1985 Monte Carlo SS known as Barney

[Vegas69]

Forgeline told me that a wheel will flex 2-3mm under extreme load.

I'd say this is your red flag for the axle leak. You need to get those axles moving in and out less. Check the end play with a dial indicator and see what you have.

Car looks great by the way. My first car was a 1981 Monte with a 327. Totaled it....haha

[ScottieB]

Good looking car. I liked the photo shoot at Smithville Lake! Hope to see you around the northland.

[SSLance]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Forgeline told me that a wheel will flex 2-3mm under extreme load.

I'd say this is your red flag for the axle leak. You need to get those axles moving in and out less. Check the end play with a dial indicator and see what you have.

Car looks great by the way. My first car was a 1981 Monte with a 327. Totaled it....haha

This setup uses the Ford Big bearing axle end with the big sealed bearing, then a spacer the same thickness as the brake backing plate then the retainer plate to hold it all in place. I just replaced everything with new but even with the old wore bearings there was no discernable axle movement at all. Also the drivers side has never leaked gear oil, it has always been the passenger side. Pretty sure I've got that covered now with the correct axle seal plus the bearing with the O-ring around the outside of it.

I have a hard time believing the axle flange is flexing that much either, that thing is massive and it seems to me that if the axle flange was flexing that much, the brake rotor would be flexing with it and it would be contacting the dust shield which is connected to the housing and I saw no marks of it ever touching last time I had it apart. Not saying it isn't moving a little bit, but I think this is more the wheel flexing than anything else.

I can fix this issue with 30 seconds of grinder work so it really isn't a big deal, but I posted about it just to show the evidence of just how far the wheel moves under the kind of duress I'm putting it through.

My first Monte was a 1978...I put a 4 bolt main 350 in it and totaled it as well...

[SSLance]

Originally Posted by ScottieB

Good looking car. I liked the photo shoot at Smithville Lake! Hope to see you around the northland.

Thanks Scottie, do you live up North as well? I live not too far from where those pictures were taken.

I'm always around, you should come out and watch us race sometime.

[Vegas69]

Roller or Tapered bearing?

[Track Junky]

Could it be that the differential is moving from side to side?

[SSLance]

Sealed roller bearings, these are the new bearings pressed onto the axles before we pressed the keeper rings on.



This picture was taken with the old bearings and rings on the axle, we were setting it up to cut the old keepers off of the axle. It shows just how beefy the 31 spline Moser axles are.

[SSLance]

Originally Posted by Track Junky

Could it be that the differential is moving from side to side?

Are you talking about the whole axle housing moving? If so I'm sure it is a little bit, but the tires are actually closer to the frame than that rim is to the shock mount and there is just a touch of evidence of the tire rubbing the frame. Plus, that shock mount is attached to the axle housing so if it moves, the shock mount is going to move with it.

When I took the spacers out and put the grinder to the shock mounts, I thought I had plenty of clearance on both sides. Once I put the wheels back on I discovered that my index finger would fit between the rim and shock mount on the passenger side and only my pinkie finger would fit between the rim and the shock mount on the driver side. I figured it would still be enough though which was a mistake. 30-60 seconds with a grinder will fix this so it really isn't a big issue...but I thought it was interesting to show just how much the rim is flexing under pressure.

Also, there was NO marks on the rim after the first three runs, it wasn't until after the 4th run the rubbing actually burnt through the shine seal coating on the rim...so even though it sounded HORRIBLE, it must have just been touching, not really grinding into the mount.

[Track Junky]

Gotcha. Not familiar with those cars so I may have misunderstood the first time. I imagine if the differential was moving side to side you be doing something more like rubbing quarter panel.
Interesting info on wheel flex. One would think that the tire would take lateral load before any rim flex.

[GregWeld]

Yeah Lance - didn't realize you had Moser axles - thought maybe they were stock...

You're probably right that it's the wheel and just not enough clearance. Cut to cure! LOL


Just keep talking to Ron -- he'll have that turned into a race car as soon as you hand over the money!!! HAHAHAHAHA

RE: Ride-alongs @ AutoX.... Let's see.... FINCH - HOBAUGH - POZZI - LACATA - SHIPKA... I've suckered them all into letting me pee myself in their cars.

Oh yeah - they can put some pressure on equipment! But there cars also corner much flatter...