F250 rear Drum removal question

[Dlo3575]

I have a 1970 F250 with a blown wheel cylinder (fluid leaking-no pressure). So I remove the tire and find a good size drum floating axle case. Now I am not a Ford truck guy. SO I am doing my best here. It looks like I needed to take of the axle case end . SO I did. No it looks like a healthy 2 1/2 inch nut retaining the bearings and the drum. Now I assume all of this has to come off to get the drum off. Now I have read where thats not the case if its a Sterling, but I don't know a Sterling if it hit me. Please see the picture below to see if I am on the right path. Now do I need a special tool (thin walled chrome socket? I had 2'' and still no dice. I figure its around 2 1/2". Please look at picture and give me some feedback. thanks.

 

[Dlo3575]

WHAT IS IT

What kind of rear end is this?

 

[snicklas]

From the 70's it should be a Dana..... the Sterling did not come in until the mid 80's.... We had a 73 F-250, and to remove the brake drum:

Raise and secure truck.
Remove lugs and remove tire (Left rear may have left handed thread)
Remove the axle shaft by removing the 8 bolts on the hub (like you have in the picture)
Remove the large nut inside the hub (the one that you can see in the 1st picture)
Now the bearings and hub are "free" from the truck, pull the hub away from the truck and remove the outer set of bearings and set aside... pull the hub the rest of the way off and the inner set should stay inside the hub.... now you have the "spindle" and brake parts and shoes exposed. On the back side of the hub is an oil seal, I would replace it while I was in there, that seal is the one that can leak and coat the brakes with gear oil. These bearings should be lubed by the oil from the diff.... I would clean and inspect the bearings, but I personally do not pack them since bearing grease and the gear oil in the rear end is not the same.... you could dip the entire bearing in clean gear oil before you install it. Also, when you reassemble it and have the wheels properly installed, check and fill the diff with gear oil. Once at the proper level, replace the plug (you do not have to tighten it fully at this point), and jack one rear tire off the ground, to allow the oil to run down the axle tube and into the hub. Put the truck back on "all fours" recheck and top off the diff, lift the other side, out back down and top off. This get oil back down to the hubs after the oil has drained due to disasembley. Recheck the level after a few miles of driving once the oil has a chance to move around more....

 

[Dlo3575]

Lug

I thank you for your help. My issue is how to remain the large "nut" that is securing the drum and bearings in place. It also looks like there may be tabs slightly behind the nut. Will this require a special tool? It is a large nut, about 2 1/2". I googled it and I see a few specialty tools pop up, some with tri studs, as if to grab the tabs. The nut has some pretty serious scarring on it like someone smacked it with a chisle or something at one time. This makes me think it is a ****** to get off. Or is it as simple as a thin chromed 2 1/2" socket? Clearance is an issue for all the sockets I had.

 

[snicklas]

It has been a long time since I worked on one of these, but I believe what you are seeing is a locking ring/tab.... we would bend it out of the way with a screwdriver or a punch, and then use a drift or chisel to knock it loose.... no it is not the right way, but is worked. If you want to use a socket, you may have to resort to the chisel to remove it, then replace the nut. I am not sure on the socket or special tool, we did not use/have one....... I do know it is tight on clearance in there.

 

[Exekiel69]

Didn't read the hole thread but it provably has a locking tab You can pull with needle nose pliers and the nut is provably a 2 9/16" thin wall socket You can get from napa around $30. I think You torque this to 90 ft/lbs and back off 1/2 turn.

 

[Dlo3575]

size

I have gotten lots of feedback on socket size. i measured the width of the nut and it is sitting at 2 1/2", so i guess I will get that and a 2 9/16. i figure at $30 a peice, I should narrow it down to just a couple!