So they just abandon all these vehicles you find? Is there no way to track the owners and make them responsible for removal? Looks like there is a big block tucked away in there.
Operation Phoenix
- Thread starter macleanflood
- Start date
So they just abandon all these vehicles you find? Is there no way to track the owners and make them responsible for removal? Looks like there is a big block tucked away in there.
I had actually been thinking that you should just leave it until it breaks because it might be easier to get out! Of course, you couldn't because you needed to get to the pinion, and a missing bolt, and that would be a pain to replace on the trail.
Every one has a different story. One we're working on now has Timothy Fields name all over it. Worked for American Land and Leisure the contractor "running" our local campgrounds for the Forest Service. Looks like he was in Sweet Home. But his Facebook goes dark a couple of years ago. With all the diabetes medication and shit food in the trailer I'm guessing he's dead.
We've been waiting for three weeks for Forest Service law enforcement permission to dismantle the RV. Looks like most of the LEOs are TDY working fires or in the capitol on reflecting pool guard duty.
Meanwhile the scrappers have moved in. We had the site cleared. Someone broke out all the windows, scattered crap everywhere and went after the easy wire.
I think they quit when they found the bathtub of shit.
-Mac
With the caveat that I've little experience with solid axle vehicles (I'm learning as I go), I think all your problems can be explained by you losing a ring gear bolt. If the bolt fell out and found its way to the pinion/ring gear interface, it would definitely cause the chipped tooth. Additionally, the bolt would have caused a very sudden deceleration to the rotation of the axle shaft, but the momentum of the vehicle would have provided enough torque to twist the axle shaft. That's my theory, anyway.
Mac, I've got some suggestions on welding that flange.
It should be cast steel so should weld just fine.
If you can, use a dual shield type wire. I haven't had very good luck with solid core wire on heavier structural welds.
Bevel it out on both pieces on the side opposite of where you previously welded. You want to bevel it almost completely to the outside of the flange, maybe leave 1/16-1/8".
Think of how that flange gets stressed under load. You want the load to be trying to compress the weld, not separate it.
Also, on heavier material like that I'd preheat it a bit so you're getting good penetration right out of the chute.
Good luck!
Axle, master rebuild kit and yoke/straps ordered. Revolution mentioned my axle is covered under warranty. But they can't look up order numbers. So I need to go through my binder and see if I have anything. Can't find an email. Should be here in two days.
Meanwhile shit happens...edited this up quick from Sunday's cleanup.
View: https://youtu.be/yZD45gitK3s?is=Hu5xUG7GhXpJN3Mh
-Mac
Meanwhile shit happens...edited this up quick from Sunday's cleanup.
View: https://youtu.be/yZD45gitK3s?is=Hu5xUG7GhXpJN3Mh
-Mac
Parts came in from Revolution. Still negotiating on a warranty replacement but I did probably be d the splines.
Pulled the outter bearings and seals and swabbed the tubes. Got some more shrapnel out. Installed new ones. Driver's side looks like it was starting to leak.
Pulled the driver's side carrier bearing to start pressing in the replacement bearings...and the master install kit Revolution sent has the wrong carrier bearings.
Started pressing the original bearing back on and while the carrier was fixed in the press I figured I'd thread one of the new ring gear bolts and replace the missing bolt. Wouldn't thread. Pulled out my tap and it wants to go sideways.
So something I've got to figure out today... maybe needs drilled and tapped straight.
-Mac
Pulled the outter bearings and seals and swabbed the tubes. Got some more shrapnel out. Installed new ones. Driver's side looks like it was starting to leak.
Pulled the driver's side carrier bearing to start pressing in the replacement bearings...and the master install kit Revolution sent has the wrong carrier bearings.
Started pressing the original bearing back on and while the carrier was fixed in the press I figured I'd thread one of the new ring gear bolts and replace the missing bolt. Wouldn't thread. Pulled out my tap and it wants to go sideways.
So something I've got to figure out today... maybe needs drilled and tapped straight.
-Mac
As you found out, ring gear screws must never loosen, lest really bad things happen. Unfortunately, I'd be replacing the gears, if that were my axle. From your description, it sounds like the screw backed out enough to hit something in its rotational path. Then that "something" ripped the screw the rest of the way out, damaging the threaded hole in the ring gear. Those threads need to be perfect, and anything you do to fix that issue will be less than perfect - probably much less than perfect.
As a feller who drives cross-country to wheel, you should appreciate not creating a situation where you are stranded with an axle that needs to be beaten out of the axle again...
Welp Revolution is out of 5.13 front Dana 30 gears. And I just put a fresh 4.88 in there.
Father in law was over visiting. He's been a pipefitter for longer than I've been alive. I told him about my bolt issue and he went to work with my tap. Ran it backwards until the click and used one of my tiny ignition wrenches to turn it. Spent twenty minutes feeling out every micron of rotation and got it straight and cleaned up.
Pulled all the ring gear bolts, cleaned up the holes, blew them all out and put in fresh bolts with red loctite torqued and marked. Everything went down perfectly.
And everything reassembled well except for my new Spicer yoke. The beginning of the splines had some casting defect or a burr and again my father in law went to work with a file and cleaned it up.
We also filed the diff cover and face of the center flat. The cover had a healthy snack from the exiting ballistic bolt and the bottom of the pumpkin had some rock rash.
New yoke took the side to side play out of the u joint and a new outter pinion bearing took out the up and down play. Everything is perfectly tight.
New axle slid in perfect. C clips locked in. Brake drums are slightly egged out.
Going to let the RTV set up for 24 hours and pump it full of Lucas gear oil tomorrow.
That and use a pick to lift the tangs on the electrical connector so it'll snap back into the connector.
-Mac
Father in law was over visiting. He's been a pipefitter for longer than I've been alive. I told him about my bolt issue and he went to work with my tap. Ran it backwards until the click and used one of my tiny ignition wrenches to turn it. Spent twenty minutes feeling out every micron of rotation and got it straight and cleaned up.
Pulled all the ring gear bolts, cleaned up the holes, blew them all out and put in fresh bolts with red loctite torqued and marked. Everything went down perfectly.
And everything reassembled well except for my new Spicer yoke. The beginning of the splines had some casting defect or a burr and again my father in law went to work with a file and cleaned it up.
We also filed the diff cover and face of the center flat. The cover had a healthy snack from the exiting ballistic bolt and the bottom of the pumpkin had some rock rash.
New yoke took the side to side play out of the u joint and a new outter pinion bearing took out the up and down play. Everything is perfectly tight.
New axle slid in perfect. C clips locked in. Brake drums are slightly egged out.
Going to let the RTV set up for 24 hours and pump it full of Lucas gear oil tomorrow.
That and use a pick to lift the tangs on the electrical connector so it'll snap back into the connector.
-Mac
I want to say it was @Abendage but not sure...
At least it was my right foot again...
That's more indicative of a head event, not a foot!
I'd have to have something there to damage first...
Grabbed a pretty mint Dana 30 high pinion. Still has the tags on the cover. Been open at least enough for someone to have put red RTV on it.
I know I probably need a new rear ring and pinion. I know the truss I put on my front axle probably limits up travel.
At some point in the future I'll regear to 5.13. My existing Eaton E-locker and axles should move over. Big brake kit will move over. I'll probably need new ball joints. New lower control arm skids.
When I swap the axle over I'll put in some 11" Fox 2.0s and another tower.
For now this is going up in the loft for storage.
-Mac
I know I probably need a new rear ring and pinion. I know the truss I put on my front axle probably limits up travel.
At some point in the future I'll regear to 5.13. My existing Eaton E-locker and axles should move over. Big brake kit will move over. I'll probably need new ball joints. New lower control arm skids.
When I swap the axle over I'll put in some 11" Fox 2.0s and another tower.
For now this is going up in the loft for storage.
-Mac
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