The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Broke an axle today on my 62.

I don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky. I used my truck all weekend long, then today, I used it for work since my van was in the shop. I drove thru Seattle to Carnation and back home. A lot of Interstate driving up to 70mph, tunnels, bridges, heavy traffic, hwy 99 viaduct in downtown Seattle, etc...
At the end of the day I was turning up my alley and it happened. I went to my neighbor who was home and has a truck. He pulled me about 150' up the alley (it's kind of a steep hill) w/ a tow rope and we pushed it into my garage. It wasn't 30 minutes from the time it happened until I had it in my garage on jacks with the broken axle out.

Put an ad in Truck Parts Wanted forum.

Thanks Czechman, of course I had put an ad in the parts wanted area. Because of the rarity of the part, I am having a new set copied off the original by Duthman Axles out of Portland. Lighten up Cletis.

Now this is pretty amazing. There is a shop that make new ones for you from a pattern? I think we should take note of this.

What are the chances of that happening? Not breaking the truck, but happening in your alley after all that work. Wow, go buy a lotto ticket. I'd consider it lucky.

Tell us more about the custom parts, that sounds pretty cool.

Jeff

I knew finding the part would be close to impossible. I was referred to a local rear-end shop who referred me to Dutchman Axles. You either send them measurements on a form they supply to to you, or send the axle in and they will do the rest. They are charging $225. per axle and I'm having a set made. It really beats the PITA of changing the rear end or waiting/hoping to find a replacement. The axles on my truck were made from 60-62 only. On top of that, they are specific to the optional posi rear end. I don't think I would find one soon. These will also be stronger than the originals - the choice is a no brainer.

You may want to check the posi unit it could be locked up, breaking the axle.

Pete

It is true what they say that if it is to good to be true it probably isn't. - O.K. so today was extremely dissappointing. It turns out that dutchman axles can't make the axles. Appearantly, the bearing journal is an unusually large diameter that was only used that year and they are unavailable to make new shafts. My options are wait until I find the part(could be a long time and quality is unknown) Swap the entire rear, or change the guts, axles, brakes, etc... and keep the orininal tubes/housing? Has any one done the latter 2? On a 62?

Have you tried contacting people that build aftermarket axles for drag cars, pull trucks, etc. Moser, Currie, Strange,Superior. Just a thought.

Try calling moser engineering, http://www.moserengineering.com/
They do really nice work.

What housing do you have: the Chevy version with the round rear cover and crop-out center section, or the Dana 44 with a rear cover that looks like Home Plate?

You need to find out why that axle snapped. In my case, I had a Dana 44 ('62 Suburban), and just driving down the road it stripped the splines off one of the axle shafts.

After a lengthy process, I determined that the plug welds that hold the axle tube into the center section had all cracked, which is not uncommon at all. The cracked plug welds allowed the axle tube to have 1/16-inch slop at the housing, and almost 3/8-inch movement at the brake backing plate.
This caused the axle to bind in the center section (a posi unit), and eventually spun the bearing and killing the posi unit. The spun bearing killed the axle housing.

The GMC trucks were fitted with Dana 44 rear ends, and they're a direct bolt-in. The posi units were 30 spline axles. The posi units with 30-spline axles are still in production today. I got a unit from a new jeep and put it in mine.

I had to find another Dana 44 out of a GMC for a housing and axle. I've got one spare axle shaft, and the other with stripped splines. I haven't sent it off to Moser to see if they can copy or repair it, but they would be my first choice.

-Brad

I don't qhite undestand why they "can't make" the new shafts. If they truly are making them, the diameter shouldn't matter, as they would be machining them to size. Doesn't sound like that outfit is much of a custom fab shop.
On a side note, I did a little bit of searching on a few sites, none of them mentioned any difference in bearing from Posi to open on that differential, exept for a "Open differential only" mention on the wheel bearing on Autozones site.

check speed shop's and machine shops.these people do it or know someone that can do the work.there's a lot of retired machinest that still work in there basement for extra cash.shop around.check the bone yard.they can look nation wide on the systems for you Free.good luck.

I have a 62 1/2T parts truck sitting in my yard I need to start selling some of the parts off of. I could part with the axles if you are interested. It has the non-posi 3.90 gears in it so the axles should be a good fit for you. Make me an offer on the two axles if you're interested. I'm in the Sacramento, CA area.

Which axle broke? I guess more specifically, how long is it from the outside of the flange to the inner tip? I bought one of those posi rears and just bolted the pumpkin into my HO33 rear end, using my original axles. One of the axles that came with the new rear was twisted but the other one was good. I kept it for a spare, but from what you're telling me it won't work in my rear end anyway. Oh: and what is the bearing journal diameter? I don't know the year of the unit I purchased.

I looked at the above link to Moser, and it doesn't look like they make 26 spline axles. I seem to remember that's what we have.

Good luck,

Stovebolt came thru again and a couple of fine members are selling me some axles! This site rocks! Maybe I'll start saving money for a complete rear end conversion!