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View Full Version : VN Commodore rear axle almost seized


savage1987
28-03-2009, 07:39 PM
VN live axle, minispooled centre

Jacked the car up tonight to change the rear springs and set up the shocks properly..

The last time I drove the car was 2 hrs ago or more, that was a long trip at highway speeds. The diff is still far too hot to touch.

Oil has boiled / got so hot it seems to have thinned right out at some point and leaked through the filler bung, and wept from the front seal.

I checked the tailshaft play in neutral, it wiggles with one hand so that doesn't appear to be the problem.

There is barely any backlash in the diff (tailshaft has MINIMAL play estimate less than 1mm)

Took both me and Dad on a wheel to turn the rear axles, in neutral with handbrake off. That's how stiff it is sometimes.


Help!
As it stands the rear axle will come out when I do the engine swap in 2 weeks or so, I'll take it to a rebuilders and they can diagnose and repair. I will degrease and blast down the entire thing before it goes back in, and coat everything in silver paint for ease of spotting any further leaks

Sound like my best plan of attack?

Any help appreciated
Sam
DT95WA
28-03-2009, 07:58 PM
could be a seized/collapsed bearing, pull the rear cover off, take 1 bearing cap off at a time and check the bearings, do one side, put back on, do the other side.
4A10SHN
28-03-2009, 08:18 PM
Mini spool or welded?
Sometimes the bearings can be damaged during welding the diff and that would lead to it seizing up...
savage1987
28-03-2009, 08:21 PM
Mini spooled. I spooled it myself in the shed, which probably didn't help the cause. It's the daily so the drag is a bit of a pain in terms of fuel economy!

I might pull the cover off and have a look if I get time on a weekend before it goes in to the rebuilders
RICEY
29-03-2009, 08:58 AM
Yeah as said sounds like cactus bearing/s
DanWA
30-03-2009, 12:08 PM
It actually sounds like you didn't put the shims back in correctly which has led to the partial seizing, which could of fucked the bearings now to.
savage1987
30-03-2009, 07:47 PM
It's quite possible. I'm sure I put the shims back where they were though, and the correct way around if that even matters..
RICEY
30-03-2009, 08:13 PM
If you put them back in wrong the diff would have been tight as fuck straight away
savage1987
30-03-2009, 08:53 PM
hmm. It was, but I didn't notice how tight it was previous to spooling, and thought it might all need time to bed in. This was my first diff build.
RICEY
30-03-2009, 09:16 PM
We learn from our mistakes
savage1987
30-03-2009, 11:30 PM
Yep. If this centre needs replacing, at least I'll have some tiny idea what I'm supposed to be doing if it comes to spooling a replacement.
savage1987
22-04-2009, 01:39 AM
Rear axle is out, just finished it then, it's off to the rebuilders tomorrow for a quote or 2

Feel free to place bets on what is wrong inside it :)

Sam
RICEY
22-04-2009, 06:21 AM
Shims arse about or bearings cactus
savage1987
23-04-2009, 07:05 PM
Everything was cooked. Cause unknown but probably crushed bearing / shimmed wrong.

And I do mean EVERYTHING. Every seal was destroyed by hot oil (I believe the oil heated up to the point of breakdown, it seemed quite thin.. if that can even happen, I dunno..) and the bearings and gearset were destroyed from driving on partial seizure.

Axle is completely rebuilt and pending pickup, Fresh bearings, gearset and seals.. 3.08, retaining my minispool and axles (only good bits left in the thing)