I have the rear end disassembled and am now ready to remove the drive shaft from the tube. I have removed the speedometer connection and the small gear drive. I can't see any snap ring the holds the large speedo gear in place. I started to tap on the drive shaft from the rear to the front. The shaft and gear have moved forward about an inch or so but there is considerable resistance so I am wondering if the shaft has to be removed from the front to the back.
There is a 3/4" diamter depression in the top of the torque tube that doesn't seem to be part of the casting but rather like a pin driven in (picture attached). Can somebody tell me the purpose of this and the proper way to remove the shaft?
The truck is a 1931 157" wb with a high speed rear end ratio.
What you are refering to as a plug or pin is an indentation that retains the drive shaft bearing race, after the shaft and bearing are removed, and by gently taping down and forward at the same time the race will move forward out of the torque tube.
Regards Brian.
Nothing can be made fool proof, fools are ingenious bastards.
If the drive shaft seal is to be replaced, then the old seal and the bearing needs to be removed. Attached is a tool which I made which allow the seal/bearing to be driven out the front side of the torque tube. The seal is basically destroyed when this is done.
Attachments
xRoller Bearing Sleeve Remover 1.jpg (57.07 KiB) Viewed 4367 times
Once I discovered that there was a snap ring to remove it bacame obvious how to proceed and the shaft was easily removed.
Neil, I am making the tool you sugested. The bearing came out when I turned the tube on end but I want to replace the greaseseal as well. Did you have to remove the bearing race before you used the tool or was the bearing race forced out along with the seal?
