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I have searched this forum to no avail. I have a situation that I would like to correct... I have what appears to be axle endplay.
With the car on the ground If I push on the side of the rear fender (inline with the axle) and rock the car on its tires side to side I get an obvious "clunk-clunk" noise. I replaced the diff with an Eaton TruTrac a couple years ago & recorded .012 endplay on LH & .013 on the RH. I recently & "crudely" measured .015 on each axle while the car was up on jackstands under the swaybar brackets. LH side was not as obvious to feel, probably because of the brakes still in place, RH side I could easily feel the .015 endplay.
If my memory serves me, the only way to make this less would be to put shims under the bearing race inside the housing bore? What endplay would be acceptable?
Autocross season starts up again in Sept. and any help or direction is appreciated!
There was a thread talking about this but I can't find it right now. May google search this site and you could find it.
Thanks for the suggestion, I did a search "dana 44 axle "endplay" thirdgen.org" and only found one that describes what I am experiencing as far as the symptoms... but no real good answer to fixing it.
I do not have excess axial backlash in the ring-pinon gears (measured .008). The Eaton TruTrac does have axial backlash but but within acceptable range as noted in the Eaton manual "...Truetracs have a maximum lash of three to four degrees side-to-side between gears. This is normal and required for the superior torque transfer design..."
Additional info on the original Dana44 diff; before replacement I measured axle endplay @ LH=.008-.009, RH=.011, I never tried the side pushing to see if it made any noise though. Reason for replacement was a mis-machined casting that did not support the RH clutch pack clips, thus shearing the clips on the top 2 clutch disks.
The TruTrac has been awesome... a PIA to set up the ring&pion pla, but no regrets!
If you think about it, at least with my later version D44, I can't see how there's any endplay other than movement through the bearing.
If the bearings are locked onto the axle, and the axle/bearing assembly is bolted to the axle tube flange, where does the endplay come in? At most, wouldn't it be the tolerance that's in the bearing itself? And I would think that would be as close to zero as possible. I suppose there's a small amount with whatever is still compressible through the seal as well.
If you think about it, at least with my later version D44, I can't see how there's any endplay other than movement through the bearing.
If the bearings are locked onto the axle, and the axle/bearing assembly is bolted to the axle tube flange, where does the endplay come in? At most, wouldn't it be the tolerance that's in the bearing itself? And I would think that would be as close to zero as possible. I suppose there's a small amount with whatever is still compressible through the seal as well.
I think thats where the difference is, the seal shell height.
That's about the only place I can see any kind of compression. And I know with my bearing pack and seal, that's next to nothing.
FWIW, between my 1st rebuild of this rear end when I got it used in 2010 or so, to the time I had to replace and axle seal half a dozen years later, the bearing itself changed.
From a separate race in the axle tube and a tapered roller to an assembled unit. Not sure why that happened but it's tight. The seal, IIRC, is the same.
If you think about it, at least with my later version D44, I can't see how there's any endplay other than movement through the bearing.
If the bearings are locked onto the axle, and the axle/bearing assembly is bolted to the axle tube flange, where does the endplay come in? At most, wouldn't it be the tolerance that's in the bearing itself? And I would think that would be as close to zero as possible. I suppose there's a small amount with whatever is still compressible through the seal as well.
skinny z - now that i look over my pics of my removal I see what you are stating. The 4 bolt axle plate & back brake plate hold the seal which puts pressure on the taper bearing. If this is the case then since I have removed my axles and reinstalled them at least 3 times now without seal or bearing replacement... is the seal damaged/squished thickness wise? In the pic attached you can see torn RTV on the outside of the seal that I applied when I had reinstalled it. I would replace it but it is not that easy to do!
Also if the plates are the only thing putting pressure on the seal & bearing-to-race interface then wouldn't everyone have endplay on acceleration when the seal distorts thickness wise under pressure? I never checked it but I assume the seal is not of a solid non-compressible material in thickness.
Other observation on my situation; I could not feel this on the LH side, but on the RH side when the car is on jackstands under axle I can pull the wheel outward =.015 endplay and feel slight movement up&down and also left&right. If I push it inward = .000 endplay I can't feel anything up&down and left&right.
Does anyone have any klunking noise when their car is on the ground and they rock the rear fender parallel with the axle several times?
The bearing and seal package on my axle is extremely tight. That would be to say, no endplay that I recall being noteworthy.
Similarly, if the bearing is going out as one of mine did, you'll get endplay. And other issues. Even the clunking you're describing. My bearing failure was only found after I investigated the leaking axle seal.
That might be something to look in to.
FWIW, yours looks the be the early version of the 3rd gen D44. The axle tubes ends are different but the new bearing package may now look like the one below that's for the later version.
skinny z - I will definitely look into bearing & seal replacement. Yes the D44 is most likely the old version (axle date code was 3 29 4 3A = March 29, 1984 line3 1st shift) as I purchased & installed it new in 1988. Any suggestion on where to begin to find the parts needed? Also need to sort out the install tool for the retainer ring.
Yours lends some support to the flush end being the early version. Purchased new eh? Now that's an interesting bit of history right there. There are a couple of other forum members who did the same.
As for part numbers for bearings and seals, the latest from when I did a re-rebuild in 2017 is posted here:
Available just about anywhere you get your local auto parts from.
As for the locking ring installation tool, I used a drift punch and a hammer. Same with the bearing. They'll go on smoothly with the right touch. It doesn't hurt to heat the lock ring in the oven prior. That'll add a few thou over the interference fit.
Yours lends some support to the flush end being the early version. Purchased new eh? Now that's an interesting bit of history right there. There are a couple of other forum members who did the same.
As for part numbers for bearings and seals, the latest from when I did a re-rebuild in 2017 is posted here:
Available just about anywhere you get your local auto parts from.
As for the locking ring installation tool, I used a drift punch and a hammer. Same with the bearing. They'll go on smoothly with the right touch. It doesn't hurt to heat the lock ring in the oven prior. That'll add a few thou over the interference fit.
I see in your post from above #80 has part numbers for the bearing & seal. I found in my pics from a while back that the bearing cup was TIMKEN U261L, couldn't see the taper bearing as it is not visible, seal is a C/R 478978.
IIRC, the bearing PN has changed. Or rather the bearing in it's entirety has changed. It's no longer a 2-piece deal.
SKF BR9 VP.
That may cross reference to the Timken part number. You may also find that the Timken part is no longer a 2-piece arrangement.
I haven't dealt with DTS in years. I don't recall exactly where I got my bearings and seals from but for the most recent purchase, Summit comes to mind.
EDIT: Disregard the Set 10 reference. Not sure how I got that in the mix.
Any and all references are to a Set 9. And those should include the lock ring.
Last edited by skinny z; Jun 11, 2023 at 06:19 PM.
I will be unavailable to dismantle the axle until last week June as I will be traveling for a bit. I hate to tear it apart and then source parts... wish the full Spicer kits were still available! Looks like i'll be reusing the plate supporting the seal in place, shouldn't be any damage on that! Just need to source the retaining rings. Thanks for your help... gives me a place to start!
I will be unavailable to dismantle the axle until last week June as I will be traveling for a bit. I hate to tear it apart and then source parts... wish the full Spicer kits were still available! Looks like i'll be reusing the plate supporting the seal in place, shouldn't be any damage on that! Just need to source the retaining rings. Thanks for your help... gives me a place to start!
IIRC, the retaining rings are included with the Set 9 bearings. SKF, Timken, they all look to be the same.
I've no records of a seperate lock ring being ordered so I'm reasonably sure that's the case.
