check out the bearing and race, hope yours doesn't look like mine

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2762.jpg[/img]

must of sat for a long time? the race is checked as well and the bearing looked worn as well.

6. To remove the bearing i welded a small piece of bar stock to it, fliped it over and tapped it with a hammer tell it fell out of the bearing housing

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2860.jpg[/img]

Now that the whole thing is apart, I cleaned the bearing housing and made shure that there were no dings or scratches on the surfaces where the bearing race fits, everything looks good so I am ready to put everything back together,  

Oh and I have to thank Tony, of T.n.T. fabrications, for lending me his slide hammer, I stopped into his shop to make a mounting plate for my slide hammer on his drill press and he just lent me his larger slide hammer with that nice lug mounting jig on it. Cool!!

[mklotz70]

I can't tell you how nice it is to have someone else doing "how-to" threads!!!  Very nice work!!!  Thanks!

[Vega$ 320]

Ahh..... Brings back a lot of memories....

Check the axle shaft end play while you're in there. I had to adjust mine and do it again when I changed the diff gears....

[zenndog]

yeah vega$,
      since the last time someone worked on the passenger side they left off the spacer that goes under the bearing off, i had to take a bunch of shims out on that side:shock:. and on the driver side with the new bearing I had to add 1. I guess it was a good thing i had extras from the passenger side. I will post all this when i have a chance to write up the reassembly half of the post. I drove the truck yesterday up and down the driveway!!!!!! I have to bleed the brakes some more and my pressure switch doesn't seem to work so I have no brake lights yet but the truck stops and goes, so horray. There is still stuff to do to get it roadworthy but it shifts nice and pulls strong. I found out it has a "J "series motor.
Can't wait to get it out on the road!zenon

[zenndog]

1964 L320 rear axle reassembly

1. After removeing the bad bearing race i was ready to re-install the new one, unfortunatly i took no pictures. I basically found a piece of pipe that was a similar diameter and gently tapped the race into place, i made shure the bearing housing was clean and there were no scratches or dings were the race seats. I also applied a little grease. When tapping i gently move around in a circle because the bearing tends to want to kink when you don't have a press to apply uniform pressure. Then i tapped in the grease seal with a blunt ( filed down ) screwdriver and a small hammer, again i wipe a little grease on the seal. here are the pics i have

[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2861.jpg[/img]

Here are the parts

 
[img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2864.jpg[/img]

Tapping in the seal, did i mention that this screwdriver is "blunt" as in filed down all round and flat on the end. I shure there is a better tool but the seal went in easy. Only light tapping. DON'T WRECK YOUR SEAL.

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2865.jpg[/img]

All done. Ready to reassemble axle The first step is to put the bearing housing back onto the backing plate.

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2880.jpg[/img]

The bearing housing is set on a 2x4 with the seal facing up, then i place the backing plate down on it with the back(outside) facing up, then with the holes hanging over the edge of the 2x4 I tap in the mounting bolts which have a snug fit Now the backing plate/bearing race assy is ready to be put back on the axle. I started ny first reinstalling the bearing spacer on the axle( this can be done before or after the backing plate is put on), the axle is standing on the flange for these steps

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2881.jpg[/img]

This is the "down" side of the spacer, the 45 degree relief fits over a radius on the axle

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2882.jpg[/img]

This is the "up" side of the spacer, it is flat Now i wiped some grease on the seal and set the backing plate on the axle as well

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2884.jpg[/img]

Here is the backing plate/bearing assy on the axle.Then I slather some grease in the housing and pack the bearing with grease as well, before setting the bearing on the axle

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2885.jpg[/img]

Here is the bearing resting on the axle, it will not drop into place on its own, remember we had to use the slide hammer tp remove it.

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2886.jpg[/img]

So I used a piece of 1 1/2 pipe from the hardware store to hammer it on. I just slid it down the axle with force. Careful not to hit the threads for the locknut.

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2887.jpg[/img]

Bearing in place, now time for the lockring. This is for holding the locknut in place. The tabs are slightly bent and should face "up"

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2889.jpg[/img] [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2890.jpg[/img]

There is a tab which locates the lockring in a slot on the axle. The locknut has a "top" and "bottom" as well

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2891.jpg[/img]

This is the bottom or "down" side

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2892.jpg[/img]

This is the side which goes "up"

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2893.jpg[/img]

I thread the lock nut on by hand and then tap it with a screwdriver and hammer to tighten it

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2894.jpg[/img]

Then bend up the tab that lines up on the lockring to hold the locknut in place. I dont know if there is any torque spec for the locknut, I couldn't find one. Since bearing preload is determined by the axle spacers as far as i could tell, I just tapped the lockring into place until it was tight.

 [img]http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn70 ... 0_2895.jpg[/img]

Before putting the axle back in the housing I put on the shims that were on there when I removed it.There is a split in the shims so you can adjust end play with the e-brake cable installed, I put that split up, So that grease wouldn't leak down through the seam.


I guess i didn't take any picks, but I slathered some grease in the axle housing and a little on the inside seal, and slipped the axle onto the housing. You have to line up the splines and the bolts almost at the same time to get the axle back into place. Then I used two of the old nylock nuts( upper right ,lower left) to tighten the axle into place and I checked the endplay. The axle was tight so I loosened the nuts and slipped one more thin shim in. It took two trys to get it right. I didn't use a gauge to get it perfect but i will check that way after wearing in the new bearing a little, I will post a follow-up thread at that time. Once I had it as good as I wanted I put on the new nylock nuts to finish the job.

[Vega$ 320]

Looks good Zenn,

The only problem that I can see are that your pants (seen in pic) aren't dirty enough for working on a 320..... LOL. See if you can fix that...

[zenndog]

There is a reason for the clean pants. The night I was reassembling the axle I was pretty exited to finally have all parts collected and be putting everything back together. I also wanted to take pics. As I went through all the steps I had a funny feeling I was forgeting some thing....just after pressing on the bearing


Oh man, I didn't pack the bearing. No problem,smear in some grease, now the lockring, now the locknut. Wait, where is the backing plate:shock:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Yes I forgot to put on the backing plate.


So i showered changed, called my friend who has the big slide hammer, which I had returned to him. Then I had to drive 20 miles to re-borrow the tool to take the bearing off. My wife and kids had come with me because her mom lives near where the slide hammer lives so we stopped into the in-laws house, ect,ect,ect.


So what you see there is me at about 11:00 pm trying to finish what I started at about 2:00, with clean clothes on, trying not to get grease on non-work clothes.( good luck! )


So now you know why the pants are clean

[Vega$ 320]

LOL, been there done that. I know how exciting it can be to have all the right parts and ready to go together. I was joking with ya anyway.....

 

Have fun!

[LilDat]

HA!!!! It looks like we have a new Japaneese interpreter.  Glad Zen tackled this one before I had to. Guys, if you keep this up we won't need that stinkin manual with the bad interpretations! Great work and keep those pictures coming guys, it really does help to see what everything's supposed to look like!