Something All Of Us Could Do.
J.M. : I have a bent axle causing the drum to rub the backing plate. How hard is it to change the axle myself, and where can I get a replacement? I have done mechanical work on cars before, but I have never worked on a rear end.
N._. : It is all fairly simple. You will need to open up the rear-cover and inside the axles are held in place with a "C-clip". You will probably have to remove the spider gear cross-shaft to access it. Once the clips are out, the axles will simply slide out of the axle tube.
W._. : Here are the steps to remove an axle from a G.M. First, remove the wheel and drum (brake). Second, remove the differential cover, making sure that you have an oil pan to catch the fluid. Third, you have to temporarily remove the spider gear cross shaft. It is held in with a bolt that has a long shaft on its end and it goes into a hole in the cross shaft. I believe that the bolt has a 7/16" head on it. Once this bolt is pulled out, the cross shaft can literally fall out, so be careful. With the cross shaft out, the axles can be slid inward toward the center of the car. This causes the "C" clip to be moved out of the "pocket" that holds it in place. If it does not fall out, then use a magnet to pull it out. Now you can pull out the axle. Put the cross shaft back in place so that it can hold the spider gears in place. Also, put the bolt back that holds the cross shaft in place. If you do not do this, everything can move around and fall apart. Putting in the new axle is just the reverse. If you go to junk yards looking for a replacement axle, you will have to measure the length and know the spline count (where it goes into the spider gear). Make sure that the replacement axle has a good bearing surface.
Archivist: Tom Wilson
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