I'm opening a new topic on this subject that is an offshoot of the "1946 Chevy 1/2 ton driver's side (left) rear axle race coming off" topic because I need some help on a missing part. A failed bearing took out the driver's side rear pretty completely. I've got all the replacement parts listed in the parts book except 5.392/377706 - oil deflector. Looks like the deflector goes in first, then the retainer, then the bearing and finally the oil seal.
Posting this picture in case anyone might need a general rear end group number list - looks like it might be from a '50 or so based on the spring hanger.
When I pulled my '46 apart, there was no oil deflector on either side. Been that way since about 1987, when both axles were replaced (not by me). Not only do I not know quite what it looks like, I don't know what it's supposed to do. While I did have a bearing failure, it took the better part of 30 years. Any rebuilders out there run into this? I'm just not sure how this is supposed to go together and just how necessary the oil deflector is.
Not sure I understand. Trying to get info about this part. Never seen "Removed" before.
Can't believe nobody's dealt with this rebuilding a rear end. Love to see a picture of that darned deflector. Here's what the toasted bearing retainer looked like after the failure of the race and bearing:
Looks like the deflector fits inside this retainer. Picture sure would help.
5.329 looks like the ID is as large as the OD of the bearing(parts book says 3" ID). It seems to me like I have seen something like that pressed on the end of the axle housing.
Pretty grungy pre-clean pic of the empty axle housing with everything removed. You can see kind of a ring where the housing diameter narrows - that's where the retainer seats. What's to deflect? Can't be any type of gasket - why would you want to completely isolate the bearing from any oiling? All it would get then would be what is spun off of the axle as the truck's in motion.
It looks like the deflector is on your housing. This inner deflector fills a gap between the housing and the deflector on the back of the axle flange. This directs any oil that leaks past the seal, out through the hole in the axle flange and brake drum, out to the back of the wheel. This was done to keep oil off the brake shoes.
Yeah, but that big deflector on that's held on the back of the axle flange by the wheel studs sticks past this area, so that any blow by through the oil seal already lands inside it and is diverted. Once I analyzed it, I realized how important the larger gaskets were that go underneath the large oil deflector and between the axle flange and the brake drum. My truck didn't have these, so any oil seepage blew right past the deflector and got on my brakes. I'm using both gaskets this rebuild, but still wondering if I really need to track down the missing part.
