Archived Dana 80 - Trashed Spindle

[JFitzgerald]

The passenger side wheel on my rear axle siezed while I was going down the road at about 65 mph. Smoke rolled (wrong kind), and I headed for the grass in the ditch along the road to have a little mercy on my tire. Once stopped, I backed up and it freed up. I limped the few miles back home slowly. I could not get the bearing nut loose, so yesterday I ordered a socket wrench, bearings, seal, nut and wedge from my NAPA store. Tonight I rounded out the socket trying to get the nut off. Then resorted to the chisel to cut the nut at the keyway. That's when I realized the plastic from the locknut had melted into the threads which holds the nut quite well. Note: PB Blaster does not seem to help in this situation . After getting the nut off, the hub and drum would not come off the spindle. I cut a slot into the inner race of the bearing with a die grinder to get the rollers out, which let me get the hub and drum off. Then of course, I had to deal with the inner part of the bearing stuck on the spindle. This is getting way too long (sorry), so basically, the bearing had welded itself to the spindle, and I don't think the spindle is good enough to re-use. The threads are messed up some too.



So what are my options? At first look, it does not appear that the spindle is replaceable, so do I have to replace the whole axle? Help! I'll have to hitch a ride to work for the third day tomorrow... . Thanks in advance.

 

[DCTECH]

Call the Axle Surgeon 1-800-343-4017. They can cut off the old spindle and weld a new one on. We have had several done in our shop on Dana 60 and 70's. They also fix semi rear axles this way.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Be aware that heat high enough to weld the bearing to the spindle MIGHT have also been enough to weaken or warp it, causing other related issues down the road...

 

[JFitzgerald]

Thanks for the input. Say the spindle was good enough to clean up the burrs, etc. Is there a die available to clean up the threads?

 

[steveinaz]

this is what you need... .

http://www.ntxtools.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OTC-7402&Category_Code=508

 

[JFitzgerald]

Nevermind, I took a good look at it again, and it's not good enough to clean up. It's replacement time. :{

 

[JFitzgerald]

The Axle Surgeon quoted $680 to replace my spindle. They also said if it could be repaired, it might cost around $400, but they always quote the high end on pickups because they aren't repairable as often as semis are. My friend who has connections to get parts says the going rate for an axle is around $1500, and he might be able to find one for $1000 or so. Seems like the surgeon is the way to go.

 

[JFitzgerald]

Good Experience with Axle Surgeon

Wanted to reported back what happened with my axle problem for future reference.



I made an appointment with the Axle Surgeon. To make sure I would had no more damage, I had pulled the other side of the axle apart too, and it was fine. He showed up in my shop and looked at the spindle. Right away, he said it could be saved and did not need to be replaced. His van is well equipped with a gas powered Miller welder, tools and parts. He welded up the areas where the metal was missing because the inner race had friction welded to the spindle. Then he cleaned up the threads with a tool like steveinaz mentioned, so he could attach the cool machining tool to turn the spindle back down. This is sort of a jig that spins on the spindle and holds a 4-1/2" grinder. It allows for adjustment so he can turn the spindle down to the correct size with the grinder. He checked the fit of my new bearing, and the threads for the nut. Basically, I was very impressed with my "surgeon". He definitely knew his job, and was quick and professional. Since I did not need the spindle replaced, the cost was $365, which was easier to swallow than the quoted "worst case" price. I packed the new bearings with grease, same as I would a front wheel bearing, to make sure there was no chance of running them dry until the gear oil got to them. Everything went back together great for me from there and has been fine since.



The only problem left is the flat spot on my tire. This set has 14K miles on them.



Thanks DCTECH, steveinaz and Gary for pointing me in the right direction!