My tag.....

[chazwood]

oil is mud.  fronts are to.

How do you change the oil? Can you do it without pulling the bearings?

[buswarrior]

Get a plastic gallon jug and carve the right shape out of it to catch the oil, when you pull those caps off the end of the hubs.

I'd be inclined to pull the wheel end and put fresh seals, then you don't have to wonder about that.
While you are at it, the rest of the wheel end is easy to grease and inspect while it is all apart.

If the inner seals, age of which will not be young, leak, they contaminate the brake shoes. You may review other posts as to that controversy

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[JohnEd]

Chaz,

I have been there and I can attest that I have talked to NO ONE that didn't tell me to R&R the lining if it got oil contaminated.  The collective opinion of maybe 20 people including bus mechs, diesel mechs, manufacturers of friction material and on and on.  I really wanted to reuse mine after I had gone to all the trouble of cleaning it up so pretty so I kept asking and hoping for a encouraging opinion.  No dice.  Poppy can!  I'll know better next time.

HTH,

John

[chazwood]

Did we just take off the bearing cover to do what your talking about ? or did we take out the bearings? (wheel end)


I can't see how I could get all the old dirty oil out...... without pulling the bearings also.

[Sammy]

I agree with BW.
I'd be pulling wheels and hubs, inspecting wheel bearings,races,and checking all brake components. Make all repairs that might be needed - bad wheel bearings, worn brake components,etc.
Install new inner hub seals too.
That's the only way I would do it, no shortcuts.

[tekebird]

are you crertain someone did not change to greased hubs?

[chazwood]

are you crertain someone did not change to greased hubs?

Yes. they just ain't got no lovin' for a bit.


Now I just need to go buy an impact wrench to get these "big as a toilet seat" lug nuts off.

[Kristinsgrandpa]

How did you get lugnuts that small? Must be aftermarket.

I bought a 1" air impact and an air over hydraulic 20 ton jack.

Ed.

[PP]

Chaz, before you go pulling lug nuts off, I strongly suggest you check out some former threads here regarding axle seals and break shoes. Gomer got me started, but Buswarrior gave me some great step by step instructions that really made the whole operation simple to understand. Both guys really knew what they were talking about. Well worth doing a little research into the archives here. Good luck, PP

[JohnEd]

 NO Chaz, don't do it!   Don't call those guys!   There isn't too very much humor in this world and we need more Chaz posts.   Get down with the 1 incher and break out the "gas" wrench.  Yee Haaaw!  Just the thought of it...I'll wet my pants again.  Future generations will thank you for being BOLD and striking out bravely and also documenting your journey in your endemic humor.  (got a thesaurus for Xmas)

You understand,  IDTH (I Doubt This Helps)

John

[Sojourner]

Chaz....To remove dual wheel hub...Save time and do it the easy way....jack up high enough so a thin steel plate or thick sheet metal with chassis grease on it to position under duals. After remove axle & large nuts, lower so that dual just rest on greasy plate. Then pull dual with hub off until cleared from hub spindle. Now do what buswarrior and Sammy said.

I have done many cement trucks that way that I have work for.....always overloaded to grinds it bearing out.

Caution...blocks under so it won't come down by it self.

If oil or grease is on or soak on brake shoes...just clean them out good with kerosene or mineral spirit.....then sprinkle and rub "oil dry" over it to dry lining.

The bottom line is that all brake lining has some shoe's oil in it to keep it from cracking.

Drum should be free of oil using a can of brake cleaner or gasket remover such as Easy Off's oven cleaner (be careful it contain ammonia....don't get it on eyes and skin). Then rinse off with water.

Also check to see if shoe fit in drum without rocking...if so you need to re-turned the drum or better yet replace them for a few dollars more and relined the shoe to fit the drum. That alone will improve stopping power. Have cam retracted so roller is at bottom of cam before reinstall dual with hub...back on.

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry

[chazwood]

Chaz, before you go pulling lug nuts off, I strongly suggest you check out some former threads here regarding axle seals and break shoes. Gomer got me started, but Buswarrior gave me some great step by step instructions that really made the whole operation simple to understand. Both guys really knew what they were talking about. Well worth doing a little research into the archives here. Good luck, PP

Every time I try the search function I get buried in 11000 posts (were you aware that every single post containing the word toilet (t-oil-et) appears if you type in "How do I change my oil?". Who has time to read 5000 posts about toilets?)

[chazwood]

I think I will just start with the tag and front axels. I'm hoping the big daddy duels are ok for now. (must use bus again in 4 days.)

[JohnEd]

Chaz,

Ok, Jerry is the first to suggest brake lining can be cleaned and there he is showing off real life experience and success at his craft and thinking that will turn any heads.  My neck is arthritic but I can still bow Jerry.

Jerry said something that REALLY caught my eye.  He suggested using "Easy Off Oven Cleaner" to degrease you drums.  I have never met anyone that had the same fetish for that product that I have.  Don't know any bus mechs, however.  It is great stuff.  The hotter the surface the more radically it cleans.  There are different types and you definitely do not want the stuff that is "kind to your hands" or has "no offensive odor".  The crap you want has LYE in it.  Ammonia is not the prime ingredient in the "good" stuff.  Did I mention LYE.  Jerry isn't right that it is ammonia that you watch out for, it is the LYE.  Nice thing about LYE is that the rinse is done in WATER and you get a good flush with a hose.  Ammonia will evaporate and the liquid will become inert.  LYE WILL NOT EVAPORATE and if you spill some and come back tomorrow and get it on you hand....it WILL BURN YOU.  I have used this stuff for years and swear by it.  High pressure water does as well...almost.  Rinse it well and it won't bite you in the "afterburner".

What a neat trick.....sheet metal and a spot of grease.  Genius!  Thanks for sharing that Jerry.

John

[Sojourner]

JohnEd....after you said lye....that wasn't in my memory but I have to believe you because after looking up lye information....you are right! I am not a chemist but I use many and all kinds of available product there try on difference purpose and it usually (not always) works.
Where I work in the early 60's at cement mixing plant repair shop, Boss told me to use grease method on metal plate....I thought for a moment kinda messy way of getting the job done. You know what...it the best way to get the dual assembly off and put on quick & easy.

About Lye...I will remember (I hope) next time.

Thanks JohnEd for correcting it.

PS...about single wheel.....same method but very little grease on plate....just enough to make it slide s-l-o-w-ly. Single wheel are more man handling to handle. This one job that it take a Man to do the job and let the woman take care of the kids. Otherwise get a wheel lifter to do the job especially if over 60 years of age.

FWIW

Sojourn for Christ, Jerry