Broken Axle half shaft?

TYREMAN · Post by **TYREMAN** » Mon Feb 16, 09 11:30 pm

When i had had the Cobra less than 12 hours on Saturday night,i was on the motorway near Preston having driven back from Scotland no Problem

I was near home and had plenty of fuel so i though i would speed up a little, so i overtook a car on the inside lane at about 70mph and as i steered back into the inside lane there was a POP! and the back end of the car seemed to fishtail ever so slightly.

I though that could not have happened? did i imagine it? next thing there was a hissing sound and a burning smell and then a Screeching sound so i knew something did go wrong!

so i crawled to Bolton Services and got out of the car(I was still shaking) and i found that the rear drivers wheel was covered in oil! but it seemed secure so i crawled the Final couple of miles home.

I have taken the wheel and drum cover of and these are the results! it seems that the half shaft oil seal has gone,and there is a lot of play in the wheel,My axle is a 9inch Ford Locker! i thought they were bullet proof?

So this is the damage,and hopefully i wont need to throw my Axle in the bin? it seemed ok when i parked up apart from the oil leak and the play in the wheel.

So the question is what do i need to do to fix this? and check etc? sory but im not well up on Mechanics but im willing to learn,or if its a hard job should i leave it to a trained Mechanic? its frustrating as i cant drive my new car.

Forgive my lack of Basic knowlage

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Mon Feb 16, 09 11:49 pm

I'd be checking that the axle breather is venting correctly. If it is blocked the heating of the oil will make it expand and it'll find a way out via the weakest link.....Read rubber oil seal. New seal, top up of oil and an unblocked breather and she'll be alright, mate!

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Mon Feb 16, 09 11:53 pm

Or possibly the bearing has gone kaput and the bits have taken out the oil seal.....Whatever, I'd be taking the halfshaft out to check it out. And doing the other side while I was at it....Cold fingers acoming, boy!

Does the 9" have C clips on the centre section or is it all safe like an 8 3/4? I'm sure a Ford pervert will be along shortly.....

TYREMAN · Post by **TYREMAN** » Mon Feb 16, 09 11:55 pm

Kev wrote:I'd be checking that the axle breather is venting correctly. If it is blocked the heating of the oil will make it expand and it'll find a way out via the weakest link.....Read rubber oil seal. New seal, top up of oil and an unblocked breather and she'll be alright, mate!

That's great news mate

do you think i will need a new wheel Bearing? cheers

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:03 am

You'll find you have to take the bearing off to fit a new seal, I'd have thought, so cheap insurance to replace anyway. (Both sides, you shirker!)

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:06 am

If the play is in--out, I'd say it's the bearing gone bad. If it's up--down, I'd say the bearing has gone bad, both causing the oil leak, not bad venting...
Sorry for the run around

TYREMAN · Post by **TYREMAN** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:10 am

It makes sense that indeed mate,do both sides.

Yes its up down,in and out!

so bearing.

As to the Axle question i will consult the knowledgeable Sandy

looks like it is all in one like the 8/3 quarter

Cannonball · Post by **Cannonball** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:26 am

like kev says tony i think the 9" may have clips securing the shaft in place where the shafts locate in to the diff you will need to flick them out then undoo the half shaft retaining nuts to pull the shaft out, better put a bearing/seal in for good measure even if it feels ok when its out, some type off shafts do push in and out a little on the clips pontiacs for sure

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:27 am

"All in one"? Be more technical, mate! The 8 3/4 retains it's halfshafts by means of an interference fit between the bearing and shaft, plus an interference fit collar and all bolted to the axle tube by a flange over the bearing. If a shaft breaks, hopefully the halfshaft stays in the axle. On some axles the halfshafts are held into the pumpkin by a C-clip, therefore if a shaft breaks it can more easily exit the casing......
One more point. Do you have an lsd axle? If the shaft has broken you could trundle home on one side.....

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:45 am

How embarrassing, Tony

Working from my old Falcon manual, the plate where your finger is pointing in the third photo has four nuts on it. Remove the nuts and this plate should be loose. You should then be able to pull the shaft free and slide it out (no 'C' clips). The shaft comes out with that plate and the bearings attached. Once it is out, the seal can be seen in the end of the housing.

Despite being a 31 spline heavy duty axle, it uses what Ford call the 'small bearings'.

The quickest way to tell is that the nuts holding the backing plate (where you are pointing) are 9/16th rather than 3/4's.

From the old Falcon manual it looks as though once those four nuts are loose the brake backing plate is loose as well, so, once the shaft is out, they advise slipping one nut back on and finger tight to hold it in place.

You can tell it is a 31 spline by the two 'dimples' on the end of the shaft at the centre of the wheels studs and you can access the four backing plate bolts through the hole in the wheel stud flange plate.

Again, most embarrasing

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Tue Feb 17, 09 12:49 am

Kev wrote:"All in one"? Be more technical, mate! The 8 3/4 retains it's halfshafts by means of an interference fit between the bearing and shaft, plus an interference fit collar and all bolted to the axle tube by a flange over the bearing. If a shaft breaks, hopefully the halfshaft stays in the axle. On some axles the halfshafts are held into the pumpkin by a C-clip, therefore if a shaft breaks it can more easily exit the casing......
One more point. Do you have an lsd axle? If the shaft has broken you could trundle home on one side.....

Yes, the same on the 9inch. It has an lsd.

Kev · Post by **Kev** » Tue Feb 17, 09 6:55 am

Ah, yes! Being a banjo type axle you'd have a heck of a job getting the C-clips out if it had 'em!!!

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Tue Feb 17, 09 9:09 am

Ha! You sold that old pig of a car just in the nick of time before it fell apart eh Sandy.

What have you replaced the Ford with Sandy?

Charger · Post by **Charger** » Tue Feb 17, 09 10:29 am

blumin bad luck Tony

, hope you get it sorted soon mate

TYREMAN · Post by **TYREMAN** » Tue Feb 17, 09 2:35 pm

OK cheers Sandy/Dunc/Kev

Sandy where would you recommend ordering the parts from? anywhere in the UK to get the bearings and seals + Diff Oil fast?

Cheers.