Here's my question. I've had a problem sealing up my bolt on axle on the passenger side. I've used silicon and some of the "old-timers" from the steel mill have told me to use grease. I need some input yinz buhogg racers to get this puppy to seal up. What's the best way to seal them up? Also, I'm thinking about changing out the brake cylinders too. What's the recomendation? Here's a quick breakdown on my combo since I usually don't stray from the V8 Regal section to much. 86 Regal w/ 1971 455 ported stage 1 heads, stage1 plus springs TA shorty headers port matched Edelbrock performer intake chamfered stock crank TA cast 10:1 pistons TA popular mechanics cam stock GM HEI All oiling mods and KB high volume oil pump kit Torque tech 3" exhaust 1968 short shaft turbo 400 B&M shift kit B&M quick shift fluid Perfect Converter 2500 stall street converter shortened 1977 ford 9" 3:50 gear drum brake setup Weighs 3400 lbs without driver
You might want to pull out the axel and inspect the area the seal rides on. Check for a worn ring or and nicks. if its worn install a new seal but don't drive it in so far so it rides on a new surface. also make sure the seal is in straight . If its cocked it won't contact the axel as a circle it will contact egg shaped and could cause a leak. Also when I install the seal I use a little silicon on the housing and rubb some wheel bearing grease on the seal to lub it untill the rear end lube finds its way to the seal. If you don't a dry seal wont last long! We use the 9 inch in stock cars sometimes and put 2 seals on the right side as oil is always forced there ( left hand turns) Hope that helps Brad
Brad, thanks for the reply it is greatly appreciated. I did some additional research and found that the bearing on the axle is a self sealing bearing. There should be no axle seal with this bearing. I may have a bearing problem. I'm going to take the car over to a Ford guys place this weekend and see if he can identify what the exactly is causing the problem. Its possible the axle may have the wrong bearing. o No:
Davey, Are you sure about the no seal thing?( thats new to me??) I know most replacement bearings for the 9" are of the "sealed bearing type" as opposed to tapered roller bearings , meaning the bearings don't depend on rear end lube ( as tapered roller bearing do!) but you for sure have to use seals! The rear end fluid will surely find its way around the bearings and leak! tapered rollers I believe use a seal between the end of the housing and the axel retainer plate. Sealed bearings use a seal before the bearing.
I'm not 100% certain on any of this. This is my first experience with a Ford 9". I'm still feeling my way through this stuff. Let me ask you this, If you bought a rearend in pieces without axle seals what axle seals would you use?
Buy seals for a 1977 ranchero , that will have the right size ( probably) Ford 9 inchers came in 3 axle configurations 28 spline 31 spline and 28 spline with the shaft being the size of a 31 spline . I imagine the axles you have sice the rear was shortened is the Station wagon / Ranchero style . These axles the shaft actually gets larger behgind the splines and the 31 spline gets smaller behind the splines . Try that . I havbe never done a ford that did not use an axle seal . I have a pair here for 31 spline ford axles but I do not bel;ieve they aill fit unless you have a truck rear . Ford also had a shim type gasket betweeen the backing plate and the housing. JK
That's for all the info. I'm going to try and tackle this next week when I'm off second shift at work. :TU:
Did you ever have any luck with sealing this leak? I have a ford 9 from quick performance, and all the say is to use rtv around the outside of the bearing. The drivers side is does not leak, but I'm having a problem with the pass. side. It appears to me that leak is coming from the bearing seal lip that is against the axle shaft. This is a new install.
Sky .....I just did this sealing myself on a 32 ford with 9 inch ....abridged procedure: undue the backing plate from the brake assembly , pull the axles out, about 1.0-2. 5 inches inward -inside the tube you will see a round seal the axle goes through. Pull out the old seal. Just put a light coat of silicone around the circumference of the new seal and I also wiped down the inside of the carrier tube well with mineral spirits. I then pushed the seal in and sealed her back up. I have heard there is a gasket that goes between the backing plate and axle end but I didnt have one and mine didnt leak a drop without it so I didnt care. Believe it or not I had no seals inside my rear at all either side !!! The idiot who had it before me never had any in there ! Ratechmfg.com was a good 9 inch seal supplier I used that also has an exploded view drawing on their website of the nine inch. Its a pretty simple fix and I am no expert. Good luck. J
