Water in rear

Thanks for the replies. It seems my project has taken another to turn toward delay.

I can't find any way to seal up the axle tubes to pressure test it. The inner diameter is 2 and 1/2 in and all the pipe plugs are either 2in or 3in. A 3in fernco fitting won't fit in a 2 inch too small.

I have a significant amount of money tied up between camshafts seals brakes and drums. I have another set of rears but I don't know if they take any of those parts. The original rears on the truck are Rockwell 40000 pounds and my spare rears are Eaton 40000 pounds, both hub piloted. I would hate to put the original rears together and go down the road and find that I have to buy all new parts for the spare rears because the parts are different.

So right now I'm leaning toward pulling out the spare set and seeing how they are. If they are good I guess I'll have to work on the original rears in the meantime, after I put the truck in service. I probably should take them apart to see how everything is inside, unfortunately.

I think the spare set of rears are probably in good shape but they have also have been sitting. Years ago we did drain one of those rears and everything was perfect. So aside from setting without oil in it I'll have to see how those rears are. Hopefully they are okay.

I suppose it's possible I could take the original rears apart now, but I've never been beyond replacing the yokes and seals. I'm not sure how involved it would be to get into them at least to be able to visually see that especially the bearings are okay. Any advice is welcome.

I really just want it to be Dependable for me that's all. And once I put them back under the truck I'd like to be done with them for a while.

 

I don't think anybody purposely put anything in there.

I bought the truck with a blown engine and it sat for 4 for 5 years. It was facing downhill and slightly elevated on the right hand side which is the slope here. Which also would put the Breather right exactly at the top in position to take water on. I pulled the Breather out today and it look like it was rusted pretty well on the inside. I definitely could not blow through it that's for sure.

I do think it's possible, maybe or maybe not on my truck, but that the housings can get a crack in them somewhere and take water on.

I had another truck years ago that had a crack under where the springs sit on the rear.