[Booey]

I was checking the rear brakes today on my 68 Coupe. I noticed that at the center of the rear brake area was all wet with what smelled like differential fluid.

How hard is it to replace that outer axle seal ?
Any tips would be most appreciated.

 

[butchd88]

take the 4 nuts holding the axle in by putting socket through the hole in the axle where the wheel studs are,then you can pull on axle to get them out,if they don't come out buy just pulling on them i reverse the brake drum put it on the axle studs,start about three lug nuts on the axle stud with flat side of lug nut in,not tight about the width of the nut,then give it a good tug and the axle will come out,then i use the end of the axle to pop out old seal.you can use a seal installer from advane auto parts or most any parts store. hope this helps

 

[Jonk67]

Honestly to go as far as the seal I'd go ahead and get new bearings pressed on your axles while you're there, they are 40yrs. old and will dry out and lock up eventually, my '67 did ~2yrs. ago and my '70 did back in 1988, once they lock you can't even roll the car. The bearings are like $20 each and a shop usually charges 1/2 hour labor to press the old ones off/new ones on ~$30-$45, call a couple muffler/ brake shops around you. If you have to do it later you'll have to tear it down to the same level as you do to do just the seals.

Here's a few pics of when I did mine, I rented the axle puller (in pic, looks like a slide hammer) from the local parts store free rental when I returned it. Lisle makes the seal puller sold at most parts stores, worth the investment, hooks and pulls them easily. Figure out what axle you have, get the bearings, seals, gaskets and fresh fluid, do it all at the same time and you won't have to think about it for another 20 years. You'll have to rebleed your brakes as trying to move the brake backing plate to the side will probably kink the line.

Good news is you don't have to remove the brake shoes/springs, leave it all connected and remove it as one piece once you disconnect the brake line, let it hang by the emergency brake cable or support it. That's about the easiest way I found for reassembly. There are 2 paper gaskets, one on the axle flange and one inside the backing plate.

If you don't have a shop manual for your car this is a good time to get one from any mustang parts supplier (NPD, MU, etc.) they're <$50 and worth it for the pics and torque specs. I keep all my notes in mine for casting numbers, serial numbers, part #'s and dates things were replaced like rear axle bearings.
Jon

 

[butchd88]

you can do the job leaving the backing plate on,just put 2 backing plate nuts back on to hold it in place,i guess i am telling you how to do it the easy way with limited tools,this is how we did it at the dealership,but then again we were getting paid flat rate the faster you did a job the more money you made.jonk57 is telling you how to do the job with all the tools available to you which is the technical way which is absolutly correct.

 

[Lizer]

I'd second what Jon says (but when haven't I not? :bigthumbsup)

Go to your parts store and get their loaner seal removal tool and bearing/seal installer. It will be no cost to you and you don't have to worry about scratching the seal surface. Butch's response there has me scratching my head, because having the right tools on hand makes the job FASTER *and* higher quality. Once I finally broke down and got the seal puller it made my life so much easier. Those seals can get in there pretty tight and refuse to come out.

 

[Jonk67]

Looking back at my old pics and thinking about it I guess the only reason to remove the backing plate is to get the paper gasket changed between it and the flange, am I right Butch?

The bearing and seal will both fit through the hole in the backing plate with it attached, right again Butch?

Be careful putting the shafts back in that you don't tear/damage the new seal, steady hands.

It may be simpler than I made it but I always tear things all the way down when needed or not, hence my signature line I came up with after the wife complained too many times, 'now it doesn't work, why did you fix it?'

I'd second what Jon says (but when haven't I not? :bigthumbsup)

You're a smart man Lizer, but watch the double negatives:kooky:
Jon