Should I rebuild axles myself or pay to have it done? Advice needed!

[Brewmover]

I am about to put a new suspension lift on my 77 bronco and thought this would be a good time to go over both axles and replace the seals, bearings and brakes. The problem...I have never done axle work (brakes on a modern truck,yes but I have never packed a bearing.) I am mechanically inclined but having never done this will I be getting in over my head?
Where can I find reference material or a video of someone replacing the seals on a Dana 44 and a ford 9 for this process? Should I look for a shop manual? If so, anyone know where I can find a digital copy of one?
I am running 33 x12.5 and the current gearing moves them ok. But should I re-gear I feel like this might be more effort than it is worth (assuming the current gears do not show excessive wear when I open the diffs).
I have never opened the axles since purchasing the vehicle and really want to ensure that I have clean gear oil and good seals. I had a flat a few months ago and noticed that the front axle definitely leaks a little.
The truck has warn locking hubs. they look to be very old, but they work. Should I replace if I dive into this project myself. Easy to justify more new parts when not paying someone else for the labor .
Anyone have a favorite brand for the brake parts and bearings? Thanks for any advice!

 

[ScanmanSteven]

First off, you can do it. I don't think a digital copy of the service manual is available but a Haynes manual from parts store will cover all of this. Start with the front, take it apart, take pictures, take next part out, take pic, ect. That way you'll know what order they go in when putting it back together, it also helps to lay the pieces out on a piece of cardboard or paper towel as you go, keeping them in order. It would be a good idea to pick up the Dana44 axle socket from the parts store first. There are ways around it but being your first time it's best to have it. The manual will or should have all of this so reading it first will help. Once you have it apart, clean the bearings in some type of parts cleaner, mineral spirits, diesel fuel. Once clean and dry, if you blow it off with air, DO NOT spin the bearing in your hand while blowing it as it could come apart. Then open the can of grease you bought, you did buy it while at the store, right? and grab a couple of fingers full and force it between the rollers, cage, ect til it all seems to be coated, it will take several fingers full to complete, turning it over and doing the other side. Bingo, you're done. Not really but you have successfully packed a bearing, only three to go. Hope this helps, it's not hard just a little time consuming.

 

[Glass Pony]

Post up where you are at.
You may have a Bronco brother in town to show you the ropes for a couple beers.

 

[broncodriver99]

Digital copies of the Ford service manuals are available on Ebay. They come on a CD and run about $25 shipped. As far as doing all of the work yourself, there isn't much a mechanically inclined person can't do on these trucks it is just a matter of how much of a tool investment you want to make. You will need a couple hundred $ worth of tools to properly rebuild both axles.

My only advice would be to inspect your parts and if they are still good no need to trash them in favor of new ones. With so many aftermarket parts having quality issues these days new doesn't always equal better. Things like seals, sure replace them as a quality seal is not expensive.

Unless you are re-gearing I wouldn't think there a need to replace differential bearings unless you find damage. I wouldn't even pull the 3rd member or front diff apart. Taper roller bearings last damn near forever as long as the fluid is kept clean. Just inspect them and replace the seals. You will have to remove the front carrier to change the seals, just keep track of the shims and put it back in the way they came out and it will be fine.

 

[lowbush]

Honestly I can't think of an easier part of the vehicle to rebuild. There are not a lot of parts and none of them are small. Like Bronco driver said, the 3rd member is probably fine, you may want to pull the cover and reseal it while you have all the fluid out but you are really only looking at doing the ends which would be ball joints, seals and UV joints, each one is a pretty easy task with the right tools.

 

[Brewmover]

Thank you for the feedback! I will going to give this a shot. Several of you mentioned that a few specialized tools will make the job easier. Besides the dana 44 socket what tools are needed?

 

[Whoaa]

The interent is your freind. Unlike yester-year, today often times you can do a quick google search and find a video of how to do something.

 

[DirtDonk]

1. The aforementioned socket. In your case you'll need the 4-prong one.
2. A 1/2" drive torque-wrench capable of at least 100 lbs. Most go well over that, and you 3. may already have one.
4. Selection of Allen wrenches. You only need one size, but the little kits are cheap.
5. Picks, pokers and small flat-bladed screwdrivers. Whatever works to get that pesky large ring-clip outta there!
6. Snap-ring pliers for the external snap-ring on the axle. If you've got aftermarket lockouts (locking hubs) already, there might be some variation on the above theme, but probably not.
7. A handy exploded view of the assembly so you know what goes where the first time. (the second time you'll only have to consult the pic a couple of times, and the third time you won't need it anymore).
8. Patience and common sense. (the type that tells you to leave one side assembled until you get the other one done, so you can use it as reference when you forget where the parts go on the first one!;D

That's all I can think of. I'm sure the others can add to that.
Doing the front inner diff/axle seals is not difficult, per sé, but you really learn how creative you are when you try to make a long pushing tool out of broom handles and curtain rods, to pop them suckers out.

Oh, and read about the bearing adjustment procedure. No matter how strange it sounds, it works. Don't go by old methods learned on 2wd trucks and cars. Since you say you have not re-packed bearings before, perhaps you haven't had to adjust them either, so don't have those biases anyway. Modern unit-bearings/hubs don't have any counterpart to that service.
Frankly, no matter what is said good about the new style, I think they suck. Not from a performance, or packaging, or simple maintenance standpoint, but strictly from a cost standpoint. An old set of tapered rollers can literally last the life of the vehicle if kept adjusted and lubed. With the miles we put on new vehicles these days, the unit-bearings can fail in a couple of years and at substantial cost if you don't do the work yourself.
Just ask anyone who's had to pay to have their Super Duty's front hubs redone at 50k miles!
Oh well, I suppose 150k miles without having to re-pack and re-adjust does have it's advantages. Even at 200 bucks a pop.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Regarding the rear wheel bearings, they do not get repacked. They're use-em-and-lose-em kinds of things. If the rig has more than 100k miles on it (90k if they were very hard miles) and you don't have any record of them being replaced, just replace them yourself. It's cheap insurance.

Yes, you can inspect them and if they feel good they probably are, but when in doubt, don't doubt... Just replace.
Did I mention cheap insurance? Even at 100 to 140 bucks (parts and labor to have a shop press them on) it's still cheap peace of mind.

And while you have the axles out, this is the perfect time to replace the seals (nothing fancy on the rear, unlike the front), drain the gear lube and replace the gasket.
You can change the oil without removing the pumpkin/chunk, but in the same category of cheap insurance, it's easy to pop the center section/chunk out while the axle shafts are out being refurbed.

And you can even inspect the splines to make sure they've not been abused before even doing the bearings. Even new shafts are relatively inexpensive parts, and usually come with new bearings installed.

The rear is very easy and hassle-free after the first time. But if those are original bearings, it's a good bet that at least one is stuck in the housing pretty good. Lots of stories hereabouts about how one side came right out and the other fought for hours. Had that experience myself the first time.
Took half an hour for the first side, a half a day for the other. Now if I need to work on things back there, it's a half hour to get the whole thing taken down to nothing. Just needed that first-time persuasion.

Have fun. Like the others have said, sometimes it's a bit fiddly, but it's technically straightforward,

Paul

 

[hammer189]

You should say where you live in your profile. There are lots of people willing to help. I bought a 20 ton harbor freight shop press for about $150. This was about equal to 2 hrs of shop labor and you get to keep it! Lot's of videos on how to use it. Start counting all the u-joints and press on bearings on your bronco and you can see it's worth it. I say go for it. At worst just take a box of parts to a shop and have them put it back to gether. Good luck.

 

[Brewmover]

Thank you all for the input! Except for the socket and press, it sounds like I have all the tools to knock this out. Now I just need some warmer weather....