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179 Posts
You won't BELIEVE what happened to me Friday nite. As I was coming up the mountain in the Cougar I was going around a left turn when I heard a noise and the car kinda felt funny. Then I looked in the left mirror and saw the left tire sticking out from the car about a foot. The axle bearing failed, I was going about 70-75 when it let go. The car dropped onto the traction bar and slid on the bar about 100yrds till I got stopped. The worst part was that I was stuck in a lane about 200 yards after a curve, this was at 5:30pm and the traffic was coming by fast! The car was blocking a lane and there was several near misses before we got it on the flat bed. Since the weight was carried by the traction bar, the brake backing plate and u-bolts and shock bolts were OK. The bad part was that the HARDENED axle shaft with the splines on it was spinning in a MILD steel axle tube till I got it stopped. To make a short story long, the axle cut a hole in the axle housing about four inches from the end, trashing the rear end housing. It even trashed the last inch or so of the splines on the shaft! So I had to go to a junkyard in San Berdoo and find a rearend, I found one on a pile that was the same except it was 2.5" narrower then the old one (1.25" per side, more room for wider tires). So I paid $220 for it and hauled it home. I took it and replaced the wheel bearings (don't want to have to go this again for a while), then I put my 4.11 gears in it. Just when I thought everything was roses I discovered that my old brake drums (I used my old brake backing plates and brakes) wouldn't fit the axle shafts. The hole in the drum was smaller then the flange. The new drums were for 2" brakes and the old were 1 3/4" so today I had to go upgrade to 2" brake shoes. After that little bug it seems to be working fine, jeez The things I go through to get rid of a little cash!
Mark (with a lighter wallet)
P.S. I got a *****en Jpeg of the axle and housing but I couldn't get it to upload I'll try later
Mark (with a lighter wallet)
P.S. I got a *****en Jpeg of the axle and housing but I couldn't get it to upload I'll try later