75 cj5 dana 44 rear axle

I am new to the jeep world and I just bought a 75 cj5 with a 304 v-8.
I have already installed a Hydraulic clutch kit.
The axle bearings in the rear are shot.
I have already tore down the axle, but i need to know if the bearings are pressed onto the axle shaft; or into the housing.
If anyone can help, thanks in advance.

PS
I would also like to know were is the best place to order the parts from.

 

Your typing gives me a headache.

The bearings are pressed on the shafts. When you remove the shafts, the race will most likely stay in the housing, but it comes out easy.

You'll need new bearing, seals, and retainers. I bought some for my '73 from my local Car Quest. The bearings came with the retainers. The seals were separate. If you're not familiar with removing press-fit retainers and bearings from an axleshaft it's best to bring them to your machine shop or auto parts store and let them do the job for you.

(edit - thanks for fixing your post!!)

 

When you say retainers are you talking about the piece that is next to the bearing on the inward side of the axle that just looks like a ring? Also there are 2 seals 1 on each side of the bearing correct??? The piece that looks like a circle with the top cut off that bolts to the flange on the end of the housing that holds in the seals are rolled out were they go against the seals are they suposed to be like that or should they be flat?

 

Yes, those plain steel rings inside the bearings are the retaining collars, as opposed to the retaining plates that bolt to the axle housing.

The seal can kinda separate when you remove the shaft. Generally speaking, there are two seals: one pressed into the ID of the axle tube. This keeps the majority of gear lube from the pumpkin from running to the bearing. If the outer seal is bad and this happens all the diff lube can pour out if the rig is parked on an angle. I generally leave the old inner seals in place and don't replace them - I'd rather have more gear lube getting to the axle bearings. The other goes between the bearing and retaining plate. This is the one you need to replace when replacing the bearings.

When you reassemble, put the retaining plate on first, then the seal, then the bearing. Press the bearing on first before the retaining collar. Then, once it's fully-seated, press on the retaining collar. The collars just help prevent any possibility of the bearing moving on the shaft.

If you keep the inner seals, be sure to run a really good axle grease on the axle bearings.

(edit - post a pic of what your question is about and we can explain better)

 

Here's a photo of a shaft from my '73 so you can see. I chucked it on my drill press and drilled the collar nearly all the way through to the shaft. Then I took a chisel and cracked it. Once it's cracked it slides right off. I then used an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel to remove the cage and rollers from the bearing. Then I ground a couple deep slits in the bearing shell making sure not to go into any shaft material. Once I had a deep divot, the chisel was used to crack the shell and I removed the bearing.

The seal (black part seen) kind of indexes the back of the bearing and can look like it's made of 2 pieces, but it's really a one-piece design. It just separates sometimes when removed. When you buy your outer wheel bearing seals you'll only get one per side.

 

Okay that makes some sense. The retaining plates are concaved where they go against the seals, are they suposed to be like that or are they suposed to be flat? You said something about inner bearings i didnt see any only the 1 on the outer end of the shaft.

 

Slightly-concave is fine. They just keep the bearing/seal pressed firmly in the housing. It also kinda squishes the OD of the outer axle seal into the bore. That's why the OD of the outer seal is rubbery. It's designed to squish a bit - that plate is what does it. Before these new-fangled seals you would smear a bit of silicone on the OD of the seal so you wouldn't get a leak between the seal and housing.

I edited that post. I wrote "inner bearings". I meant "inner seals". Got 3 kids screaming and clawing at me! Tough to concentrate.

Play time. Gotta go.

 

Thanks you had me worried. How do i tell if i have a open diff or a ls? Ther are 4 spider gears in the carrier 2 that the axles slide into and 2 smaller ones that tie into the ones tha the shafts slide into.

 

Put a picture up of the case (carrier) - the thing that the ring gear is mounted on. Either that, or you should have a "use limited slip oil only" tag on one of the cover bolts if you have a Trac-Lock. With an open differential, with both wheels up in the air, you turn one wheel and the opposite wheel turns the opposite direction. With a LSD or locker, the opposite wheel turns the same way.

Supposedly a Trac-Lock can be so worn out that it acts like an open differential, but I've never seen one that worn.

 

When i turn 1 wheel the other turns the other way.

 

You have an open differential or a trac-lock that is shot.

I have seen them worn out that far and tons of them broken, but I deal with this stuff day in and day out so see far more of them than the average person.

 

Instead of starting a new thread, I thought I'd just piggy-back on this one. I've got a '73 with the flanged axles and just pressed new bearings/retaining rings and ready to reinstall. My question is the inner seal. I don't think the PO had inner seals on this thing. Are they necessary? If so, I can't seem to get the new inner seal to fit into the axle housing. They're just slightly too large. Is there a trick to getting them in there? Thanks for your help.

 

some people run without the inners are you sure all the old seal is out of the bore?

 

The inner seals are a press fit into the housing. They must be driven in. Make sure the old ones are out first and the bores are clean.

 

I figured out why they wouldn't fit. the outer ring of the old bearing were still in there and I never realized it. I was able to remove one side and completely install with the inner seals. Now gotta work to get the other one out. Thanks guys!