Something I learned today, Need advice.

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memike

memike

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I have been looking everywhere here and on the net. about pulling my axles and replacing all my seals and bearings in my 7 1/4 rear end.
I drove my 66 valiant down the drive way and could hear something rattling in my drivers side wheel, Creed was here so he mad sure it was not in the rear and it sounded like an adjuster jumped out of place or something :glasses2:
So I jaked Victoria up and pull the rear tire and brake drum off and all looked good and when I spun the wheel I could not hear anything "hopping something was just in my center cap or trim ring, Then I spun the drum and nothing :cwm10:, I put it all back together and it still had a noise, Not a big clucking noise just a light sounding noise.
After reading deferent threads here and on the net I found out that these early 7 1/4 rear ends have a dry bearing that should be packed with grease when doing a brake job or possibly every 30.000 miles :tongue9:
So we all know I will always be running a /6 street driver and I se no need to change the rear end so :glasses2: Looks like Victoria will be setting on jake stands and I will do my best to pull the axle and send them to NAPA to have the races pulled off and a new set on along with new bearings and seals.
I never new that these had to be serviced :banghead: If I new this I would have backed the bearings when I got her.
There is no noise any where else on the rear end, I serviced and did the rear grease 90WT. I just hope NAPA can do this for me and get the correct parts it will take to do the job. I will have them do booth axles, the rear end only has 62.000 miles on it so I should be good to go I would think, because just a few weeks ago I could shut the car down and cost down the road and it was very quit. Do you think a bearing has tossed a ball bearing ?

I came so close to drive her to 66aCUDA's house last week and so glad I did not :color:

I know these 7 1/4 rear are week, but I don't see me finding an 8 1/4 that will fit with out doing and spending a bunch on it.
I believe 66 to 72 was the same width and a direct bolt in.

What should I do. I know I am not pushing more then 110hp .

Any help in what I can do while I am there or if some one has what I need to get this dun, I would rather spend my cash here and see if anyone has been through this in these early A's we love so much. Thank you for any input you may have for me.
Your Arkansas member on the hill.

Oop's for got to ask, Does everyone think I can do this myself ? with help from my son ??
 

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not about your post, but just wanted to let you know that ihave not forgotten about you with the dog dishes, but i deleted all mail, and i need you to pnm your address.lol
 
I'd say "fix what you have."

I HAVE to tell you that this POST is a perfect example of WHY everybody doing work on these cars should have a FACTORY SHOP MANUAL

There have been several free downloadable factory manuals posted here lately, and I believe one was a '66
 
67Dart273 said:
I'd say "fix what you have."

I HAVE to tell you that this POST is a perfect example of WHY everybody doing work on these cars should have a FACTORY SHOP MANUAL

There have been several free downloadable factory manuals posted here lately, and I believe one was a '66
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Thank you 67Dart273 :color: I will see if I can find the free downloadable factory manuals posted here.
 
Haven't done one on a 7 1/4 but have done it on a Dana 35 & I imagine it & most other rears are similar. If you're going to replace the bearings you'll probably need a press to get them off & the new ones on. I've seen people cut the old ones off with a torch or a chisel but a press would be better. I'd try to get the bearings ahead of time & pack them myself & put them in a baggie. Then you can take them to the shop & have the shop do the press work.

Don't know what the shop will charge you but where I live it cost me $20 per side to have the bearings pressed on a set of axles & that was 4 or 5 years ago. You can probably buy a cheap Harbor Freight or Speedway press for around $100. The presses usually come with a free set of press plates & about the only other thing you'd need is a bearing separator. I bought a press. I don't plan on having to pay to have it done again.
 
I HAVE to tell you that this POST is a perfect example of WHY everybody doing work on these cars should have a FACTORY SHOP MANUAL
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i agree. it should be the first thing you buy for your car.
 
I know these 7 1/4 rear are week, but I don't see me finding an 8 1/4 that will fit with out doing and spending a bunch on it.
I believe 66 to 72 was the same width and a direct bolt in.
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8 1/4 isn't any good for you anyway unless your changing the entire car to big bolt pattern.
 
You could probably count the people who have repacked tose bearings regularly on one hand.
Pull the axle, cutr the bearing most of the way through with a grinder. Hit it to crack it and it will fall off. Press the new bearing on.
I would repeat on other side. Both bearing have the same miles on them.
 
'64 Cuda said:
Haven't done one on a 7 1/4 but have done it on a Dana 35 & I imagine it & most other rears are similar. If you're going to replace the bearings you'll probably need a press to get them off & the new ones on. I've seen people cut the old ones off with a torch or a chisel but a press would be better. I'd try to get the bearings ahead of time & pack them myself & put them in a baggie. Then you can take them to the shop & have the shop do the press work.

Don't know what the shop will charge you but where I live it cost me $20 per side to have the bearings pressed on a set of axles & that was 4 or 5 years ago. You can probably buy a cheap Harbor Freight or Speedway press for around $100. The presses usually come with a free set of press plates & about the only other thing you'd need is a bearing separator. I bought a press. I don't plan on having to pay to have it done again.
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I sure want to thank you for your help here :happy10: I have a friend up the road that has a press in his sop and I will be sure to be adding this to my restoration thread, he will be happy to help me out on this 64 cuda :happy10:
67Dart273 said:
right here:

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=132309&highlight=service+manual

66 is down the page. There is more docs that are handy over at "My Mopar", wiring, etc.
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I am so blest to have so many great friends here to keep an eye on me and others here :happy10::happy10: I wake up this morning and see that I am fixed up once again :happy10: Thank you so so much for directing me to the 66 model 67Dart273 :happy10: I have it down loaded and could not believe all the info I have at a touch of a finger now :cheers:

dustermaniac said:
I agree fix it.
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I have here parked and ready to pull the axles :happy10:

abodyjoe said:
i agree. it should be the first thing you buy for your car.
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I have fallen be hind on getting one Joe, all I have dun is drive her and keep oil and filters changed and the other things like keeping front bearings packed and all the other thing I knew of :happy10:, But now I have a better idea of what these old cars need dun, Treva "my wife as you know by now" showed me how to down load the free 66 model manual and she said that was so nice of you and I want to thank you for your help and time spent on doing this for us. IOU one buddy :cheers:

abodyjoe said:
8 1/4 isn't any good for you anyway unless your changing the entire car to big bolt pattern.
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I did not even think about the LBP on them, Thank you for your insight and reminding me of the year change on the bolt pattern, this is why when folks "newbee's" look at my post count and pm me a question on something I don't know, I say I am here learning and it would be best to start a thread in the correct forum and many great tech's will jump in and help you :read2:

RedFish said:
You could probably count the people who have repacked tose bearings regularly on one hand.
Pull the axle, cutr the bearing most of the way through with a grinder. Hit it to crack it and it will fall off. Press the new bearing on.
I would repeat on other side. Both bearing have the same miles on them.
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Thank you RedFish, I bet, NO I am sure that my friend will do it that way for me. :happy10:
 
I had a noise in the 7 1/4 that was in mine when I first put it on the road and found it was the parking brake strut bar that goes from one shoe to the other. Mine was missing the spring and was allowed to drop enough to slightly drag on the axle shaft making a screeching noise when I drove it. Good luck with whatever it is in yours making noise.
 
chryslerfat said:
I had a noise in the 7 1/4 that was in mine when I first put it on the road and found it was the parking brake strut bar that goes from one shoe to the other. Mine was missing the spring and was allowed to drop enough to slightly drag on the axle shaft making a screeching noise when I drove it. Good luck with whatever it is in yours making noise.
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After a very close inspection I did not see any shinny places on any part on my brake system and no signs of any parts loose or rubbing chryslerfat
I thought for sure it was the brake adjuster or the parking brake strut bar to.
I am going to buy a complete axle bearing and seal kit for booth side and pack the bearings and let them set in a baggy and take them to my friend up the road to do the job for me. do it right and repack as needed this time :happy10:
 
RedFish said:
You could probably count the people who have repacked tose bearings regularly on one hand.
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Very true. My old 70 sixpack RR, with a Dana 3.54, went something on the order of 80K, I don't remember, before the rear axle was ever touched. One bearing got a little rough, and finally started to make noise, so I replaced both bearings and seals.

The car had over 140K on the chassis when I sold it (stupid) and those same 2nd bearings were in it then

So in 140K, they were basically repacked ONCE.

I drove the sh** out of that car, and also did some trailer towing with it. Towed a 70 Cuda with all my extra junk loaded down from San Diego to N Idaho (North Idaho--it's a state of the mind)
 
Yeah and the thing about it is, from start to finish, repacking those factory bearings will take less than one hour, yet it rarely gets done. lol
 
cavemanmoron said:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-free...uda_Dart_Valiant_pair_rear_axle_bearings.html

http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/253507890/_64_69_Barracuda_Dart_Valiant/showimage.html

SPECIAL PRICE $50.00
+UPS shipping charge in lower 48 states $10.00
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Thank you for the time to search this great deal out caveman :happy10:
I just called my counterman at NAPA and I gave them the part #'s, He was happy that I had them and made it easy for him and not order the wrong kit, he can have the kit here in two days for $28 dolors a side :happy10: I have had a NAPA acount for over 25 years and they are good to me , they said they can but the price on the fleet cost :happy10: that saved me about $12 a side.
He ask if I just needed one side :toothy10: I said Glen!! you know better then that :-D he said Then these are going on Victoria aren't they.:toothy10:
It looks like the rain will be moving out later today :cheers: Creed said his big slide hammer is out in Victoria's nest in his truck tool box :happy10:
I will be getting this dun and behind me this week :happy10:

I want to thank everyone that has jumped in and helped me keep moving forward and doing this correctly :happy10:

Thank you all :cheers:
 
My rear driver side was making a grinding noise when I bought it. Drove it for six months till it got too loud to stand. I bought the bearing and the shop I had been recomended to charged me $190 for labor to do one side. I will not be seeing him again. Car rolled smooth though. Till the front berring went, I waited too long on that one though and ate the hub. Luckily a FABO member gave me hubs spindles and all for both sides because he converted to discs. (FABO RULES) I did that myself and packed them and I am riding smooth again. Front bearings were only $6 too.
 
Mike, You could always keep an eye out for a 7 1/4 suregrip rear. I know there are not many out there but, I do see them come up for sale. I would think it would be a nice upgrade from stock. I believe they are also small bolt pattern.
 
memike said:
After reading deferent threads here and on the net I found out that these early 7 1/4 rear ends have a dry bearing that should be packed with grease when doing a brake job or possibly every 30.000 miles
Click to expand...

Mmm…nope, don't believe so. I've been driving early A-bodies with 7#&188;" rear axles for twenty years, and this is the first mention I've seen of any such a thing. The inner and outer rear axle bearings are lubed by the rear axle oil, not packed with grease.

I'm also not seeing anything in your post that has me convinced your noise is caused by a wheel bearing.

I know these 7 1/4 rear are week
Click to expand...

Relatively speaking, sure, compared to larger rear axle assemblies, but the 7#&188;" is plenty adequate for many stock or quasi-stock slant-6 and mild V8 applications.

I believe 66 to 72 was the same width and a direct bolt in.
Click to expand...

Rear axle interchangeability on A-bodies is a great deal wider than '66-'72.

What should I do
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Quickly get hold of the three books described in this thread before proceeding with any other spending or any repairs.
 
Actually, your rear axle bearings are sealed. They don't receive any oil from the rear end (unless the axle seal leaks!) and, for all intents and purposes, are not repackable. If the bearing is making noise, it's bad, and repacking it won't repair it. the first thing you need to do is verify that it's the bearing(s) that are making the noise. I'd get the car securely up in the air, pull the rear drums, fire it up, put it in high gear and listen for noises. A stethoscope (sp?) works the best but a wooden dowel will work also. Just be carefull with all the spinning shafts so you don't get hurt. If it's only noisy with the drums and wheels on it, it's not likely there is a bearing problem. If it's making noise with drums and wheels off, try to isolate where the noise is coming from by moving the stethoscope around to various spots on the axle housing. When you find the loudest area, the closest bearing is usually the culprit. Take your time, don't rush to judgement, rear end noises can telegraph around. Sometimes it's only a subtle difference in noise from bearing to bearing.
Repair is relatively easy. The kit shown above it is a good way to go so you have all the parts you need. If you don't have a press, get one or hire a machine shop to do it for you. Other than that, and a slide hammer, you really don't need any special tools. If you choose to take the old bearings and lock rings off yourself, be carefull you don't damage the seal surface on the axle shaft. If you gouge that area it will never seal again and you'll need to get another axle shaft.
 
slantsixdan said:
Mmm…nope, don't believe so. I've been driving early A-bodies with 7#&188;" rear axles for twenty years, and this is the first mention I've seen of any such a thing. The inner and outer rear axle bearings are lubed by the rear axle oil, not packed with grease.

I'm also not seeing anything in your post that has me convinced your noise is caused by a wheel bearing.



Relatively speaking, sure, compared to larger rear axle assemblies, but the 7#&188;" is plenty adequate for many stock or quasi-stock slant-6 and mild V8 applications.



Rear axle interchangeability on A-bodies is a great deal wider than '66-'72.



Quickly get hold of the three books described in this thread before proceeding with any other spending or any repairs.
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Looks like you are correct again dan :-D:cheers: I have the car in the air now and will do a test with the hubs off, But it looks like my seals are bad so I may as well put new seals and outer bearings in, But I will check on the inner bearing I did not know about.

cudamark said:
Actually, your rear axle bearings are sealed. They don't receive any oil from the rear end (unless the axle seal leaks!) and, for all intents and purposes, are not repackable. If the bearing is making noise, it's bad, and repacking it won't repair it. the first thing you need to do is verify that it's the bearing(s) that are making the noise. I'd get the car securely up in the air, pull the rear drums, fire it up, put it in high gear and listen for noises. A stethoscope (sp?) works the best but a wooden dowel will work also. Just be carefull with all the spinning shafts so you don't get hurt. If it's only noisy with the drums and wheels on it, it's not likely there is a bearing problem. If it's making noise with drums and wheels off, try to isolate where the noise is coming from by moving the stethoscope around to various spots on the axle housing. When you find the loudest area, the closest bearing is usually the culprit. Take your time, don't rush to judgement, rear end noises can telegraph around. Sometimes it's only a subtle difference in noise from bearing to bearing.
Repair is relatively easy. The kit shown above it is a good way to go so you have all the parts you need. If you don't have a press, get one or hire a machine shop to do it for you. Other than that, and a slide hammer, you really don't need any special tools. If you choose to take the old bearings and lock rings off yourself, be carefull you don't damage the seal surface on the axle shaft. If you gouge that area it will never seal again and you'll need to get another axle shaft.
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I thank you for your input cudamark :happy10:
I will do that test before I pull the axles out. :happy10::happy10:

slantsixdan said:
Oh yeah, that's what I meant. What he said! :lol:
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Yea, They said they are sealed bearings when I called my NAPA man Dan , Thank you so much once again :happy10:

Here is where I am at know for today, it quit raining and the sun popped out:happy10:
So I backed her out far enough to pull the axles 8)
Up on jake stands and scotched front and rear on the front tires Safety first.
 

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There is no inner wheel bearing in a 7 1/4 rear end unless you want to call the carrier bearings an axle bearing but it really isn't. You'd have to pull the rear end apart to change those. When you pull the axles, grab the axle bearing with one hand and rotate the axle with the other. If you feel any kind of hitch at all or hear any noise, the bearing needs to be replaced.
 
Mike I was looking at your pics & I think I saw something, but not sure. It looks like the lining on the front shoe on the passenger side of your car might be getting thin on the inside edge. I had this problem years ago when I was in auto shop & I showed it to my instructor & he had no idea what would cause it. I finally figured out that it was because the springs that hold the shoes in place against the backing plates were weak & letting the shoes flop away from the plate. This might be happening on your car. I'd recommend replacing them with the later "nail & washer" type setup. It's a better design.
 
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