Re: Holding in the Rear Axle

[SLarsonIH@domain.elided]

Morning Digesters,

<<This seems sort of scary... just a pressed on mental sleeve holding the axle
shaft in!!!  But I don't see them flying off on the freeway, so I guess it
works.>>

John, you would have, if you had been riding with me on that fateful night. It
was about 2 1/2 years ago, coming home from work at 11pm. I was on the freeway
doing a little better than 55, probably better than 70, when I heard this
thump. The right rear corner of my 74 Scout II seemed to drop a little, and I
noticed (remember, it's at night and it's dark) this thing rolling/bouncing
down the freeway along side me. It was my right side rear axle, brake drum and
tire, still attached to each other, I found out later. Sparks were shooting
out the back, where my backing plate was skidding on the pavement, as I also
discovered later.

I was in the far left lane of the four lanes, and I slowed to a stop, next to
the guard rail. I watched and prayed that no one would get hurt if they hit
the axle / target, before I could get it off the freeway. Well, two vehicles
hit it and sent it bouncing all over the place. One car didn't even stop and
the other, the insurance paid for. I finally retrieved the axle assembly and
pushed it off the freeway.

As a side note, the CalTrans tow truck operator couldn't figure out how to
hook up to the front, so I convinced the Cal Highway Patrol to let me just put
it in 4WD Low and drag the Scout under its own power off to the side of the
road.

For over a year since, I always got the jitters whenever I passed that spot on
the freeway, and any other curvy freeway.

It may be this reason that the bearings you get now for Scouts are a one piece
bearing assembly (The A10 bearing), not the two piece kind.

STeve