Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

[Glen C.]

I was checking the runout on my rear brake dicks & noticed quite a bit of drag & a noise as I rotated the spindle. This is with the half shaft connected but with the brake caliper removed. The drag was in about 30 degrees of the spindle rotation. I started the engine in forth gear & the assembly vibrated quite a bit at first then it smoothed out. I tried turning the spindle by hand again after running the engine for 5 minutes. There was less drag but the noise was gone. The vehicle has been setting for many years, but the assemblies were rebuilt shortly before the vehicle was taken out of service. I'm debating weather to just change out the trailing arm assembly (again) or just see if the bearings will smooth out with more use. Has anyone else experienced a problem similar to this?
Need advice, Please, Thanks, Glen.

[Joe L.]

Re: Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

I was checking the runout on my rear brake dicks & noticed quite a bit of drag & a noise as I rotated the spindle. This is with the half shaft connected but with the brake caliper removed. The drag was in about 30 degrees of the spindle rotation. I started the engine in forth gear & the assembly vibrated quite a bit at first then it smoothed out. I tried turning the spindle by hand again after running the engine for 5 minutes. There was less drag but the noise was gone. The vehicle has been setting for many years, but the assemblies were rebuilt shortly before the vehicle was taken out of service. I'm debating weather to just change out the trailing arm assembly (again) or just see if the bearings will smooth out with more use. Has anyone else experienced a problem similar to this?
Need advice, Please, Thanks, Glen.

Glen------


I assume that you rotated the spindle with the trailing arms "hanging" (i.e. the car on jackstands). In other words, with the spring at installed full downward deflection. You need to raise the trailing arms with a jack so that the trailing arms and half-shafts are in their more-or-less normal, on-road position. Then, rotate the rotors or spindles by hand. I think you'll find them a lot smoother.

When raising the trailing arms, place the jack under the spindle support, NOT the trailing arm itself.

[Glen C.]

Re: Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

Thanks Joe, I took your suggesting and raised the trailing arm. There isn't a noticable difference in the drag from the raised vs: lowered position, but the spindle is turning much easier than it did when I started. It only seems to drag on the passenger side though. Maybe the grease in the spindle bearings & U-Joints is distributed more evenly now.

I assume that you rotated the spindle with the trailing arms "hanging" (i.e. the car on jackstands). In other words, with the spring at installed full downward deflection. You need to raise the trailing arms with a jack so that the trailing arms and half-shafts are in their more-or-less normal, on-road position. Then, rotate the rotors or spindles by hand. I think you'll find them a lot smoother.

When raising the trailing arms, place the jack under the spindle support, NOT the trailing arm itself.

[Joe L.]

Re: Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

Thanks Joe, I took your suggesting and raised the trailing arm. There isn't a noticable difference in the drag from the raised vs: lowered position, but the spindle is turning much easier than it did when I started. It only seems to drag on the passenger side though. Maybe the grease in the spindle bearings & U-Joints is distributed more evenly now.

Glen------



There will be quite a lot of drag when you are turning the spindle. With everything connected, you are turning the the spindles, half-shafts, u-joints, differential gears, driveshaft, and transmission gears!

[Bill H.]

Re: Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

Yes, there's a lot of drag trying to turn every thing.

Possibily parking brake related?
Only 30 degrees of rotation, the noise went away after running it a bit (moved the brake shoes some by running it) ?

I've seen the parking brakes drag 30 degrees with the half shafts out. And it goes away if you move the shoes a bit.

[Gary R.]

Re: Need some advice on a rear spindle problem

Glen,
couple of thoughts, first you corrected the concern about the arms hanging and binding the joints. Now with it at or near ride height I would remove the 1/2 shaft. Since you have the caliper off the only thing moving will be the bearings. The shoes could be hanging up and if they were rebuilt with the common SS hardware kits on the market it's very possible the shoes are expanded a little causing the drag. I machine every new parking brake kit because I've found issue with that. The caliper off and if the rotor is not riveted on then remove the rotor and check it, if it's the shoes it will not have any drag then. If you still feel it then it's in the bearings and I would pull them. I had a T/A come in last from a car that had the bearings replaced but then it sat outside for a few years. The bearing rollers ate into the race and started to rust weld them even with grease on them. You want to correct this before it gets worse and breaks a spindle.
I would check both arms like this to be sure.

Gary