Questions about Dana 70 wheel seals

Cubey

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Got it. Mine is 11,000 as well.

Seems odd, since yours appears to have a MUCH shorter wheel base. Mine is 176" (14.66 ft). Maybe that was just the max weight for the E350 chassis so that's how they labeled all incomplete chassis.

This isn't quite a perfect comparison since the angles are a bit different, but this fairly close. Your rear axle is about where the entry door is, by the looks of it.


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lsaami

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Seems odd, since yours appears to have a MUCH shorter wheel base. Mine is 176" (14.66 ft). Maybe that was just the max weight for the E350 chassis so that's how they labeled all incomplete chassis.

This isn't quite a perfect comparison since the angles are a bit different, but this fairly close. Your rear axle is about where the entry door is, by the looks of it.


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That’s about right. I’m only 21’ long in total.

my vin tag says 158” WB.
 

Cubey

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That’s about right. I’m only 21’ long in total.

my vin tag says 158” WB.

For how much larger mine is, plus one less gear in the transmission and no O/D, 1-2mpg less vs yours isn't that bad. How fast do you drive though? I often stay around 55-60.
 
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Cubey

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Really? REALLY?! -cuss

That shop I paid over $1000 to do the brake hydraulics in January 2019.... they do garbage work.

This is how it was when I took off the LH drum:

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Yes, the parking brake return spring is NOT THERE. Not to mention the self adjuster is hanging loose. What the heck is with the HUGE blob of grease for no reason?!

Not only that, there was small foreign piece of metal that looks like a tiny bushing that doesn't even go to these brakes, just lose down in the drum!! o_O

The drum is toast, since no one in this craphole city can/will turn drum brakes, so it seems. O'Reilly WAY across town MIGHT but they can't say if they can or not without seeing the drum. I'll take it there tomorrow since I'm going over that way anyway for something else. The one nearby, their machine is broke down and the one mid way can't do drums.

The groves in the drum are DEEP, so it might be beyond repair.

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This is the second shop in the last 10 years that have done this type thing to me on an expensive repair bill on Bendix brakes. Last time on an old Dodge SRW Dana 60 with the same exact brake design. When I took the drum off to investigate why braking was STILL so bad, the shoe hold down spring fell out. One of the retaining clips ("nails") was gone, causing the shoes to eat into the drum constantly. Plus that shop stole the other new brake drum. That was a new shoe and a new brake drum they did this to on the Dodge. Oh and I see they also left off the self adjuster...


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Seriously.... repair shops CANNOT be trusted to do safe brake work these days AT ALL.

So, I might be buying a new drum. I looks like Advance Auto is the cheapest for a CarQuest drum due to their 25% off code online. Shipped to my door, a single drum will cost $67.xx tax and all. They beat RockAuto by about $5. O'Reilly would be about $25 more. AutoZone and Napa charge even more.
 
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lsaami

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For how much larger mine is, plus one less gear in the transmission and no O/D, 1-2mpg less vs yours isn't that bad. How fast do you drive though? I often stay around 55-60.
Depends. If I’m on the interstate, 70. If I’m on highways, 60.
 

Cubey

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Yep the drum is done for. A guy at the O'Reilly way across town measured it with a huge digital caliper at the worst worn down point in the drum. He said if he turned it, it would be at the replacement limit. Not worth paying to do IMO.

So, I just ordered a new drum online from Advance Auto. Not sure why it says "front" in the title when fitment says it's for rear dual wheels. Plus there IS no front drum on an 85 E350. The number for it (140278) is the old Bendix part number that correlates to the DRW drum. If it's wrong somehow, I can return it to the local Advance Auto store.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/carquest-wearever-brake-drum-front-yh140278/15890112-P

I used a 25% off promo code plus $5 off in rewards, so no one can beat that price. Much like the Holley Red fuel pump I got earlier this year. Always check there if ordering parts online, and google for 25% off promo codes!

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chillman88

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It says Front because their website is absolutely horrible. It's a royal pain trying to find something there and half of the time the descriptions are either vague or downright wrong. Sorry for the rant but it's maddening.
 

Cubey

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It says Front because their website is absolutely horrible. It's a royal pain trying to find something there and half of the time the descriptions are either vague or downright wrong. Sorry for the rant but it's maddening.

It was easy to find, I just searched for "drum" to fit an 85 E350 and the dually one came up first thing, saying "Rear; w/Dual Rear Wheels; 2 Req". It was also fine for ordering the seals and drum hardware months ago. Maybe it's a problem from them merging with CarQuest and trying to combine the parts databases through an automated means.
 

chillman88

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It was easy to find, I just searched for "drum" to fit an 85 E350 and the dually one came up first thing, saying "Rear; w/Dual Rear Wheels; 2 Req". It was also fine for ordering the seals and drum hardware months ago. Maybe it's a problem from them merging with CarQuest and trying to combine the parts databases through an automated means.

I quite often have issues looking up parts that either aren't vehicle specific, or are for "vehicles" not in their database. Yes, vehicle specific parts are typically manageable.
 

Cubey

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I quite often have issues looking up parts that either aren't vehicle specific, or are for "vehicles" not in their database. Yes, vehicle specific parts are typically manageable.

I often use rockauto to find part numbers then see if other sites cost any less.

For universal parts, using the part/item/model number you find elsewhere can help.
 

Cubey

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Something just occurred to me about the spindle nuts: They are RH threads on both sides.

I guess I can't safely use a ratcheting nut on the LH side since it uses RH threads?

I actually bought two RH thread ratcheting nuts because they were so crazy cheap at the time (paid $5. normal price is $18+) so in theory I could install one with what I have on hand. Could it come loose? Perhaps. The proper spindle nut is RH thread though too, and they don't come loose with just a flimsy little retainer hammered into a nylon ring. You wouldn't think a ratcheting nut could come loose if it's torqued and backed off the proper clicks. But who knows?

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I still have both of the old nylok nuts so it's no big deal to use one. I can probably get one to line up ok for hammering in the retainer, but that blows. I already put a ratcheting on the RH side but that should be fine.
 

Cubey

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I guess I should post an update on the ratcheting nut upgrade since I never got a reply to the last comment I made, in case anyone finds this thread in the future and wants to know the resolution.

I went ahead and used a RH thread ratcheting nut on the LH side where it had RH threads for the old nylok/wedge setup. Seems to be holding up fine so far, about 1700 miles. I figured if a tiny flimsy wedge can hold the nut still, so can the ratcheting nut if properly installed.
 
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