Vtx531
TJ Addict
Project update:
I drained the diff and removed the carrier. The bearings look great.
Turns out 2x2" lumber works perfect to knock out the inner seals with no chance of damaging any surfaces. It was a little bit of a tight fit so I tried a 2x2 deck baluster (my fire pit poker) because it has rounded edges instead of square edges but it actually forced it's way through the center of the seal so that didn't work but the baluster did work great as a pusher stick for the short scrap 2x2 square wood.
I waded 3' long sheets of packing paper from the RockAuto boxes that worked amazing with the baluster pusher stick to get most of the gunk out of the tubes.
I tried to drill out the rivet/shaft on a wire wheel so that I could run threaded rod through it to make a drill attachment. Unfortunately, it turns out that part is what holds all the wires together in one piece so that was a fail. Plan B is trying a thin solid rod with hose clamps to attach the wire wheel. Plan C will be to cut a short section of the rod to create an offset and line up the wire wheel shaft better. Plan D will be to weld it like Plan C instead of hose clamps.
I am ONLY two weeks into this job so I am very proud of the efficiency so far.
Another issue that popped up is one of the plastic dust shields is cracked and needs to be replaced so I need to order that with nothing available locally.
Does anyone have an opinion on using pipe dope around the seal where it goes into the axle tubel? I've used it with success to seal threads on the fill plug. Seems like maybe it would work well in that particular area on the seals without as much of a mess as RTV to clean up next time I need to do the seals. Or maybe just leave it metal/metal and that works fine? Seems like similar type seals on newer vehicles have some sort of rubber bonded around the circumference on the axle seal there but these seals are just relying on the metal/metal contact to seal it up - doesn't seem good.
I drained the diff and removed the carrier. The bearings look great.
Turns out 2x2" lumber works perfect to knock out the inner seals with no chance of damaging any surfaces. It was a little bit of a tight fit so I tried a 2x2 deck baluster (my fire pit poker) because it has rounded edges instead of square edges but it actually forced it's way through the center of the seal so that didn't work but the baluster did work great as a pusher stick for the short scrap 2x2 square wood.
I waded 3' long sheets of packing paper from the RockAuto boxes that worked amazing with the baluster pusher stick to get most of the gunk out of the tubes.
I tried to drill out the rivet/shaft on a wire wheel so that I could run threaded rod through it to make a drill attachment. Unfortunately, it turns out that part is what holds all the wires together in one piece so that was a fail. Plan B is trying a thin solid rod with hose clamps to attach the wire wheel. Plan C will be to cut a short section of the rod to create an offset and line up the wire wheel shaft better. Plan D will be to weld it like Plan C instead of hose clamps.
I am ONLY two weeks into this job so I am very proud of the efficiency so far.
Another issue that popped up is one of the plastic dust shields is cracked and needs to be replaced so I need to order that with nothing available locally.
Does anyone have an opinion on using pipe dope around the seal where it goes into the axle tubel? I've used it with success to seal threads on the fill plug. Seems like maybe it would work well in that particular area on the seals without as much of a mess as RTV to clean up next time I need to do the seals. Or maybe just leave it metal/metal and that works fine? Seems like similar type seals on newer vehicles have some sort of rubber bonded around the circumference on the axle seal there but these seals are just relying on the metal/metal contact to seal it up - doesn't seem good.
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