changing brakes on cast spoke hub drive axle

Some discard dust shields for ease of brake inspection when servicing the truck. Another advantage would be faster heat dissipation from the brakes and drums, but the drawback on the road is water spray hitting the brakes and drums when it's raining. Brakes don't work as well when they're wet.

When I remove an axle, I usually back the axle stud nuts out even or flush to the end of the stud. This helps save the stud in the case of a wild hit with a sledge. Then you only need to replace a nut and not a stud. You can hit that axle flange as hard as you like, you can't hurt it. Pretend your playing slow pitch softball and swing for the fence!

 

Hey Log Trucker, sounds like everybody's got you on the right track.
A couple things I do is first spray those wedges with Blaster or WD or something before you start, in 40 years I have never chiseled one of them and wouldn't know where you would chisel, just whack it with a BIG hammer they will loosen. Once they pop, take a small screwdriver and drive it straight into the split in the wedge (screwdriver shaft parallel with the stud), this opens it up enough to pull off the stubborn ones. When you put it back together, the book says to tighten the first nut to 200 ft lbs while rotating the hub, back it off till just loose, then re tighten to 50 ft lbs put lock on then second nut and tighten it. I don't remember the torque for the second one, I probably go 150 or so.
Good luck

Truckbiz has reported that he forgot a step in this procedure which may impair safety.

 

go ahead and do the other side. you have already had the worst of it with the learning curve. i have always replaced brakes per axle. free advice and worth every penny. johnny

 

You can use a little heat on them and an 8 lb sledge does wonders. Get mad at it!

 

You cant hurt the axle, hit it as hard as you can. As far as adjusting the bearing preload, after you tourqe the inner nut to 50ft lbs you have to loosen it 1/4 turn. Install the lock ring & outer nut & tighten that to 250-300 ft lbs. Sounds tight but real easy to get. Check the wheel end for play & readjust if needed. If you leave the inner nut at 50 without backing off the bearing will fail.

 

If your wife happens to start an argument during lunch, when you go back to work on it, it will come right out. Lol