singing in the rear end

[Doug]

It sounds as if Ive got snow tires on the back of my 75 Fleetwood; been that way since I bought it, and now 3000 miles later Im feeling compelled to fix it.  Im suspicious of the right rear axle bearing, since I have a little grease leaking from the seal.  Plenty of gear oil in the diff, dry seal on the left side, new tires all around.  So I figured Id start with the right axle.  Im pretty adventuresome mechanically, but have never tackled something like this. Any advice?  Is this a big nasty job to be doing in the carport?  thanks

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Doug,

A singing rearend usually means an out of alignment Crown Wheel & Pinion.

An Axle race gone bad will usually give a grinding noise, and if the vehicle has drum brakes, will wreck the brake shoes.

If you havent done one before, get a Workshop Manual for your car, and the procedure is thoroughly explained.

Removing an axle to replace an axle race isnt a difficult job to undertake in a carport.

But, firstly, you must park the car in such a way that you have enough room on the side the axle is to come out from so you can actually pull it outr all the way, and not strike the wall.   I have seen a bloke go as far as to get the axle nearly all the way out, only to find that there wasnt sufficient room to fuly withdraw it.

If you dont have many specialised tools, simply remove the axle, take it to an engineering shop, or auto repair mechanic, and have the bearing replaced there.

Some bearing retainers require pressing on, and some require heating  to install them.

Either way, a press is required to remove and replace the axle race correctly.

I have done them with "redneck" tools, but that was a last resort.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Doug]

thanks Bruce!!

[Mike #19861]

 The bearing is pressed onto the axle shaft and requires a proper press to remove/install it. There are also 2 seals per shaft. The outer being more of a dust seal. The bearings are sealed.

 But, as Bruce mentioned, a singing, or howling noise is more likely a differential issue. But this does not necessarily translate to disaster, many of the "noisy" diffs can go forever singing the blues.

 Mike