I need to pull my rear third member out. I know pretty much what I have to do, but I'm told that it is possible to pull the axles out without disassembling the brakes - just take off the 4 bolts on the backing plate, undo the brake line, and slide the axle out. Is there any truth to this, or am I going to have to disassemble the rear brakes?

 

It's true, you don't have to remove the drums. In fact you don't even really have to remove the wheels. Don't forget to remove the parking brake cable as well as the brake line.

And it's not a good idea to let the axle rest on the seal, completely remove them. Otherwise you'll probably end up with a leak. Maybe a good time to even change the seals.

 

Great info to know, thank you!

 

x2, although I'm not sure how you would undo the ebrake cable without taking off the wheels...

 

x2

It took me longer to unbolt the 3rd then to remove the axle shafts.

 

Access to the e-brake cable is easy if you have wheels with less back spacing, such as 3.75 in or less.

Personnally, I would remove the wheels otherwise the axle w/wheel attached might be too heavy to handle easily, especially for re-installation.

 

Sawzall




This is my 2000th post, do I get a prize

 

yeah, a sawzall blade. a red one.

 

I always change the axle seals when I pull out the axle shafts. If I don't it will for sure start leaking on me. They're so cheap it's not worth the hassle of having to pull it back apart. Another helpful tip is I'll take a couple of vacuum plugs and put them over the brake lines when I undo them. Keeps the fluid from leaking out.

 

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