Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) HOWLING Dana 80

[RMcNee]

Well don't if figure... I have a rear pinoin seal leaking... so change it out... then as i'm filling up the diff. there is oil running out the right axle seal... so the next day pull the cover. . dump all the oil... change the leaking seal... . clean it all up real nice... . fill her back up with new 80/90, take a 800 mile trip the next day to pick up some dually beds... . get in late. . park it... wake up and un hook the trailer and head downtown... and man oh man. . is this rearend a howling... . so called the local diesel shop and he's like well might have worn a shim... 400. 00 on labor alone to reset the gears... . grrrr... . can get a 1 ton rearend complete for 1500 and put on one of the beds i just got on this 2500??? How much time do ya think i have on this howler before something bad goes wrong... or is it to late... . guess i should have left that 137k oil in it... lol... . whats ya think guys??? thanks

 

[Straight6Jeff]

If it's howling, get it checked. It could be a bad hub bearing. The longer it howls, the more chances it screwing up the housing.

 

[RMcNee]

Ok today the howling goes away all the sudden... is she on her last leg... could the new oil have done something... i've changed lots of oil in rearends and never had one start howling... gonnna check the bearing on the side i replaced the the seal... . let ya know what i find... .

 

[Straight6Jeff]

What did you torque the hub bearing to? I don't remeber the exact spec, but it is well over 100 lb/ft. When you had the cover off, how id dthe teeth look? wear patterns? How about the back lash? A bad hub bearing is about the only thing that will destroy the housing. I have seen 80's come into MassDiesel with melted pinions, broken teeth, shattered pinions and rings, melted clutches. The only one that destroyed the housing was a fragged hub bearing.

 

[RMcNee]

Well i guess i'm confused as to what a hub bearing is... . all i did was take off the right side hub to replace the inner seal... . there was an inner and out bearing in that hub... but according to the diesel shop here... when that goes back together this is no torque on those bearings at all... no preload. . just tighten untill there is no play in the hub... i did replace that nylon nut and the little lock that goes into it... . now on the pinioin seal I was told to just impact gun it back down cause all the ring and pinoin are set inside with the shims and all??? gonna recheck the bearing today. . thanks for the info... . Russ

 

[Tcolesanti]

Quick question, what did the fluid coming out of the rear end look the first time you drained it?

 

[Straight6Jeff]

There is a specific torque on the hub bearings. It sets the preload on the bearings. They are not like the conventional taper bearing set up where you just tighten til no play.

 

[RMcNee]

Well thats interesting info on the torque on the bearings... cause this shop has been around for a long time and very well known... so don't know why they would tell me to just snug up the the nut till there was no play... guess i'll check with some dealers tomorrow... . and the fluid I drained out looked like tar... . it was the worst I'd ever seen... 140k on it probably..... thanks Russ

 

[RMcNee]

Ok called the local dodge dealer... . 130 ftlbs of torque the back off 1/3 turn... so get everything apart,,,,,pull my little lock piece that goes in the nylon of the nut... torque it down,,,back it off,,,and what do ya know... the nut is in the exact same place it was before... lol... so put everything back together... and no howling... it just did it for one day then quit?? Who knows?? Not makin any noise now... so guess I keep driving it... .