Rebuilding a GM 10 bolt front axle.

Talk about spending money you don't have, this is turning into EXPENSIVE rapidly. I have a couple of bad ball joints and a bent front tie rod connector as well as a leaking seal in my passenger side axle. Considering that I have 300K plus on the truck, it's time for a complete rebuild. I got on rock auto with some of my tax refund and ordered most of what I needed in the way of ball joints, tie rod ends, bearings and seals as well as new u-joints for the axles. Next step, disassembly. I took lots of pictures here.

pictures

Then I find I need new rotors, and the inner axles are scored where the seals ride. Plus another $340 at the Driveline shop to replace the bearings and seals inside the housing and put in a new pinion yoke that is leaking. Oh well, when I get done, it will be done right.

Wish I was around sooner Jim, but I would have found a Dana 44 to start putting money into. Actually Dana 44 front and a 14 bolt rear 8 lug is bolt in, may have to shorten rear drive shaft depending on lift etc... but may be more then your willing to do with the whole project. Used 14 bolt usually needs nothing more then brakes and three seals, your doing the entire front axle anyway... last set I bought was $200, after complete tear down all they needed was seals and brakes on both, I did change axle u-joints while apart even though they were fine because it was a locking/unlocking hub. Don't buy a full time front axle, to much wear...

IIRC top ball joint on 10 bole and Dana 44 are same. Before you install yours there is one available with grease fitting!

I actually thought about it, but decided that I didn't want to spend the extra money. Wish I had now, the PU is down and my wife's Blazer is too. I will be start a thread in GM efi on it. Most everything is just wear and tear, Putting in Moog Ball joints and tie rod ends, new timken bearings and seals. I also had a bad leak in the driver side seal on the front diff, which is why it is coming out. Then the brakes needed done, and the inner axles where the seals ride are both scored, so no use putting them back like that. After 270K miles on the original, it was time for serious maintenance.

I've got a butt load of extra shims from different ring and pinion, transmission rebuilds that I shim the seal out to fresh area of axle. There's also spedi sleeves. As long as the u joint holes are still tight!

I had a 2006 Jeep Rubicon, last year of the Jeep... front axle ujoints fell out at 2300 miles. Course about 1000 of that was off road. $10k insurance claim for damage on that lease! :laugh: Man me and the kid had fun that year with the company vehicle...

Attachment 2876Finally back to putting my front diff together. Today I got the rebuilt diff bolted up to the truck. Now for a pair of Yukon mighty seal redi-sleeves for the axles. Finally found a distributor with a reasonable price. I am also putting in new U-joints, the old ones are hammered. More pictures when I get the next step ready.

Attachment 2913Attachment 2914 here is the yukon sleeve box. Notice is says for dana 44 and 8.5" GM front axles. What a find!!!!
Attachment 2915 Here I have cut the sleeve before I installed it, so that I could get the lip off after installation. A cutoff wheel on my dremel worked great.

Attachment 2916 Special installation tool, Home Depot special 2 foot of 1 1/4" PVC with inner edge beveled to match redi sleeve.

Attachment 2917 It fits nice and snug.
Attachment 2918 Then I marked where I needed to drive the sleeve to.
Attachment 2919 With a lot of help from my son, we drove it into place.
Attachment 2920Here it is installed... I didn't take a picture of it, but I removed the lip next.
Attachment 2921Test fit it. I need to torque the ball joints down, then remove the zirk fitting to get the axle the rest of the way in. Finally beginning reassembly!!!

I wish I could have known... there is a Moog upper ball joint for these front ends and Dana 44 that has a grease zirk fitting on side of ball joint! Does not have to be removed, can be greased without removing axle.

Good tip on removing the sleeve lip. I always did that after install

That picture of you and your son working could be my uncle inlaw! Now if the Mercedes is a diesel, and runs on old cooking oil mixed with diesel and acetone you could be related! He also has another diesel car that was hard starting so he replaced the glow plug with a spark plug wired to a 12 volt motor and cam to spin the points to fire the coil... starts great now in dead of winter cold!

The upper ball joint is a Moog with a Zirk fitting on the side. I have to remove the zirk fitting on the side of the u-joint to fit through the hole. That is a diesel Mercedes, and I did use bio-diesel for a while, but it made the hoses leak. Now I'm really frightened. ROFL!!!:laugh:

HMMMM.... now exactly what spark plug fits the glow plug hole?

Update....
I got the axle in, and the spindle and backing plate. I am putting the hub and rotor back together, and with a little brake clean to clean the rotors, I will be able to put it back together the rest of the way on the passenger side.
Attachment 2924 Well, it finally decided to let me put in a picture.

Attachment 2960Attachment 2961Attachment 2962

I was having trouble with the bottom ball joint spinning, so I built this tool. Amazing how much easier it was to finish tightening the bottom ball joint. I now have all the ball joints installed. on to the next step.

Sometimes the top ball joint sleeve is adjusted to far down to allow bottom ball joint to seat in tapered bore, then it won't seat and spin when tightened.

I had the top ball joint sleeve adjusted up out of the way. The tool worked great allowing me to snug the bottom ball joint enough that it didn't spin while torquing it. On both sides, I couldn't torque the adjusting sleeve, but I think I got everything in about the right places.

Attachment 2973
I would have had the brakes on also, but I loaned my c-clamps to my son and he has them at work. I also reconnected the front driveshaft to the front diff. The rest of today I will spend working on getting the parts on the other side ready to install.

Got the Brakes installed, the old u-joints out of the drivers side axle, the axle cleaned up and ready to install the new u-joints, and the spindle cleaned and ready to put the new needle bearings in. More pictures tomorrow.

Attachment 2977Attachment 2978Attachment 2979

Drivers side axle installed. Spindle and brake backing plate installed. Now I need to finish rebuilding the hub, install it, then install all the tie rods. Almost done woo hoo!!

Attachment 2980Attachment 2981Attachment 2982Attachment 2983
Today I got all the tie rods installed, the steering damper, and the front diff filled. I also disassembled and cleaned the hub and I am ready to put the new bearings and seal in it and install it tomorrow. Then tomorrow afternoon, I'm off to get it aligned.

Attachment 2984
Tires on, ready to go get an alignment. FINALLY!!!!!

Well, not quite.. It wouldn't start. I took the battery and had it tested, it was fine. I then looked closely at the negative terminal and it was really corroded, so I took a wire brush and cleaned it thoroughly. It started right up, but now my radiator is leaking a lot, so I guess that's next. I also took it for a quick test drive, and think I will use a tape measure and get the toe a little closer. SIGH

I hate when that happens! :laugh:

Save the alingment money, take some time and get the front 1/16 to 1/8th in from rear of tire. Drive truck forward on concrete and park. Two guys, one on each side of truck, mark spots on center of tire rear/front using center line of tread and use a tape measure. Toe in is the only adjustment on these front ends and trucks.

alignment is free, my son will do it at the dealership for me, but I will still try to get it close before I drive it to town.