Hey folks, i have a 2000 F350 dually 2WD. Need to replace the rear rotors and all other brake components. It appears the axel has to be pulled to get the rotors off. Any comments would be appreciated, thanks.

 

Yup, a dually requires the axle shafts to be pulled. Don't get intimidated, easy cheezy, take out the bolts that hold the shaft on and just pull it out, nothing will fall down inside the pumpkin, later you'll just slide it back in.

Once the axle is out you'll see the ratcheting lock nut (I take it you have the caliper and bracket off already off as that is easy). The lock nut needs a special socket that pushes into the notches to release the locks and turn off, borrow one from the local autozone or equivelant, usually free to borrow (leave a deposit, get it back when you return it) you'll probably need to tap the socket on with a hammer, but then just a few easy turns with a ratchet and you can turn it off by hand.

Put the lock nut and the bearing that comes out aside in a clean safe place.

You can now slide the whole heavy mess off the axle spud, the rotor will come off with the hub.

Inside or looking from the rotor side you'll see the bolts you need to remove next to get the rotor off, stuff a rag in the bearing before you start to remove them to keep road crust and rust from falling into your rear bearing, remove the bolts and take off your rotor.

Clean the mating surface of the hub to rotor with emery cloth so the rotor sets down nice and even, also a good idea to replace the axle seal while your here, you can destroy the original by whacking a side using a screwdriver to get it out, but use a large socket or a seal driver to carefully install the new seal. OIL THE NEW SEAL!!!

Bolt the rotor back to the hub and use some bearing grease to slick up the axle spud, if there's crust on the axle spud where the axle seal sits clean that up with some fine emery cloth too before you slick it with some grease or heavy gear lube.

Put the rotor hub assembly back on and seat the axle seal as evenly as you can as you push it in.

oil the front side bearing with gear lube and put it back in. Next put the ratcheting lock nut back on the spud and turn it finger tight.

OK, as you tighten the nut you want to spin the rotor, I don't have the book in front of me, but I think its 60 ft/lbs of torque as you spin it, then 3 clicks back for old bearings and 5 for new. A quick look at a chiltons or haynes manual at the parts store will help you set that.

Once the locknut is proper, you should have the truck axle higher on this side already, pour some gear oil into the hub until it runs out, your trying to fill in the bearings with oil so they don't dry run in the first few miles until oil sloshes down the axle tube and into the bearing area, make sense? just pour some in there and let it go, you can always jack the other side up good and high and it fill flood the bearings.

Once you've pre-lubes the bearings put the axle shaft back in, a little RTV around the back flat surface and around each nut hole will guarantee a seal, push it in as far as it will go, then use a big punch or screwdriver in the top hole of the axle shaft (not the hub) to pry the nose of the shaft up or side to side or whatever you need to do to get it back in the splines in the pumpkin 3 feet down the axle stub (naturally the axle nose wants to drop by the pumpkin due to gravity, you use the punch or screwdriver to leverage it up and put it in the center of the stub where the splines will accept it)

turn the huib if you need to to lineup the holes and push it all the way into the splines. reinstall your bolts.

finish your brake job.

not very hard once you do it once.

 

nydive, thanks for the detailed explanation. i will be tackling this job tomorrow morning. the truck has 219,000 miles on it and i wonder if i should change the rear end oil and if synthetic should go back in?

 

If in doubt, do it. Either do synthetic, or a good lube. I always do Lucas heavy weight, maybe its 85-140, 1 tube of limited slip additive, and at least 1 quart of the Lucas synthetic oil stabilizer. Always worked well for me.