Cleaning up an axel housing

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Mopardude

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The axel housing I have has been sitting around a long time on a duster and its been open to the elements for many years. It is caked with mud, rust, and cob webs. The inside doesn't look to bad considering it been sitting open for so long! What would be the best way to clean this up wire wheel on my hand grinder or can I take a sand blaster to it? If blaster is ok to use the only place I would need to protect is where the axel bears seat correct?
 
I've spent between 2 hours and 6 hours per housing wire-wheeling 8 3/4's. If I had access to a sand blaster that was big enough-- I would shove one in there so damn fast it would explode like a torpedo.

You may be stuck with wire-wheeling my friend. Been there... Get your mask and glasses (don't breathe the dust!) and prepare for sore forearms and shoulders for 3 days.

Good luck.
YoungBlood
 
Get it sand blasted if you can. It's money well spent. The sand won't hurt where the bearings seat. Just be sure to get it all out before paint and reassembly.
 
Two words : Oven Cleaner.
Best to keep it out of the places you don’t want it if possible. Like leaving the assy. intact to clean it.
Hose it off good.
Works well on all nasty stuff if you don’t have a pressure washer.
I don’t like pressure cleaning anyway because of the chance of getting water or sand in bad places.
 
I did mine with a wire wheel and then sprayed it with converter, encapsulator, then chassis black. It would have been a lot easier with a sandblaster. Especially if you have pitting. You can fix the pitting if you coat the parts with a layer of Metel-to-metal body filler and sand it down after sandbalsting, but not if you wire wheel, you will have to use rust converter if you do that.

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yep. sand blasting is the way to go for sure.
 
I find the easiest way to start on heavily encrusted stuff like that is with a good pressure washer. You'll be surprized what comes off. Then a wire wheel/wire brush treatment and some "Rustoleum" is good enough for the average rear.
 
Mine had been laying in a field for 20 years or so when I bought it.

I took mine apart and took it to the powder coaters. They had the sand
blasting done and powder coated the components.

Here are the before and after pics:

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Sounds good! Thanks for all the pics and info! Now its time for me to get to getting mine looking nice like all of yours who posted pics.
 
First things first ... and that is the removal of the heavy caked on grime & degreasing. Them comes the sand blasting vs wire wheel debate. BTW: I know someone recommended oven degreaser but also look into Castrol Super Cleaner after you have the mass of grime removed. Of course, you need all of this muck removed before using wire wheel or a blaster.
 
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