D60 Front inner axle shaft seal

[gabbyr100rs]

Just bought a pant load of parts--new Warn manual locking hubs, u-joints, bearings, races, seals, tie-rod, drag link, ends, and adjuster collars for the D60 front axle that I am refurbing to replace the D50 front that is there now.

Can one of you more experienced hands tell me how the inner axle shaft seals go in? From exploded parts pictures off the Pirate 4x4 site, it looks like they must go in and come out when the diff cover is off--from the inside where the axle tubes meet the diff housing.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Roland_Jenkins]

You'll need to remove the carrier (ring gear and associated parts)
In my case, this is what I did. I removed everything except the pinion, including axles etc.
Getting the old seals out is easy. To reinstall the new seals you will need a helper or VERY long arms.

Seat the new seal by hand as far and as flat as you can. Get a socket as close to the same size of the new seal as possible.
Put the socket on a 1/2 or 3/8th extension. Connect as many extensions as needed to reach the new seal.
Either you or your helper place and hold the socket flat and centered on the new seal.
The other person will then gently tap the extension sticking out of the axle tube with a hammer.
Just take your time, make sure the seal goes in flat and straight. It went pretty smooth for me.

Good luck

 

[tenlug]

Make sure your new inner seals have the metal bellmouth that guides the axle in. The last 60 I put together my parts house gave me Timken seals and they do not have the bellmouth. Had to go to NAPA. Steve

 

[krawlr]

With some 5/8" threaded rod, 2 nuts, and some fender washers you can make a nice press tool that pushes them both in at the same time.

 

[gabbyr100rs]

So those inner seals go in from the axle tube side, but I need to pull out the ring gear in order to get at them?

Will I then have to have the lash between the ring and pinion gears reset by some one (not me) that knows what they are doing??

Thanks.

 

[krawlr]

So those inner seals go in from the axle tube side, but I need to pull out the ring gear in order to get at them?

Will I then have to have the lash between the ring and pinion gears reset by some one (not me) that knows what they are doing??

Thanks.

No you just need to keep the 2 outer bearing shells from getting mixed up. Pull the axles, remove the cover, mark the positions and remove the 2 bearing caps, and pop the diff out. The shims are behind the pressed on inner bearings and you won't disturb them.

 

[gabbyr100rs]

Thanks. I tend to be pretty careful about laying out parts so I should be able to put the diff back in the way I took it out.

Did you "trap" the grease seal between two fender washers on the end of the treaded rod, or use the threaded rod with the fender washer secured between two nuts to seat the oil seal after having positioned it by hand?

How did you get it in place on the passenger side??--that is a very long and grubby tube to get that skinny little seal through in tidy fashion so that it will cleanly and evenly seat.

It is likely that I am unclear on the concept--thanks for your help.

 

[krawlr]

The threaded rod deal goes between the seals. Put the nuts on first then a washer on either side of the nuts. You use the nuts to push outwards on the seals from inside of the housing. In theory you could put both seals in at once but I just do one at a time.

 

[gabbyr100rs]

AH-HA!

The picture that I have now is pushing the seals in place from INSIDE the diff housing toward the outside--using the fender washers and nuts threaded on the threaded rod to push the seals into their seats. If both seals are in place and opposite of each other, spreading one of the fender washers by cranking outward on one of the nuts would seat both seals at once!

Have I got it??

Thanks again.

 

[krawlr]

Yep, but do one seal at a time. It's too tricky to get everything lined up all at once.

 

[gabbyr100rs]

To set each seal separately, what do you brace the empty end of the threaded rod against to push the seal into place by turning the nut against the fender washer--or do you use it like a seating tool and just tap the empty end extended thru the opposite axle tube with a hammer?

If it is tapped, then the rod needs to be pretty long to seat the drivers side seal through the passenger side axle tube??

Thanks again.

 

[krawlr]

"If both seals are in place and opposite of each other, spreading one of the fender washers by cranking outward on one of the nuts would seat both seals at once!"

Keep this concept in mind but: let one washer push against the opposing seal bore(there should be a step) while you push the first seal in then loosen it up and put the other seal in place and push it in. If you try to push them both at once it's too easy to get one crooked and kill it.

 

[gabbyr100rs]

kwrawler,

Thanks. I've now got a picture of what I need to do!

I appreciate your patient explanations.