Need help to ID my axle and the gearing, now that I have the diff open. I could not find any numbers on the axle. I am sure the numbers are there, but they allude me so far. NAPA has seals for HO33 / HO35 and spicer/dana (40 if I recall). I presume I have the HO33/35. I dont know the differences to ID? Also interested in the ratio in case I need parts or new axle. Attached is the picture. Markings on the ring gear: GM 3763466, 13, 44 followed by what I think is a date code. My book tells me there was a 3.90 or an optional 3.38 gearing.
Interested in learning more for a my notebook so I can buy replacement parts when needed. HB
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
The 13/44 is the tooth count, 13 teeth on the pinion gear and 44 on the ring gear. That divides out to be a 3.38:1 ratio. Dana/Spicer axles have an oddball-shaped cover plate with several straight lines and angles involved, so the oval shape of the one in the picture eliminates Spicer as a possibility. There's usually a stamped ID code on the top of the passenger's side axle tube, but sometimes it takes some vigorous wire brush and flashlight work to find it. If there's an older salvage yard in your area that still has a copy of the Hollander parts interchange manual, that book can provide a wealth of good information. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I just took another look at your photo, and noticed a detail I missed before. Dana/Spicer axles have a non-removable center section- - - -yours has a ring of bolts holding the carrier assembly into the housing, which makes it a GM corporate axle of some type. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Did not find the source yet. Wheel bearing and axle looked fine. Differential looks clean. Still need to look at other side. Once I get back to it, I may ask for help to ensure correct adjustments to gears before I close it back up.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
If all you've done is remove the spider gears for access to the axle retaining C clips, no adjustments should be necessary- - - -just reinstall the parts in the reverse order of disassembly. Just don't tinker with the two ring-type spanner nuts that adjust the backlash of the ring gear, assuming that's how they're arranged. Changing backlash on a used set of gears (even if it's not "correct") usually causes a gear noise to develop due to interrupting the wear pattern. Some carrier assemblies are adjusted that way, while others use shims between the axle tubes and the bearing races. Unless you've removed the ring gear and carrier assembly for some reason, no adjustments should be needed. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
it wouldn't hurt to put a dial indicator on the back side of ring gear and try to pry it left and right, see if the carrier bearings are reasonably tight. It did seem to make a tick tick noise when rotating and I wonder where that is coming from.
Come to think of it I have a 14 bolt GM axle that made a similar noise, all seemed OK and it was a working axle except the faint tick tick when rotating through by hand. I fully disassembled it and found one carrier bearing cone had spun on the carrier, now a quite loose fit when it should have been a slight press fit. This extra slop was probably the noise I heard.
Might be hard to determine that sort of thing while it is still all assembled unless it's really worn, but look best you can and see if bearings look like they're snug in their places or have spun. use a big screwdriver or small pry bar and nudge the carrier around, it basically shouldn't move other than rotate. Check pinion for longitudinal freeplay, again should have very little if any slack.
The beauty of these old style carriers is that you don't have to pull the entire rear end out to work on it. You can pull just the 3rd member and do/have the work done to it. Also, you have the 3.38:1 gears set. Great to make it freeway friendly. But, with another 3rd member, you could set up a 3.90:1 gears set and it's an easy swap to go between the two.
Same axle housing, just swap the 3rd member. Consumables are the 2 gaskets and some 90 weight.
I am becoming more comfortable with the inner workings of the diff. so maybe something i can play with in the future. What would the 3.90:1 do for the truck? I like the highway friendly 3.38 currently. I did not have any awareness when I bought the truck 13 yrs ago, but after driving it through those years I am happy with how it manages. And maybe naive to ask, but why is the contraption referred to as the 3rd member?
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
