Rear wheel play

[Antiquated 3]

I posted a thread a while back about the left rear wheel sliding in and out on my 8 speed C-145. Everyone said it was normal to have a little of that. Well I finally measured it and it slides out a full inch which seems excessive to me. I just want to make sure an inch of side to side travel is normal so I can rest easy about it. Thanks!

[1054josh 25]

That's excessive wow about an 1/8 inch I can understand but not an inch. Time to split tranny and find out what's loose or broke. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news.

[stevasaurus 22,872]

Yep...time to open up the tranny.  It is most likely the "C" clip came off inside the differential.  It holds the axle in the trans on the back side of the axle gear.

[Antiquated 3]

Thanks guys. I figured something was wrong. I guess I'll be tearing into it soon. Here's a picture of what I'm looking at.

[Anglo Traction 761]

Just before you tear into the Transmission, just try checking to see if the whole Wheel and Hub is floating in and out on the Shaft and Not the Shaft and Wheel moving in and out of the Transmission.

Sometimes the Hub Bolt and locknut get loose. Worth checking first 

[1054josh 25]

Ya know in that picture it looks like the key is sticking out at the top of the axle. So you might get lucky and be that its just a loose hub bet that would make ur day. I know it would mine. Let us know what you find.

[meadowfield 2,595]

A c series hub sits 1 inch out like that, are you sure it's not just the hub sliding on the shaft?

[Lagersolut 680]

The axle looks wet to me, I can tell you from experience,  if you have a leaky seal and it's ( gear oil ) getting under your hub you can tighten that hub till your blue in the face and it's still going to float on the axle ....jumping on what Josh said , 1/2 '' of your key is showing which leads me to believe that hub is floating from a bad seal .....if so buy the seal and hub bolts .

[stevasaurus 22,872]

A picture is worth a thousand words...  

[Antiquated 3]

I pulled the wheel off when I got home from work and the hub was just loose...I hope. I loosened the set screw and removed the hub completly. The axle was very well oiled so the seal may be bad. I put the hub back on and tighted the set screw as much as I could and now there is zero movement. I'll keep an eye on it and see what happened. It looks to me that the woodruff key is what keeps the wheel from falling off so I'm not sure how the wheel didn't fall off since the key was visible.

[Lagersolut 680]

Keep a close eye on it ,, my seal wasn't even leaking enough to leave spots on the floor, just enough to wet the axle and float the hub - through my procrastination it ended up rubbing the transmission case and rounding out a hub ruining the hub , I'd check the trans oil before using it - was never down ,  figured if it's not running out affecting the oil level what will it hurt -tighten the hub here and there

 

[Antiquated 3]

How hard is it to replace that seal? It looks like just a little O ring.

[Lagersolut 680]

How hard is it to replace that seal? It looks like just a little O ring.

 

 

Not hard at all - your leaky seal has your axle and hub all lubed up and loose you're 3/4 home - take your wheel/hub off - to get the seal out I use one of those paint can openers you get at Lowe's free when you buy paint - get the old seal out/ check the up/down play on the axle - clean off all your burrs - tape your key-way slot ( I also wrap the shaft with plastic wrap - same wrap the wife uses for left overs ) lube up ( i use 3 in 1 ) the new seal and shaft - gently and evenly slide seal down to case - I seat mine with a black iron nipple with end cap on tapping end and only use like a 8-10 oz ball peen to tap .

 

I read on here it's also good to replace the hub set screw because they round off on the bottom and won't set/lock on the key....they're cheap...like a dollar give or take .

 

I will tell ya- if I had it to do over again, wouldn't have left mine go - it ends up screwing more stuff up.

 

 

Bryan

Edited September 7, 2013 by Golds-Red

[Jeff-C175 7,203]

The setscrew bolts for those hubs will NEVER be tight enough if all you use is an adjustable or open end wrench.  The screw WILL loosen up again, guaranteed.

 

You need to torque those to 30 LB/FT and the only way you are going to do that is with a proper 8-point socket.

 

Fact is though, as others have already said, that if the set screw is worn, you need a new one.  The KEY is also worn, and most likely the keyway slot in the axle as well.

 

More info here: