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Topic: Towing/drive axle issue (Read 2752 times) previous topic - next topic - Topic derived from A/C Compressor Question

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #20 –
WHAT!! Was it a defected shaft?

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #21 –
Quote from: rbark –
WHAT!! Was it a defected shaft?

Could be but more than likely combination of torque/HP and the shift point when he topped the pass. A broke drive shaft is common around here where someone has an oilfield rig out on a muddy oilfield road and misses a shift.

Mike

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #22 –
Quote from: Res777 –
Okay. It's been a while. Three months in the shop to be exact. Here's what the driveline issue turned out to be. The drivers side axle twisted into two pieces. I'll attach some pictures. And for bonus points while it was in the shop someone didn't set the parking brake and it coasted backwards across the parking lot into another vehicle.

That is a BIG A/C compressor shaft!

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #23 –
Failed hub bearing, lack of oil, spinning tire onto grippy surface , .

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #24 –
You may want to consider action against the tow company. If they had pulled both axles, the differential would not have turned at all during the 4 hour trip, thereby limiting the damage to a broken axle. Because the tow driver did not remove both axles, not only the the diff turn, some of the internal gears turned at double speed, and the spider gears, which are designed to only turn slowly while negotiating a corner, spun rapidly for 4 hours, possibly with no lubrication. And don't let them say you didn't insist on removing both axles. The driver is supposed to know that. That's what you pay for.

TOM

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #25 –
Quote from: OldManSax –
You may want to consider action against the tow company. If they had pulled both axles, the differential would not have turned at all during the 4 hour trip, thereby limiting the damage to a broken axle. Because the tow driver did not remove both axles, not only the the diff turn, some of the internal gears turned at double speed, and the spider gears, which are designed to only turn slowly while negotiating a corner, spun rapidly for 4 hours, possibly with no lubrication. And don't let them say you didn't insist on removing both axles. The driver is supposed to know that. That's what you pay for.

TOM

Since the shaft that was not removed was broken, it is possible the gears did not spin. If they did spin good chance gears are history

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #26 –
Shaft sheared at road speed when the diff seized up. I wouldnt put money towards repair. Find another rear end and swap it it.
 What a preventable shame. (Guessing sight unseen)Sorry to see this happen.

Re: Re: A/C Compressor Question

Reply #27 –
True back in the day,  I went through several axles on a C Gas Dragster.  The shortened axles that I tried to have welded and machined did not have the temper for the torque applied during runs. Machining new ones had marginally better results.  Re tempering seemed to be the key.  Not available to me at the time. Bottom line do not repair, replace you will have better results.  How do we change the subject on this thread?

Quote from: dsd –
Shaft sheared at road speed when the diff seized up. I wouldnt put money towards repair. Find another rear end and swap it it.  What a preventable shame. Sorry to see this happen.

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #28 –
Are all the grindings in the axel tube or did they come out when the oil was drained?
When towing with the broken axel you might be lucky and all the turning could be
the broken ends turning. What a shame the broken axel wasn't pulled. The broken axel
could have been replaced on the side of the road and as Mike had said getting the old
axel out might be hard but a chinese finger wire puller should do the trick, clean the
axel tube get a new axel and away you go.

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #29 –
Quote from: oldguy –
Are all the grindings in the axel tube or did they come out when the oil was drained?
When towing with the broken axel you might be lucky and all the turning could be
the broken ends turning. What a shame the broken axel wasn't pulled. The broken axel
could have been replaced on the side of the road and as Mike had said getting the old
axel out might be hard but a chinese finger wire puller should do the trick, clean the
axel tube get a new axel and away you go.
Again would be nice to know the sequence of events. Broken axle may of happened 3.5 hours into tow?

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #30 –
I agree about going after tow company.  If both axles would have been pulled when picked up for tow, we would know if broxen axle was cause of breakdown or not  If gears were the cause, way more damage was caused with only 1 axle removed

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #31 –
Quote from: dsd –
Again would be nice to know the sequence of events. Broken axle may of happened 3.5 hours into tow?
The spider gears would tell us what broke first.  If the spider gears aren't seized, the axle let go first and that's why drive was lost. 

FWIW, if the repair quote is $9,600 then that's the number to beat.  In 2008 did the new owners of Foretravel still furnish a binder with all of the truck parts listed?  The OP already owned a used rear axle, another used rear axle would be, in my opinion, a step up over rebuilding what he already owns.

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #32 –
Sorry but how many times have I posted that you have to remove both axles when you tow? I didn't guess about this, I called Dana Spicer and went to the engineering dept. The axle covers are cheap and easy to install.

Pierce

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #33 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Sorry but how many times have I posted that you have to remove both axles when you tow? I didn't guess about this, I called Dana Spicer and went to the engineering dept. The axle covers are cheap and easy to install.

Pierce
The tow operator can be intimidating to those who don't remember that it's their nickel on the table and their machinery at risk.

But in the long run, having the drive shaft spin and the rear wheels not means that either the two-speed is between gears or something broke.  Does Foretravel use vacuum shift or electric two speed rear axles?

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #34 –
I got into an argument with a late forum member about the axles having to be pulled which resulted in me calling Spicer. The spider gears normally just sit there doing almost nothing if going straight down the road. They don't even have needle/roller bearing but just plain bronze bearings. When one axle is pulled and the tow is started the spider gears spin very rapidly and the faster the tow is, the faster they spin. They can't get enough lubrication this way and overheat, causing a big failure.

Some tow truck drivers like the ones we see on YouTube are sharp guys but many are not and the only training they get is the word of mouth alternative facts they get from others. When it comes down to it, the person to blame is the one in the mirror.

That's one of the reasons I took the big hub covers off as they took a lot of time to remove before I could get to the axle nuts on the hub.

Pierce

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #35 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Some tow truck drivers like the ones we see on YouTube are sharp guys but many are not and the only training they get is the word of mouth alternative facts they get from others. When it comes down to it, the person to blame is the one in the mirror.
Pierce
I'm not above being intimidated myself.  Recently I purchased a Beseler M(N) 45 enlarger nicely equipped from a camera store in Atlanta.  It was bigger and better equipped than I thought and between my telephone call and arrival the price went down.  I came equipped and ready to break this beast down into manageable sections but the seller insisted on loading it into my car.  Because I didn't put my foot down and risk insulting the man infront of his helper, I now need to either straighten the lower negative stage or purchase a new one.  My fault for wanting to stay on the better side of one of the few remaining film camera stores.

The same goes with tow truck drivers except I know there's plenty of those guys around and they're on my turf.

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #36 –
Okay a short update. The problem with the driveline was the drivers side axle twisted into two pieces as per the picture. I suspect the metal found, which wasn't much. Was from the two pieces of the axle rubbing on the tow to Denver. That was also the slow thumping noise coasting down that I heard. The service managers best guess was. A-The axle came from the factory with a defect. Or B-The PO got into a wheel spin situation and that wheel suddenly regained traction and stressed the axle and it took a while to fail. They pulled the passenger side axle and noted no apparent damage. Flushed the differential twice. My concern was any damage from the tow. Like wheel bearings. They took it on a long test drive and noted no abnormalities. I just returned to Dallas with the coach yesterday. No problems from the rear end that I could tell. Hopefully that's the end of that story.

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #37 –
You should be fine as with the drivers side axle broken right at the drive plate it is like having the axle out. If that axle had not been broken you may have had a major o sheet even if the passengers side was removed.

Mike

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #38 –
And as a caveat. The bill ended up being a coach buck. Not 10. That was like Christmas all over again. Now maybe I can afford new tires. 😂

Re: Towing/drive axle issue

Reply #39 –
Another Denver thread. 🤦🏻‍♂️😏