Event Coverage The Curse of the Grand Canyon....Big Olds Needs an Axle

Btt

 

I had a similar problem w/ a '90 Suburban about 3 yrs back. Burned up the drivers side axle bearing- bad enuff that the tire actually caught fire from the heat the bearing generated. Ahhhh, that was fun.

I replaced the bad bearing, & within 100 miles it had gone out again. I replaced the axle shaft & had no more trouble. The old guy at the parts place told me the axle had a "temper" to it when it was made, & the temper had been burned off from the heat of the 1st bearing going out, & the result being the failure of the 2nd bearing. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but after replacing the shaft, I drove the Sub another 40K miles before I sold it.

A new axle shaft may be all you need.

 

Just talked to Denise and offered to help if she was close to Wichita tomorrow. She is in Arizona and doing fine for now. Is taking the south route

 

Just a lift to the top!!!

 

We will take good care of Denise and Megan when they get to Joplin.....whatever it takes.

chicken

 

Have a 70 Olds (original owner) bolt in axles replaced one with auto parts store bearings they split ended up with NOS which have held up. If the replacement bearing has a groove on the outer race they will split the first time you make a turn. Hope that helps

 

Yeeeeesh ..thats ugly, well ..if for some reason it poops out again within any distance of here (dfw) I can run up with trailer ,etc and rescue them if need be ..and get it somewhere where it can be repaired

 

You watched all 3 bearings get replaced? Did all 3 bearings get packed with grease before install? That's one guess, in case they did not, the car would need to be tilted to that side during the first few miles to send oil down the axle tube.

2nd guess. The guys who suspect that it has a c-clip eliminator bearing kit? Is it possible that the preload is WAY too much? Heck, I can't even tell if that was once a straight roller bearing that needs no preload or if it was a tapered bearing that needs the preload.

 

That's some incorrect information there ...

70 to 72 Monte Carlos did come with 10 bolt rear ends.
My Hollander says that a 1970 Monte Carlo with a 10 bolt cover uses a 2.5 OD roller bearing. Most likely sort of rare. The bearing number is listed in the Hollander as U15782JJRA.

1973 to 1975 Monte Carlos do have a axle that is retained with 4 bolts like a 9 inch Ford. Hopefully that is what she has. The 73 - 75 Monte Carlo shares the 2.5 OD roller bearing with the 70 Monte Carlo ... but not the axle shaft. The 73 - 75 axle is longer.

IF hers is a 73 - 75 Monte Carlo rear end ...
then a axle shaft from one of these cars is a interchange match,


73 - 75 Buick Special
73 - 75 Chevelle
73 - 75 Gran Prix
73 - 75 Oldsmobile F-85
73 - 75 Tempest ( but not a Station Wagon )
73 - 75 El Camino or GMC Sprint

If hers is a 1970 Monte Carlo ...
It will need to be a 1970 axle ...
Hollander does not list a interchange for the 1970 axle shaft.

 

That is the same kind of bearing I had trouble with. The bearing is captured and there is no pre-load the groove causes the outer race to split and the rollers are no longer captured causing the rollers to float and self destruct. Your axle does not have a clip eliminator kit. The thick ring keeps the bearing from moving on the axle and is pressed on. If you can't find the original type bearing and can trailer the Olds home do it because the problem will come back quickly

 

Sorry I didn't include this I got my NOS from a fellow named George @910-693-3324 I think he is in the Carolina's but you might be able to get a sat delivery on UPS.

 

Aaahh... The curse of the 69-70 GM A-body rear axle... Been there, done that... And didn't enjoy it

I had that exact same axle, 10 bolt, 28 spline that came out of a 69 pontiac le mans. Pain in the azz to find a replacement.

FWIW, your absolute BEST BET is to replace the whole rear end with one from a 71-72 A-body. As of 71, GM decided to "cut the ****", and go with the [superior] 8.5 inch 10 bolt in all A-bodies. It's the same 10 bolt they used up untill just a few years ago. Parts are pleantifull and cheap[er] than what you have now.

 

Hope you get this fixed ASAP. It will not be the same if you are not at Mokan.

 

10:15 just talked with denise she is west of albuquerque, eyes are tired, then we got cut off. i'll check on her in the morn. anyone find an axle ?

 

Lets be careful out there! At the very least please take the time to touch
the axle ends on both sides at every stop you make. Shouldn't be too hot
and checking both sides should give you an early indication of a bearing in
distress if one side is noticeably hotter than the other. Lose the hubcaps,
at least till you get to Joplin. Help is coming from the far reaches of
Hambland,and thats always cool to watch happen.

 

Jesus, i'm still on the 'trim' thread...I cant keep up with you!!

Sorry to hear of your misfourtune but sometimes they make the best stories and the trip soo worth it...Keep doing your thing girl and enjoy the rest of the world you lucky mutha!!

Back to polishing this 'trim'.

 

Hooley and I are at Santa Rosa for the night and headed on home tomorrow. We must be just east of her.

John

 

Well this isn't on topic for this post, but I just have to say I admire the heck out of you Denise for all the road tripping you do in Big Olds. (I also envy you a little)......wish I had the time.

 

Jeff's right, I'm beat. My eyes hurt from all the sun and heat today.
We both got some bad fuel east of Flagstaff and Malcolm's clutch cable went out in Gallup. Rough day on the cars.

We are stopped in Albequerque for the night and will get an early start in the morning. Have been feeling the hubs at every stop. All seems fine right now. I'm still hoping for an axle in Joplin....maybe folks can look while at the Springfield swapmeet.

In any event, I had already decided early this year I was going to replace the whole rear end. Just a bummer this happened now and not closer to the end of the cruzn season. Beatnik is right, I just want to get Big Olds home in one piece.

I sure hope Ken and Vicki have that blender going in the parking lot. All three of us will need a stiff one after the last couple of days.

Thanks to all for the phone calls. Makes me feel like I've got all my buds traveling right along with me.

 

That Grand Canyon is a hell of a pothole. I'm just a little surprised at what gentleman we have here. Not one joke about you posting pictures of your rear end on the internet! There are so many ways they could have gone with that.
Good luck Denise, keep smiling

 

I've got a 10 bolt from SOMETHING. I got it from RDSTR31. Needs backing plates. Chad thought it was El Camino, I believe. If you make it home without a change and it fits, you can have it. I can even deliver.

Be safe, sweety! Hmm, checking both sdes of your rear end at each stop is a tempting idea. Need any help!?

 

If I could tell what rear end that Big Olds has For Sure, then I could probably help. I hear that it could be a BOP ten bolt? Hopefullywe can figutre this out soon.

Goood luck on the rest of the trip.

Jeff

 

good luck on makin it back denise, did someone put a c clip eliminator kit in the rear end ????

 

Not all '71s had the 8.5. My buddy has a '71 Cutl*** w/ an "O" type axle, and I have seen Chevy 8.2s under '71 Chevelles.

The rear in that olds definitely looks BOP, as ALL Chevys would have had C-clips.

 

btt

 

Update
Just talked to Denise, they are at the New Mexico-Texas border and everything is fine. They should roll into Joplin early this evening.

 

Unfortunately the blender did not make it but there is plenty of booze here plus our special someone has his special bottle of tequila. And I think someone posted that they made jello shooters !!

See you soon, you have our cell phone numbers if there is anything we can do to help give us a call.

 

So does this mean your not goint to race the "Big Olds" against Lidross's Valiant?

Would that be a push? some of us had money on that race....

 

Any updates .... ?

 

bttt

anyone know how shes doin