Rear Hub Assembly

Yes that parts cleaner is fine. To just clarify what Y-Block said the taper should be toward the differential and toward the axle. I think you have it right in your last picture. It looks like something has been rubbing on the parking brake actuating arm pin. It may just be the picture but it looks shiny. Maybe that is why the shim was put in. If the end of your axle threads are worn at all be careful not to over torque the nut. I usually go to 90-100 Foot pounds..
 
It looks like something has been rubbing on the parking brake actuating arm pin. It may just be the picture but it looks shiny. Maybe that is why the shim was put in. If the end of your axle threads are worn at all be careful not to over torque the nut. I usually go to 90-100 Foot pounds..

Im not sure I’m seeing what you are seeing. Here are some more pictures.
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I'm finding it difficult to get excited about the condition of the taper on that axle. It looks like it is galled up a fair bit and I bet the female taper is worse, hence the use of the shims in the first place. Are you up for a new (or better) axle and hub?
 
I'm finding it difficult to get excited about the condition of the taper on that axle. It looks like it is galled up a fair bit and I bet the female taper is worse, hence the use of the shims in the first place. Are you up for a new (or better) axle and hub?


Not at the moment. I’ve had my hands full with other repairs (radiator replacement, ignition switch replacement, horn cleaning, adding a tachometer, replacing the temperature gauge, etc.) for weeks. I still need to grease both wheel bearings, lubricator the car, and change the oil.

I was fortunate enough to work from home during the COVID-19 stuff; so, I’m only working on the car on evenings and weekends. Plus, since I’m new at this, I’ve been moving slow in hopes of not making any major mistakes.

Changing out an axle is above my current skill set.

I presume you have changed out a number of axles. Based on your experience, how long does it take?


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Im not sure I’m seeing what you are seeing. Here are some more pictures.
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In this picture the tiny button at about 2 o'clock from the axle.


Here is a closer picture. It’s definitely scratched, but the scratches are not in an arc that would match the rotation of the drum.

What do you think?

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Here is a closer picture. It’s definitely scratched, but the scratches are not in an arc that would match the rotation of the drum.

That pin is not fixed, it's free to rotate.

The bearing in the picture in post #5 looks strange for a rear axle bearing.
 
The brake cleaner will work just fine .I use thinners just because it is handy and I use it for spray painting anyway .

John in same place same weather Suffolk County England .
 
That pin is not fixed, it's free to rotate.

The bearing in the picture in post #5 looks strange for a rear axle bearing.


Please help me see what you are seeing. The only thing I see that could potentially strike that pin is the weld of the lug to the drum on the back side of the drum, but that weld does not seem to be shiny.

What looks strange about the rear axle bearing?


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Actually, my questions above are my “thinking ahead.” I’m not ready for reassembly at this very moment, but I still need to double check the information. At the moment, I’m trying to grease the rear wheel bearings.

Getting the drum off the axle “was a bear.” Ultimately, I borrowed a “honking big” hub puller, and the drum finally came loose with a loud pop.

The snap ring that holds the roller bearings in place was a challenge until I discovered that I could fish an awl behind it, and the snap ring then came out easily.

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I’m trying to get the grease seal out of the back side of the drum. I don’t have a grease seal puller. On other old cars, I’ve used a screwdriver (which always tears up the seal, but I normally replace the seals anyway).

So, what do you folks use for removing the grease seal?


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I think what is being talked about the bearing is at the very bottom of the picture in post #5. There is some shinny or an optical illusion. Have you taken the bearing out yet?
 
I think what is being talked about the bearing is at the very bottom of the picture in post #5. There is some shinny or an optical illusion. Have you taken the bearing out yet?

Here are pictures after I cleaned up the drum axle shaft hole and the rear bearing. Do you still see an issue?

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Lay a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor and drop the hub from a couple feet and let the bearing push the seal out. May take several firm drops.


Wow. The driver side rear wheel bearing grease seal was REALLY tight. I dropped it 30 or more times, and it budged but would not come out of the back side of the drum. I ended up having to dig it out with a screwdriver.

The passenger side grease seal came out easily with about 5 drops. Then again, the two brake drums appear to be slightly different designs.


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Not at the moment. I’ve had my hands full with other repairs (radiator replacement, ignition switch replacement, horn cleaning, adding a tachometer, replacing the temperature gauge, etc.) for weeks. I still need to grease both wheel bearings, lubricator the car, and change the oil.

I was fortunate enough to work from home during the COVID-19 stuff; so, I’m only working on the car on evenings and weekends. Plus, since I’m new at this, I’ve been moving slow in hopes of not making any major mistakes.

Changing out an axle is above my current skill set.

I presume you have changed out a number of axles. Based on your experience, how long does it take?


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How long is a piece of string! Some people work quicker than others and I don't know what equipment you have but there is a fair amount of work in it. For a start, you'll need a spring spreader so the rear end can be opened. There is no need to take it right out. Take the tension off the spring, remove the two brake drums and hubs and remove the LHS trumpet. You will then be able to pull the axles and diff centre out of the housing. From there, it is easy to change the axle. The pinion stays where it was.
 
How long is a piece of string! Some people work quicker than others and I don't know what equipment you have but there is a fair amount of work in it. For a start, you'll need a spring spreader so the rear end can be opened. There is no need to take it right out. Take the tension off the spring, remove the two brake drums and hubs and remove the LHS trumpet. You will then be able to pull the axles and diff centre out of the housing. From there, it is easy to change the axle. The pinion stays where it was.


That sounds simpler than I imagined. However, I don’t have a spring spreader, and I don’t have a spare axle. I’ll need to look for both.


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I think it is Pete on this forum has talked about lapping the hub to the axle with some grinding paste. Apparently an old racing trick. Anyone tried it?
 
I’m trying to get the grease seal out of the back side of the drum. I don’t have a grease seal puller. On other old cars, I’ve used a screwdriver (which always tears up the seal, but I normally replace the seals anyway).

So, what do you folks use for removing the grease seal?


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You're probably past this point by now, but here's a trick I've used to remove grease seals. Take a small drill bit and VERY CAREFULLY drill a small hole in the seal. Then thread in a small sheet metal screw just a couple of turns; don't go too deep. Grab the screw with pliers and pop the seal out.
 
What looks strange about the rear axle bearing?

After taking another look at it, I don't see anything wrong w/it,it must have just been the way I looked at it.
 
I lapped a hub to a very worn axle taper that had been run loose with cotter pin in place. The hub moves inwards very rapidly as you remove material from the surfaces and I had to make 2 shims both sides to prevent the drums from scraping on the backing plates. The shimmed hubs are locked on the tapers so tight that I damaged a 5 ton hydraulic puller getting them off for maintenance. I put one side back on with molybdenum sulphide paste and, next time I tried to remove it, the surfaces had slid together so intimately that heat and a Mitchell mechanical puller took enormous effort to pull it free.
Some lubricants , though not recommended in many books, can make fine tapers fit very tight indeed.
I am not looking forward to removing my lapped-in roadster hubs next time!
My wife's Tudor hubs, in better condition, were put together dry. From memory they came apart easier. They are shimmed too and were very tight but popped apart with a loud bang showing the shims still gave effective holding when set with 90 ft lbs on the axle nuts.
SAJ in NZ
 
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