Rearend growling

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: Rearend growling
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Markham on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 04:30 pm:

First year with T when I make a sharp turn. The rear end makes a growling noise going straight is ok


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kenny Edmondson, Indianapolis on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 04:39 pm:

Jack up your rear axle and see how much movement you can get by pushing the rear wheels in and out. Could be the begining of the babbit thrust washers failing. Report back with what you find.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert L. Cook on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 05:14 pm:

Mine did same thing two years ago. It was the thrust washers, there were none. Had to install the bronze ones.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 07:59 pm:

The first pictures show a symptom that can happen when the old babbitt thrust washers go. The axle shifts inward and the brake is destroyed by the turning hub nuts and bolts.



The last two pictures show the chunky silvery oil made by disintegrated thrust washers, and the remains of those washers.



When you take the plug out of the rear end and stick your finger in, and it comes out with chunky oil on it, that tells you exactly what's going on. If it comes out with clean oil, that tells you it might be OK. The growling noise suggests otherwise. The only way to know for sure is to open it up and look inside.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 10:25 pm:

I suppose that there is another possibility...

There is that fiber disk that sits in between the axles in the gear housing. If it's worn or missing all together, then the axles can slide in and out around turns, and then the axle gears can grind against the spider gears. I'm just theorizing here, and I don't know how pronounced the symptoms would be.

In the end, babbitt thrust washers are always a likely suspect (and are almost always the problem) when it comes to almost any differential problem! I'm picky about this kind of stuff, so I always err on the safe side and take the differential apart. Last time, it took me just under an hour to remove one and open it up, and that was working by myself!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Tuesday, July 03, 2012 - 10:29 pm:

I've had the pleasure of disassembling several Model T axles. Not one had a fiber disk in it when it was taken apart. My opinion, the fiber washers don't last long.

I started using a brass washer in place of the fiber disk. I think it might be there next time someone takes the differential apart.


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