Anyone had to weld/repair their rear axle brackets?

[cbv8]

Hi All,
Having bought my second Collie a 1999 VX after a selling my last one in i 2008 i now find my rear diff/axle is in a bad state ie the hanger brackets have split in two has anyone repaired these brackets and if so i would really appreciate any advice or guidance. Shayne and others have advised me but i thought i would throw this out to the rest of you for any more advice or suggestions? thanks in advance ;-)

 

[Shayne]

With both pics things don't look so bad , i think i would want to repair it with weld .

 

[Beau]

You should check the overall condition of the axle first. If you'll need to be doing more welding down the line then a new case might just be worth it... Once you can swap things over yourself and want to keep the truck long term that is...

However, I'm sure that can be welded up fine/reinforced a bit. Just need to find someone who knows what they're doing. Whilst you're at it, gets as much of that rust taken care of to prevent anything like that occurring again.

 

[cbv8]

Well seems the mounting bracket was completely rotted off the axle and just floating in mid air i removed and strengthened the bracket up with quarter galv steel from an Anchor i just had lying around scruffy i know but i can't see this breaking again

 

[clivehorridge]

As long as it's strong and welds onto the axle ok, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

good job

 

[Shayne]

I would be more concerned about making it run straight and true than i would about strength . A horrible miserable comment but better thought about before than after

 

[cbv8]

I would be more concerned about making it run straight and true than i would about strength . A horrible miserable comment but better thought about before than after

Not really Shayne i welcome any comments or advice which i really appreciate the bracket looks a blooming mess as there are welds over welds i intend nipping up the tie bar and then positioning the bracket to the axle with as you say all straight and true then tack weld in place and the go from there

 

[clivehorridge]

Not really Shayne i welcome any comments or advice which i really appreciate the bracket looks a blooming mess as there are welds over welds i intend nipping up the tie bar and then positioning the bracket to the axle with as you say all straight and true then tack weld in place and the go from there

Yep, that's the way, nobody likes to see or drive a crabbing vehicle.

Personally I would take as many measurements as you can, ideally center to centre of the mounting eyes, chassis to axle.

Are the eyes on the chassis secure or rotten to degree that they're moving?

If secure, as long as the new ones on the axle give you equal measurement each side, you should be OK.

It's all logical stuff, but very critical to a straight drive.

 

[cbv8]

Yep, that's the way, nobody likes to see or drive a crabbing vehicle.

Personally I would take as many measurements as you can, ideally center to centre of the mounting eyes, chassis to axle.

Are the eyes on the chassis secure or rotten to degree that they're moving?

If secure, as long as the new ones on the axle give you equal measurement each side, you should be OK.

It's all logical stuff, but very critical to a straight drive.

The eyes??

 

[Shayne]

Where the bolts go through like the eye of a needle

 

[cbv8]

All done now a bit of a claggy mess but i think it should hold but i really do need a new/used axle pretty soon i think the eyes were all good thanks again all for you invaluable advice next job while i'm under there is to remove the rotten centre silencer and replace with a nice none restrictive through pipe

 

[clivehorridge]

Good to see it back together.

I like the technical term "claggy" it means nothing, but there's no other word that fits quite so well.

 

[cbv8]

My late best friend used to use the word Spurious to describe anything none factory he was a character

 

[Shayne]

it might last years i think the trouble with genuine axle mounts is they have a drain hole that very easily gets blocked so if you get road salt in there it never gets washed out . It's supposition but while rotten mounts seem fairly common it might explain why only some trucks suffer ?

 

[diggerdave]

it might last years i think the trouble with genuine axle mounts is they have a drain hole that very easily gets blocked so if you get road salt in there it never gets washed out . It's supposition but while rotten mounts seem fairly common it might explain why only some trucks suffer ?

I agree. It's part of my routine checks - jab a small screwdriver up through the (tiny) drain holes to clear them. They are there at the front and back of the mounts, at the point where they meet the axle tube. The front ones on mine had rusted over and the back ones weren't far behind.

 

[cbv8]

Diggerdave i wish to god you hadn't mentioned the front ones that's got me worried now

 

[diggerdave]

It's the ones at the back that drain most I think - certainly I only discovered the ones on the front of the mounts later and one of them was completely sealed by rust and the other not far behind.

This thread prompted me to clean my holes out again. I'd neglected them for a while and although no liquid came out I was horrified by how much dried mud came tumbling out when I poked with a screwdriver

 

[Shayne]

Diggerdave i wish to god you hadn't mentioned the front ones that's got me worried now

I think maybe you misinterpreted Dave's comment ?

He means the front drain hole not the front axle .