Chevrolet 1977 light duty truck Service Manual page 365

8 - 1 / 2 and 8 - 7 / 8 RING
GEAR AXLE
AXLE ASSEMBLY
Construction o f the axle assembly is such that
service operations may be p erform ed with the housing
installed in the vehicle or with the housing installed in a
holding fixture. The following removal and installation
procedure is necessary only when the housing requires
replacement.
CAUTION: See C A U T IO N on page 1 o f this
section, regarding A x le Assembly fasteners.
Removal
1. Raise vehicle on hoist.
2. Support rear axle assembly with suitable lifting
device, so that tension is relieved in springs and shock
absorbers.
3. Remove trunnion bearing
axle com panion flange, separate trunnion from flange,
position propeller sh aft to one side and tie it to fram e
side rail.
N O TE : Secure trunnion bearing caps to trunnion,
using masking tape or a large ru b b e r band, to
prevent loss o f bearings.
4. Disconnect shock absorbers at lower attachm ent
points and position out of the way.
5. Disconnect axle vent hose from vent connector
an d position vent hose to one side.
6. Disconnect hydraulic brake hose at connector on
axle housing. Remove brake drum , disconnect parking
brake cable at actuating levers and at flange plate. Refer
to Section 5 for cable removal and brake details. Remove
" U "
axle " U " bolt nuts, bolts, spacers and clamp plates.
7. Lower axle assembly and remove from vehicle.
Installation
1. Position axle assembly under vehicle and align
w ith springs.
2. Install spacer, clamp plate and " U " bolts to axle
assembly, loosely install retaining nuts to " U " bolts.
3. Position shock absorbers in lower attachm ent
brackets and loosely install nut to retain shock.
4. Connect axle vent hose to vent connector at
carrier.
5. Connect hydraulic brake hose to connector on
axle housing, connect parking brake cable to actuating
levers. Install brake drum and wheel and tire a s s e m b ly -
bleed brakes and adjust park in g brake as outlined in
applicable portion o f Section 5.
6. Reassemble the propeller shaft to com panion
flange, m aking sure that b earing caps are indexed in
flange seat. Torque b earing cap
specifications.
7. Position vehicle so that weight is placed on
ON-VEHICLE SERVICE
suspension com ponents and torque affected parts to
specifications.
AXLE SHAFT
Removal
assembly and brake drums.
and the differential pinion shaft as shown in figure 4B-
14.
vehicle and remove
not to dam age oil seal.
" U "
bolts from the
wheel and tire assemblies and both rear brake drums.
4B-15.
into the case, then remove the lock screw.
out, as shown in figure 4B-16. Rotate the case until the
shaft touches the housing.
sim ilar tool, and rotate the C-lock until its open end
points directly inward, as shown in figure 4B-17. The axle
shaft cannot be pushed inward until the C-lock is
properly positioned.
retaining nuts to
8. Lower vehicle and remove from hoist.
1. Raise vehicle on hoist. Remove wheel and tire
2. Clean all dirt from area o f carrier cover.
3. D ra in lubricant from carrier by removing cover.
4. Remove the differential pinion shaft lock screw
5. Push flanged end o f axle shaft toward center o f
" C "
lock from button end o f shaft.
6. Remove axle shaft from housing, being careful
N OTE: Axles equipped with 8 -7 /8 " ring gears and
Eaton Locking differentials use a thrust block on
the pinion shaft which affects the removal of axle
shafts as noted below.
1. Raise the vehicle on a hoist. Remove both rear
2. Remove the rear cover and drain the lubricant.
3. Rotate the case to the position shown in figure
Support the pinion shaft so that it cannot fall
4. Carefully withdraw the pinion shaft part-way
5. Reach into the case with a screwdriver or