Any time you're looking at something like this, you know that your afternoon is basically shot. (For those of you who never had grease ground into a fresh cut while working on something automotive, this is the inside of the rear differential on a 4 wheel drive F-150 pickup truck.)Yesterday, I got a call from Bob asking if he could come over and use some of my tools (I think I have at least one of everything) to work on his truck. It was bleeding axle lube from the right rear wheel.
With the Fall Convocation of The Legion of Doom coming up next weekend, he kind of wanted his 4 wheel drive pickup to be functional.
He got here around 10 this morning, and we quickly got the truck up on jack stands and the wheels and brake drums off. The right side looked like a Saudi Sheik's dream. There was enough oil there to sink a well. We pulled the differential cover off, removed the cross pin, and pulled the c-clips that held in the axles. The left side was OK, The right axle had a nice groove that corresponded to the rollers in the wheel bearing. Bummer.
A quick trip to the local auto parts store, a $500 hit on my credit card for a new axle and a battery for my pickup, and a promise of a new axle shaft on Tuesday followed in rapid succession. We then cleaned up the bearing pockets in the ends of the axle tubes, stuck the new bearings in the freezer for about 30 min, and then tapped them into place. New seals were next, followed by the left axle, break drum, and wheel.
The net result of this is a 3-legged gray F-150 on jack stands in my driveway, and my pickup on loan to Bob. Hopefully, he can drop by on Tuesday after he votes for McCain and Palin, and we can finish the project.
I'm not real sure what the point of all this is, but it ate up most of my day, and was actually a lot of fun. I'm convinced that any time spent with your children or grandchildren is not held against your allotted time on earth. It's also good to see that your kids can turn into human beings again after they finish being teens. :)
Stay safe.
I miss getting to work on my truck with you. Maybe I'll go and break it... what am I saying, there's plenty to fix on it... I just like the character... So when's the next camping trip?
ReplyDeleteIt's this coming weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all the help. With a little luck we should have it buttoned up and ready to roll this evening. Jon...we still have room for you in the camper.
ReplyDeleteNo problem. Like I said, I enjoy doing this kind of stuff. It's fun if it's not your own vehicle. :)
ReplyDeleteI might be able to make it for part of the weekend... I'll keep ya'll posted. I have school until late on Thurs... Sorry to get in on everything so late; I never check that email address-so I forwarded it to my gmail... jmbrockmann@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the truck... I must admit that I'm a little jealous to be so clean right now....