Disassembling a Model A Rear Axle-How?

[Model A Fan]

So, yesterday I was cleaning up my rear axle and I decided to pop it apart to check the gears as I did not know the condition of the gears. With a little trial and error, I figured out how to get the axle housing off, but I could only remove one side.

When I removed it, the rear axle shaft was kinda rusty and the buildup was thick. I cleaned it off with some soapy water and a steel wool. Next I removed the banjo and popped the pinion out (someone cut the driveshaft down to about a foot long piece).

What confuses me is how to get the other axle housing off, as when I try to remove the castle nut, it spins the gears, so there isn't a way to get it to stay. Also, how do you remove the pinion gear or the drive shaft from the pinion??Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.





I'm stuck here:




Cleaned the axle shaft:

[fordfixer]

Remove nut and brake drum from the other axle. Once this is done, you then slide the axles and pinion assembly from the other tube. To remove axles you will have to cut the wires and take apart the pinion. Be carefull and center punch the parts before disassembly. These parts need to go back in the same area as you take them apart.

[Model A Fan]

How do you remove the brake drum? The other side came off whole (no brake drum removal needed). What is meant by "center punch" the parts? I am new to this.

Here is how the other side looks, just minus the gears hanging out the end...

[Mitch//pa]

try this link by tom endy. he is here on the barn and an expert on these differentials

http://www.foxvalleymarc.com/Tech_se...ff_seminar.doc

[Russ/40]

Use an impact wrench to get the axel nut off. You will have to use a puller to get the hub and drum off the axel. A special puller is required, that pulls the hub not the studs. The pinion comes off after you use a puller to pull the drive shaft out. Again, a special puller is required, or some old Yankee ingenuity.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

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for certain read Tom Endy's treatise before you proceed any further. You could turn what is normally a tedious job into a nightmare unless you proceed in an informed manner. Center punching means that before you break open the carrier, you punch a mark on each half adjacent to each other that identifies the position in which you re-assemble it. Sort of like lining up timing marks. It is very important that the carrier be re assembled as it came out of the housing.Also, unless you want to go through the tedium of setting up the pre load and free play, keep the gaskets from each side separate and measure their thickness so you can replace the shims with the same thickness and on the same side as they were. Its not the end of the world if you have already mixed them up, but its a big job you face if you have to go through the set up procedure. And don't forget to replace the ring gear on the correct side when you assemble it to the banjo and axle housings. Its entirely possible to assemble it backwards. Then you will have 3 gears in reverse and one forward.

good luck

[V4F]

better get a book ! i used the red book by les andrews . taking it apart is the ez part ..............

[Tom Wesenberg]

You can apply the brake lever to hold the drum from turning while you remove the axle nut, or use a steel bar placed between the wheels studs, or use a combination of both if the nut is real tight.

[Model A Fan]

Originally Posted by Russ/40

Use an impact wrench to get the axel nut off. You will have to use a puller to get the hub and drum off the axel. A special puller is required, that pulls the hub not the studs. The pinion comes off after you use a puller to pull the drive shaft out. Again, a special puller is required, or some old Yankee ingenuity.

I used a steel fence post driver to get the first side off...does that count as "ingenuity"?

I was looking at the red and green books by Les Andrews. I guess I will get them eventually. I am leaving for vacation in less than a week and because Mac's uses UPS I would not have them in time and I don't want stuff sitting out for over a week while my roommates sit clueless inside the house.

I will try again this afternoon if I get enough cleanup work done on the garage...

[Tacoma Bob]

If your new to this Pat took the words out of my mouth. Only a suggestion but if not already involved with the moon on "A"s or the Whidbey Island "A"s you could be bitin a whole lot more than you want to chew. Study,study,study before proceeding. TB

[Model A Fan]

OK, so what happened tonight was I tried using a puller on the side that had the axle housing still on it and it popped the axle housing off of the axle itself.

Now, I'm left with the axles still connected to the gears in the middle with both housings and the banjo off of the axles. The hubs and brakes will not come apart and I am left wondering how to do it. When/if I get them off, when I work on the brakes, will I be replacing parts or just replacing the brakes (the part that spins on the end of the axle)?

I understand that I definitely went about this in the wrong manner. I understand that it might be a pain putting it back together. Is there a tool that can be used to pull the brakes off of the freakin axle housings?

[Bassman/NZ]

The study should have been done before you started. Removing the drums and brakes is the first job, not the last.

[Steve Wastler]

I agree with bassman!!!!

[Tom Wesenberg]

I'm not sure I understand the problem here. First to get a few terms straight, the driveshaft is connected to the pinion and your picture shows the nut is already off the rear of the driveshaft. Your post #3 shows the ONE axle housing connected to the rear axle assembly. Are the brake drums stuck to the brake shoes? Or, do the drums turn OK? If the drums turn OK, then turn the brake adjuster all the way CCW to retract the shoes as much as possible. Do this even if the shoes are rusted to the drums. Then use the tool as Russ mentioned in #5. You should be able to remove the axle nuts with an impact gun and socket.

Once the drums are off you just remove the brake springs to remove the brakes from the backing plates. If the brake drums are rusted tight to the brake shoes, sometimes they can be freed up by hitting the brake drum around the outer edge with a 3 lb. hammer. Hit on the outer edge of the drum by swinging the hammer in line with the axle.

[Model A Fan]

Originally Posted by Bassman/NZ

The study should have been done before you started. Removing the drums and brakes is the first job, not the last.

Yes, I agree. However, this procedure is not really recorded anywhere on the internet and I found one thread pertaining to this topic, however it had only to do with the removal of the brakes.

Very little is written about pulling apart an axle and replacing parts. I looked. Sooooo, that is why I proceeded in the manner I did.

I guess the next step would be to put the axle housings back on the axles, bolt it back up and then pop the brakes off?

Thanks.

[Model A Fan]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

I'm not sure I understand the problem here. First to get a few terms straight, the driveshaft is connected to the pinion and your picture shows the nut is already off the rear of the driveshaft. Your post #3 shows the ONE axle housing connected to the rear axle assembly. Are the brake drums stuck to the brake shoes? Or, do the drums turn OK? If the drums turn OK, then turn the brake adjuster all the way CCW to retract the shoes as much as possible. Do this even if the shoes are rusted to the drums. Then use the tool as Russ mentioned in #5. You should be able to remove the axle nuts with an impact gun and socket.

Once the drums are off you just remove the brake springs to remove the brakes from the backing plates. If the brake drums are rusted tight to the brake shoes, sometimes they can be freed up by hitting the brake drum around the outer edge with a 3 lb. hammer. Hit on the outer edge of the drum by swinging the hammer in line with the axle.

The brakes rotate and when I pull on one of the levers on the backside, it stops moving. I know very little about the braking system and all I know has been learned recently by trying to get them off.

If I use the puller and put the housings back on, will that get them off? Would taking them to a shop and having them popped off work?

Can I take a pressure washer to the inside of the housings to clean them out or is there something better to use? Same with the gears and banjo.

I guess this has been stressing me out. I asked my girlfriend if she was taking the axle to get it checked out while I was sleeping last night...

[Brentwood Bob]

Have you found anyone in your area willing to help you thru this project? There are guys on this site that are up that way. Maybe one will contact you. Bob

[ora masters]

Originally Posted by pat in Santa Cruz

for certain read Tom Endy's treatise before you proceed any further. You could turn what is normally a tedious job into a nightmare unless you proceed in an informed manner. Center punching means that before you break open the carrier, you punch a mark on each half adjacent to each other that identifies the position in which you re-assemble it. Sort of like lining up timing marks. It is very important that the carrier be re assembled as it came out of the housing.Also, unless you want to go through the tedium of setting up the pre load and free play, keep the gaskets from each side separate and measure their thickness so you can replace the shims with the same thickness and on the same side as they were. Its not the end of the world if you have already mixed them up, but its a big job you face if you have to go through the set up procedure. And don't forget to replace the ring gear on the correct side when you assemble it to the banjo and axle housings. Its entirely possible to assemble it backwards. Then you will have 3 gears in reverse and one forward.

good luck

yes years ago i did just that took me a while to figure it out

[Tom Wesenberg]

Do you have the axle nuts off? Do you have the hub puller?

At this point I see nothing to be gained by reassembling the rear end. You should be able to remove the axle nuts and hubs with an impact gun, socket, and hub puller. Am I missing something here?

[sonny30coupe]

Yoou really need to look at Tom Endys seminar on differentials. It is a life saver. I did it and I am not a technical guy, but it walked me right through it and it works great now.

[Gravelroad]

Is that a model a front axle in the background adapted to tractor use?

[CA Victoria]

how do you set the drag on the carrier bearings? tom endy recomends a home made tool to enable using an inch tork wrench....dont have an extra part to make one so i'm relying on feel.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by CA Victoria

how do you set the drag on the carrier bearings? tom endy recomends a home made tool to enable using an inch tork wrench....dont have an extra part to make one so i'm relying on feel.

I do it by feel. If you're not familure with how much drag it should have, take a Marx electric train set and roll the caboose along the track. That amount of resistence is too little. Now push the engine around the track. That amount of resistence is too much. About half way between the two is what I like. Stick your finger through the pinion hole and roll the ring gear to feel the resistence.