Axle tube leaking from backside of trailing arm flange

[housejoe]

So I finally got to test drive my car this past weekend. 1/4 mile up and down the road. What a blast! Can’t wait to hit the track at Roebling next week. But after parking it in the garage, the next morning I came out to a huge puddle of gear lube which had leaked from the axle seal and soaked the RR tire pretty good. As it turns out, I had rolled the axle seal when I installed it. No big deal, installed a new one and presumed all would be good. Now the leak has slowed down (have not driven it) but it is still running out the weep hole on the backing plate, and in addition it is leaking out the back of the trailing arm flange.. What is concerning to me, is that there is a “clean” area on the axle tube, where it appears the flange has possibly been relocated/moved outboard about 1/2” or so. The car was involved in a shunt a long time ago (way before I owned it) but I do not know the circumstances.
Any tips or hints would be appreciated. I can tell you that I installed the seals, plates,and gasket according to the original VW manual with a slight amount of RTV for insurance sake.
Thanks in advance, Joe

[DannyPip]

All I can tell you is it is very easy to nick either one of the two O-rings, either the large or small one, but especially the small one. It is also really important that the axle spacer be smooth, the one the oil seal rides on.

I've never used RTV in this application, and never had one leak either. I use a paper gasket behind the backing plate and one under the seal carrier. I believe that's why there are two in the pack. The back of the seal carrier must be dead flat as well as both sides of the backing plate.

If the leak is indeed coming from the tube and the car was in a shunt, I'd replace the axle tube. Is the tube and axle housing coming apart?

The only place I use RTV(and I use the gray gear oil type) is at the 6 bolt flange/tube retainer. They always seam to leak there, even if the bolt flange is hammered flat.

[problemchild]

That area is probably unpainted because the assembler painted the tube before pressing in. Some seepage there is not uncommon but should not be a big issue if you have the correct fluid level. Yes the proper thing would be to disassemble and reassemble with some sealant in there. Because that is a PITA, most people would run it as-is and check the fluid level often, adding a few milliliters occasionally. Many people run a lower fluid level than in a VW street car, which helps speed, but also helps reduce leaks from axle boots, seals, etc.

[carpster006]

I'm definitely not the expert here, but I at least have a little bit of experience with rear axle problems. Tossing it out there, maybe there aren't enough gaskets stacked on the trans and/or the outside, essentially making your axle tube too short for your axle. My previous experience was all working on newer cars, so I was surprised when I learned that these cars use those paper thin gaskets like shims, and they are meant to be stacked.

FWIW, I was having a weird (self-induced) problem on one of my axle tubes, and gave Dietmer a call and he was able to quickly diagnose and help me resolve my problem. Great guy to buy parts from too!

[Ed Womer]

Greg mentioned the oil level and it might be your issue. I do not use the recommended two quarts of oil but just one. Look in the fill plug with a light and if you can see oil it has enough and also jack up one wheel and turn the tire and if oil is brought up by the gears there is enough. Remember a race car turning will kinda force the oil out to the tubes so if all of the way full you will be flooding the outer seals with oil.

Ed

[DannyPip]

All three above are great replies.

Is it possible to seal the axle tube to the housing without disassembly?
Maybe by cleaning it and a little sealant?

[Dietmar]

It is quite possible that the former owner used a "long axle tube" because they are cheaper and easier to find, removed the end casting, replaced the end casting with a "short axle tube casting" as evidenced by the unpainted surface. When they installed the short casting, they MAY have misaligned the hole for the pin which can lead to an oil leak. You can pull the axle and the casting, use some bearing mount ( Lock-tite) and reassemble the casting.
As for the purpose of the paper gaskets, they create the end play clearance for the bell against the "daisy" .
The two paper gaskets in the seal kit were for the early trans so no gasket goes between the backing plate and the end casting, only between the backing plate and the bearing retainer cover. On the bearing cover, be sure you have the early style- open face where the seal installs from the outside. The later covers are closed, the seal installs from the inside, and there is a slinger ring between the seal and the cover. Have seen a few where the slinger has been lost or left out.

As mentioned the little "O" ring is critical to making a seal and if you did not replace it when you replaced the large seal, I would look at that very carefully . I too would also look at the spacer that goes over that "O" ring.
Hope this helps.

Dietmar
www.quixoteracing.com
fvraceri@cox.net

[housejoe]

Thanks for all the great replies guys, You are the best.
Not sure I can address them all individually, but I can say that Deitmar maybe onto something. As for fluid fill, I was very careful to “underfill” it correctly, but maybe still a little too much..and I did replace both of the o-rings, and slingers (I have the old style) both times I took it apart (2 times ‘cause I rolled the seal lip the 1st time). And I would like to think I was careful enough on the 2nd go ‘round…

So from this picture (source: thesamba) it seems that the only thing that seals the tube to the casting is the interference fit between the two. So if the axle tube was damaged and replaced, maybe the surfaces of the two are not perfectly mated (especially if a hammer was used as opposed to a hydraulic press) and therefore not sealed as intended. So in my case the good news is it’s on the right side, and Roebling is mostly left handers. The leak has just about stopped now that the axle is sitting at the correct camber angle (instead of being on the jack), so I’ll clean it up, and try some black RTV on tube opening at the back of the casting as a short term fix. Then I’ll do the deep dive fix when I get back from Roebling. The side plate of the trans is leaking pretty bad in it’s own right, so a complete trams reseal will be in order. Thankfully our next planned event isn’t ‘till June.
Thanks for the help, I was starting to think the car wasn’t going to make the trip!

[Dietmar]

and slingers (I have the old style)

Not sure which SLINGERS ( plural) you have . The older version of the bearing cover has an open face- no slinger. The newer style (66-68 or 69) has a closed cover. Then the IRS again is open.

It is not uncommon for the seals to,leak if the car is jacked up AND the drum is not tightened since the sealing takes place when the drum is tight and the spacer with the bevel seals against the small O ring.
Also not uncommon for people to leave out the THIN shim that usually goes against the bearing BEFORE the small O ring is installed as the seal kits have a very soft shim that usually deforms when the drum is installed. Only SABO still has the simi-hard shim.
As for the axle retainer plate leaking , SOMETIMES, rotating the retainer plate ( with new gaskets) 180 degrees will take care of most leaks.

If there is any confusion on assembly, you can always call.

Dietmar
www.quixoteracing.com
fvraceri@cox.net
6195617774





So from this picture (source: thesamba) it seems that the only thing that seals the tube to the casting is the interference fit between the two. So if the axle tube was damaged and replaced, maybe the surfaces of the two are not perfectly mated (especially if a hammer was used as opposed to a hydraulic press) and therefore not sealed as intended. So in my case the good news is it’s on the right side, and Roebling is mostly left handers. The leak has just about stopped now that the axle is sitting at the correct camber angle (instead of being on the jack), so I’ll clean it up, and try some black RTV on tube opening at the back of the casting as a short term fix. Then I’ll do the deep dive fix when I get back from Roebling. The side plate of the trans is leaking pretty bad in it’s own right, so a complete trams reseal will be in order. Thankfully our next planned event isn’t ‘till June.
Thanks for the help, I was starting to think the car wasn’t going to make the trip! Attached Thumbnails

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[Hardingfv32]

No gaskets or O rings required if you use Loctite 518 gasket maker. It feels like silicone, but unlike silicone it is anaerobic. Perfect for this application. Never had an assembly leak.

Brian

[Steve Davis]

Joe, ...

[Steve Davis]

Well 6 hours later, my 'token' had expired so my LONG post was tossed into the sea by the forum :-(.
Thankfully, I took a quick COPY of my write up just before I left my computer so I have MOST of it.

Here it is ... as an add-on to the above posts that were added after I left this morning...

Joe,
IMHO, you have an internal leak in the axle tube itself - I had the same thing happen to me. If the car gets airborne and comes down 'cleanly' on the rear suspension, a common issue is that the axle flange at the end (that holds the backing plate and trailing arms) gets DRIVEN outward on the tube. There is only SO MUCH friction (it's a interference PRESS fit) holding it in place. That position is located by the tapered PIN through the back side of the flange (visible in your pic). When the flange is driven outward (or inward .. if you possibly have PULL_ROD rear suspension), that pin gets forced out of it's 'divot place' (a milled indention in the axle tube) down the tube - crimping the tube and sometimes (as in my case) it will gouge a HOLE (opening) in the tube that leaks fluid (oil) into the flange area and out onto the ground .. and the backing plate and everywhere else it can find to go. I was amazed at the quantity of fluid that would leak out overnight in my garage.

If that is, in fact, your problem, you will also find that the axle tube will NOT simply 'slide off' the axle after removing the bell flange nuts. You can get the bell end loose and start to pull the tube off the axle, but it will stop when it gets to the place where the pin has crimped the tube. You can tap a few times on the tube, but likely, it still won't come free. At that point, you need to drive the pin out. It's tapered.. so do your best to figure out WHICH end to drive on .. generally the big end will be smooth (more or less) and the little end will be slightly LESS SMOOTH looking. Take a decent sized hammer (at least a 2 lb ball peen) and a suitable drift that will fit what you think is the smaller end and give it a couple of decent WHACKS. (do your best to stabilize the flange end on something solid and keep the axle from twisting). If it doesn't move, then STUDY the 'look' of the pin again and compare to the other tube - maybe it will be more obvious and give you a better clue - then maybe one more whack if you still think it's the correct direction - if doubtful, try the opposite end. They were always driven in from the top in stock form, but the mods we make for FV allow the tube to be used on either side, so you can't be sure which way it is other than visual inspection.. and trying to drive it out. Once you get the pin out, you still have a crimp in the tube.. and unfortunately you cannot get the tube off far enough to be able to reach the locking clip that holds the axle in the carrier, so you are somewhat STUCK. I have found no better way than to hold the tube in one hand and use the hammer to POUND the end of the axle towards the gearbox with the other (TRY VERY HARD TO *NOT* damage the end of the axle - keep the hammer SQUARE to the end and FOCUS on what you are doing!). Use 'firm but gentle' (yeah.. right!) strokes while pulling as hard as you can on the tube. Your goal is to force the axle 'swell' past the crimp in the axle WITHOUT driving the axle into the side gear. Your strokes should be short and sweet - don't back off like you're using a sledge on a post in the ground. Looking at your picture, it's going to be a tough one. That seems greater than a 3/8" movement in the flange. The more the movement, the longer the crimp in the tube. You have to drive it till the axle 'swell' is clear of the crimp.. then it will fall free.

After you get the axle tube in your hand, you'll have to assess whether you can get the AXLE back into it's proper place in the side gear. The fulcrum plates will likely slide back behind the end of the axle and prevent the axle from sliding in and out. You are not familiar (yet) with how this all works, but study your VW manual to see how. The axle - without the tube - should slide in/out about an inch or so - cleanly and smoothly. Try to look into the gearbox and ensure that the orientation of the axle flat is VERTICAL (do this BEFORE you start hammering if possible). If the flat is horizontal, you are pretty much guaranteed that the plates will get behind the axle. If they do, it likely means that the ONLY way to get them back where they belong is to remove the axle snap ring (large - heavy duty - takes a LARGE, straight snap ring removing tool - they are hard to find if you don't happen to have one - GET ONE! see https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RX711LF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc= 1) and take the side gear assembly out. After you have it all in your hand, check it all for 'bad stuff' and, if all is good, clean then smear some heavy GREASE on the fulcrum plates and axle flat before putting it all back together. That will keep the fulcrums from falling behind the axle again during reassembly. NOW.. back to the tube.

Once you have the tube in your hand, you'll need to press the flange OFF the axle (make sure the drive pin is OUT when you do that). It'll take at least a 12 ton vertical PRESS to do that. Horrible fright has one (https://www.harborfreight.com/12-ton-shop-press-33497.html) that will do the job. After you have the flange off, you can evaluate the damage to the tube. In SOME cases, you might be able to 'fix'(?) the crimp. It's not extremely critical and as long as the tube is not bent end to end you can possibly reuse the tube. Check the tube closely to see if there is a HOLE through - outside to inside - where that pin drug down the tube. It might be possible to SEAL it (or weld it if you have the tools) if there is one. If in doubt .. SEAL IT with RTV or similar when you press the flange back on (MAKE SURE YOU SET IT PROPERLY ON THE TUBE BEFORE PRESSING - it's a best guess, but it HAS to go back on in the same orientation and get pressed into the exact same spot that it SHOULD BE IN (not where it is now) - where the 'pin spot' is on the tube - so that the pin can be driven back into it's spot (put sealer into the pin hole before driving the pin in this time) and then you can reuse the whole assembly again .. if you've done everything right! .

Of course, the "EASY way" - once you've gotten the tube off the axle is to just REPLACE the axle tube and flange ... if you have a spare.

It's EASY (HA!) once you've done it a few times .
And.. then again, MAYBE (but not likely) Greg is right and the flange has NOT been driven outward on the tube and the leak is on the outside of the backing plate. The most likely suspect for that would be the ORING that fits underneath the outer spacer that backs up against the drum.  There is 'near to' an exact fit in the exact size of the oring and the spot inside that spacer where the oring fits. I have resused the oring numerous times - but have also had to take it back apart and replace the oring on occasion. FWIW, I have never used a paper gasket between the flange and the backing plate.  There is a large oring that fits around the outside of the outer bearing that fits in the flange.  I put on the outer bearing (often already there) - the large oring around the bearing - then the axle oring- then the paper gasket and then the seal housing (which often already has the spacer inside the seal (if new.. be sure to lube the inner lip of the seal with light grease) - then tighten the seal carrier and then the drum. I also almost always put the drum on BEFORE I tighten everything and pull the axle through the flange outer bearing - then make sure it spins the way it's supposed to. It takes 'a bit' to pull it into position - about what you can put on it with a short ratchet and one hand. You'll be able to tell when it's seated. After everything seems OK.. release and slip the drum back off to take care of the bearing cover bolts and look everything over again before the final PULL on the drum nut.

Good luck.. you'll learn A LOT doing this fix
Steve, FV80
...PS.. Since you just got this car, it IS possible that the longer tube was used.. but since you indicated that the car had been in a 'dust up' recently, I'm betting that the flange is slid down the tube from being airborne. Also.. in the case where I recently had to reseal the tube against the flange due to a hole caused by (most likely) the driving OFF of the tube from the axle).. I took a rag - stripped it down to a 'length of rag' and wrapped it around the flange at the axle PIN and TIED IT.. That grabbed most of the leaking oil until I had a chance to disassemble it for a proper fix... and unfortunately it STILL leaks.. but not nearly as much. I have added some external 'stop sealer' that has stopped it in the garage. It remains to be seen if it will hold up in actual track use. I also found that jacking the car to an angle so that the leaking tube is lower than the center section will tell you overnight if the leak is really fixed or not.

[housejoe]

Wow! Thanks for the detailed reply and instructions Stevan. I can’t imagine how long that took you to type, but I am grateful even though I think you may be right and that means bad news for me. Good news is that I have my spare long box transmission already mounted on a stand awaiting some adjustments, so I think I will swap tubes and repair this one and put it on the long box. Worst case is that I have to use the long box for school, if I can’t get the tube off of the axle. I’ll adjust valves tonight on both my cars (easy to knock out tonight) then dig into this tomorrow after work when I have more time to spend on it. I might give you a call if I get stuck..hope that’s OK. THANKS!!

[Steve Davis]

No problem, Joe. Call if you need me. If I don't answer, call DIETMAR , but he's in a different time zone, so keep that in mind.
Steve

[ExKartracer]

A side note. I had a deformed spacer between the axle and bearing (damaged when the axle was bent in a off track excursion), When the axle nut was tightened, there was run out on the drum face with a straight axle. Finally realized it was the spacer. Did not have a spare at hand so I carefully sanded the faces parallel.

[Steve Davis]

A side note. I had a deformed spacer between the axle and bearing (damaged when the axle was bent in a off track excursion), When the axle nut was tightened, there was run out on the drum face with a straight axle. Finally realized it was the spacer. Did not have a spare at hand so I carefully sanded the faces parallel.

I have had a similar experience.. and even found that MOST of those spacers are 'not perfect' (brand NEW ones are the worst). I keep a stash of 'quite a few' of those spacers in a bag. If I find that the brake shoes drag no matter what I do during adjustment, I try removing the drum and repositioning it by 1/4 turn at a time till I find the BEST match (that is mostly changing the orientation between the spacer and inside mating surface of the drum - which can also be 'not perfect') - it DOES make a difference almost every time. If I still don't find it satisfactory, I try another spacer and go through the process again. Yes.. it's an "issue", but it's well worth the effort to get the best (least) pedal throw possible and minimum brake drag on the track. If the brake shoe drags on the track, not only will it slow you down (keep you from speeding UP :-) ), it will heat up the shoe(s) and make them unpredictable (less predictable) in response.

Steve, FV80

[Steve Davis]

Well.. I just checked and it would seem that HouseJoe got his car running and is AT Roebling for the school today.. as well as Caroline - wife/daughter? (think I remember him saying he had TWO cars)

Regardless, congrats on making it and getting your CARS ON TRACK! Wishes for a completely successful weekend and .. when you get back, how about a report on what you found and how you decided to fix it.. or bypass the problem .. or whatever
Steve, FV80

[housejoe]

Hi Everybody,
Stevan is right, we did get on track and we had a very successful event the details (and long thank you list!) of which I will post in the Driving Schools thread that was started earlier this year. As for the “fix”, I decided to take the car as it was instead of trying to make the big repair with little time to spare. It turned out to be the right call, and at the track we applied some RTV to the back of the flange to slow the leak down, which was the best we could do. I’d like to say that I will start the long term repair this weekend, but my hauler broke a valve spring, or burnt a valve on the way home, so that gets the attention now. Our next event will be Road Atlanta in July, so I will make the repair and update this thread. I am as anxious to see the cause as you guys are!

[housejoe]

Well as the old disco song goes, I‘m back from “Outer Space”! The hauler engine which failed on the way home from the Roebling School is fixed (broken aftermarket roller lifter broke and destroyed the cam) which took some time to repair, my daughter’s high school graduation and college orientation are over so it’s finally time to work on the Vee’s again and get ready for the summer sizzle at Road Atlanta in July. So now an update to this old post along with a few newbie questions.
The winner of “guess the problem” appears to be Mr. Davis. In the attached picture you can see 2 indentations in the inside of the axle tube where it appears that the locking pin of the axle flange was forced outward on the axle which deformed the tube. Although this did not “rip open” the tube, it seems that due to the excess play it did allow enough movement to cause a poor interference fit between the flange and the tube resulting in the leak from the backside of the flange. I’m going to see if I can simply mill a new notch in the opposite side of the tube and re-use it. Thankfully everything came apart easily using a 3 jawed puller to pull the wrinkled part of the tube past the “bell” feature on the axle, then using a hydraulic press to remove the flange from the axle. No hammering on sensitive stuff required in my case.

Secondly, the trans was leaking profusely from the right side cover. After disassembly I can say it was not the “side cover” but rather the axle retainer which probably most of you knew already..The retainer is bent outward, likely due to the same shunt which which damaged the axle. So of course it won’t seal no matter how many shim gaskets and how much sealant the previous owner applied.

Both the top and the bottom surfaces of the retainer are bowed, although the top was a little better than the bottom. I did about 30 mins of searching online and it appears that the original retainer was prone to this type of damage, but it is no longer available.

I found these “reinforcements” available (pic attached). Has anyone here used them? If so, do I simply bolt them on over the current covers, and they will form the retainer back into shape? Or do I need to try to reshape the cover first and then install the reinforcements?

Thanks for reading and thanks even more for your replies and expertise. Joe

[Steve Davis]

Joe,
Straighten the retainer as best you can. The reinforcements that you have are WONDERFUL to help the retainer survive future 'incidents ' but won't keep a bent one from leaking. Yours looks pretty decent in the pic, but you need to put some TIME into straightening the retainer before using it again. After your best repair, always put the BEST sequence of 'flats' at the bottom. No.. you can't use extra gaskets to help the seal. The gaskets are used to set the free play of the packing flower between the flanges & the side cover. You want basically NO 'free end play' in the tube, but slight drag is preferred over sloppy end play. Always pay special attention to the BELLOWS and use 'enough sealer ' on them to keep them from leaking. Original VW type (no open side) are the best but the aftermarket versions that can be installed without removing the axle tube are fine if you install/seal them adequately.
Steve, FV80

[housejoe]

Thanks Steve!

[Steve Davis]

Short follow up... in straightening the flange, your 'wrench straight edge' (use something better.. wrenches often have a taper across their length) you can 'go low' a bit on the bolt holes. Such that when you tighten the nuts, that will FORCE the distance between the nuts into/onto the side cover a bit.

I set mine up with no sealer initially to pick the correct number of gaskets required (axle doesn't have to be there either). Once I have that number, I SEAL the gaskets to the flange at final assembly, but just lightly coat the side cover with grease. I also usually coat each individual gasket with grease before adding sealer to the flange. That way, if you have to remove the tube for 'whatever reason' at the track, the gaskets come away easily from the side cover and stay with the tube flange. If you are replacing the tube, you can count the gaskets and put that number on the new tube/flange and you're ready to go - assuming both flanges were ~straight to start with. Saves quite a bit of time.

I'll mention again .. in a HIGH PERCENTAGE of cases, the major part of a leak in that area is the bellows clamp - either to the flange or the axle tube. I ALWAYS put sealer on the flange and axle tube .. in addition to sealing between the small screws/bolts on the sides of the bellows when installed.. then coat the crap out of the end 'junctions' where the clamps are. I put LOTS of sealer there, install the clamps lightly and then let it set (if I have time - like home in the garage) for overnight. THEN go back and tighten the clamps the next day. ALSO.. when you install the bellows... right before you start to tighten the outer clamp, PUSH it toward the side cover a bit ... or pull the tube down to max angle to force it that way .. or both. During operation, the forces of the suspension movement tend to PULL the outer end of the bellows toward the side cover. There is quite a bit of force there if/WHEN you hit a 'pothole' or curb and it tends to break the seal if the bellows is already stretched tight. Pushing the bellows 'in' before tightening gives you more 'slack' in that force.

Steve, FV80

[Hardingfv32]

Something to consider about the use of axle bell reinforcements:

Where to you want the energy from an off road excursion to go, the axle bell or the transaxle studs. There is no limit to the possible force you might encounter from an off road experience. There is usually some penalty to be paid when you make a bis mistake.

Brian

[housejoe]

Hi Brian,

Good point, I had that in the back of my head as well. Oddly enough the stamped steel axle retainers are no longer available but there are plenty of brand new transaxle side covers and axle tubes for sale. Crazy, but I guess in the event of an excursion/damage I wouldn’t want to change a side cover or axle at the track, compared to just slapping on some RTV on the retainer to get through the weekend then repairing it at home…

I think my plan at this point is to reshape the retainer as best I can, then install it with the reinforcements to hopefully get it “the rest of the way”. Then if it makes a good seal (maybe 1 qt/month instead of 1 qt/day) remove the reinforcements and run it. Although I wouldn’t bet against human nature kicking in at that point, and leaving the reinforcements on only to deal with any potential consequences later…

Nevertheless, I appreciate the advice. Joe

[Steve Davis]

.. Oddly enough the stamped steel axle retainers are no longer available but there are plenty of brand new transaxle side covers and axle tubes for sale....

FYI ..
https://www2.cip1.com/c26-501-150/

Steve, FV80

[housejoe]

Well Golly…there they are. I guess all my google searches need to include the word “chrome” from now on…

[problemchild]

I found these “reinforcements” available (pic attached). Has anyone here used them? If so, do I simply bolt them on over the current covers, and they will form the retainer back into shape? Or do I need to try to reshape the cover first and then install the reinforcements?

The reinforcements actually make an excellent tool for straightening the covers by making a sandwich out of the cover. Best of all, your sandwich tool can be used at the track to fix a tweeked cover between sessions without disassembling the axle. Slide back the boot and cover, straighten, add sealer, then reinstall cover and boot. Another trick, when the axle bell is a bit tight, cut the gasket/shim at the top and install, again without disassembling axle or axle tube.

Note that the reinforcement plates won't work on some transmissions without installing longer studs.

[Steve Davis]

...Another trick, when the axle bell is a bit tight, cut the gasket/shim at the top and install, again without disassembling axle or axle tube.

Note that the enforcement plates won't work on some transmissions without installing longer studs.

Good post, Greg. I intended to mention the part about cutting the gasket(s) if needed... you can also cut one to remove if the tube ends up too loose. As long as you put the cut at the top it probably won't leak .. even if you don't put any sealer up there. I did forget to mention about the longer studs.. but most KITS come with the longer studs anyway....

Steve

[problemchild]

It is worth noting that every time you tweek the cover, you are likely tweeking the bell of the axle tube, certainly if in a crash, perhaps not in an off-road trip. There comes a point where you cannot ignore the tweeked bell and need to replace the axle tube. And to be more negative, if you have tweeked the axle tube bell enough to replace it, you should not be surprised if your axle and fulcrum plates need attention. If those pieces are chewed up, your car will be a dawg!

[housejoe]

Hi Greg, thanks for the tip, I had a look at the bell before I reassembled and it looked pretty good. However I did not remove the axle to inspect the fulcrum plates. But thanks for the tip, now I always have an excuse for my slow laptimes!

[Steve Davis]

Along the lines of this thread.. I found a couple drops of what appeared to be trans oil on the left rear wheel/tire this weekend. Decided to take the drum off before the race and pull the bearing cover to check the axle oRING... didn't get that far. I put the 14mm socket on the right bottom bolt to make sure I had the correct socket.. it MOVED .. I thought? Yep.. turned out it was 'not even' finger TIGHT.. and neither were ANY of the other 3 bolts. Tightened them all up and miraculously the leak STOPPED!! I immediately fired the SOB that left those things loose!! But then I had to hire him back again to tighten them .

Steve, FV80

[flattop414]

Along the lines of this thread.. I found a couple drops of what appeared to be trans oil on the left rear wheel/tire this weekend. Decided to take the drum off before the race and pull the bearing cover to check the axle oRING... didn't get that far. I put the 14mm socket on the right bottom bolt to make sure I had the correct socket.. it MOVED .. I thought? Yep.. turned out it was 'not even' finger TIGHT.. and neither were ANY of the other 3 bolts. Tightened them all up and miraculously the leak STOPPED!! I immediately fired the SOB that left those things loose!! But then I had to hire him back again to tighten them .

Steve, FV80

I’ve found the same thing once Steve , the old split washers fractured, and let the bolt loosen up , I only use the “ spring “ washers now , with a little blue locktite to back them up .