The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk worn out rear axle- what are the options

Got pitting on both seal and bearing surface, needs to be addressed before destroying bearings. Assuming used axles are available, what are the chances they'll be in good shape? Also, has anyone done the speedi-sleeve? Is it something I can do at home? I'm pretty competent but no special tools.

You can buy offset bearings that will run just off the track that the old bearings ran. This would give the bearing a new axle surface, next to the old ,to run on.

This thread sounds about like this one.
https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=737003#Post737003

I used a speedi-sleeve on my rear end. They include a cup that fits over the sleeve, and you gently hammer it on. Once it's where you want, you remove the lip you used to hammer it on with. Pretty easy. If the surface is really worn down, you might want to build it back up before putting the sleeve on. I can't remember what they recommended for building it up with. Maybe someone else here knows.

Sorry, I just realized you were talking about the axle itself. I used a sleeve on the pinion.

Thanks for the link Grigg, I wasn't finding it during search. Offset bearings should work for my needs, but what caused me to pull the axles was oil on the brakes due to pitted seal area. Sleeve would probably work if it could be used in conjunction with, or instead of offset bearings.

You could have the axle or seal surface spray welded and reground, might not be cheap but is probably the proper way, other than just replacing the axle.

JB weld and other metal repair epoxies can be used to fill pits in a seal surface with pretty good results, but a sleeve repair would be better.

Someone posted a while ago that they were getting new axles made. I don't know the size of truck but that would be a #1 option, I would think.

New axles are available, but youn have to swap out the spider gears as the splines are different.

An axle shaft repair sleeve is available - Rockauto.com (be patient for that website to settle down with a pop-up window with the part description).

Wondered about that repair sleeve. Don't understand the measurements though. My half-ton gets the 414045 seal which is shaft 1.875 and bore 2.782, which doesn't jive with the repair kit's listing of 2.844 and 3.939.

if you use the speedi sleeve it has instructions regarding what and how to fill in pits and what not. They are wonderful in my opinion, (they can also be replaced if THEY start grooving) If the measurements don't match you don't have the right one. of course the shaft will be slightly bigger. The seal will stretch quite a bit. I have used a lot of these at work, and I have yet to find an application they don't have a sleeve for, (there is hundreds of them) just get the measurement of the shaft diameter, and chose the sleeve accordingly, the seal should be the same

What axels are you working with 1/2 or 3/4 ton ???

1/2 ton- anyone know the measurements?

if you have the axles out just measure them. if you don't have any precision measuring tools, all you would need for this is one of the plastic dial calipers available almost anywhere. this isn't all that precision. or if there is bearing numbers, go to the bearing house and they can give you exact dimension, as well as that of the seals if you can get a number off of them.