Yes there are other advantages, I was just being funny. For racing applications sure they take more load, easier bearing and axle changes, and Ive heard of more than one stock 1st gen axle that has come out during road racing, though Ive never witnessed it myself. Some guys throw a couple of small tack welds to help keep it in place. I guess if your quick, and using a mig or tig it wouldnt hurt anything.

 

Rx7carl speaks the truth. I just got one of the axles out. The backing plate comes off with the axle. If you have rear disc brakes, remove the three nuts that hold the backing plate on. Disconnect the solid metal brake line and plug it (a golf tee would have been handy). There is a clip that holds the rubber line to the bracket. Remove the clip, and the rubber line will pull through the bracket. I connected the brake lines back up, mainly for leak prevention. Then the axle came off real easy. I might not have needed a slide hammer.

And my bearing is beyond shot. Catastrophic failure is probably a better description. The outer collar will "woller" around, and the seals on the bearing are gone. If the retaining collar was not there, I'll bet the bearing would just come off.

I've been driving for about a year with a roar from the bearings. But one day I heard a screech, and then the sound of something metal flopping around. That's when I parked the car and got serious about replacing the bearings.

I buggered up one of the new axle seals putting it in. I'm glad I had extras. I put them in the freezer to shrink them. The second one went in easy. And my seal puller pulled the old one out with no problems.

Now that I've done one, the process is pretty straight forward. I'll probably pull the other axle tomorrow.

Thanks for the guidance.

 

I actually didn't disconnect the brake lines, just pulled them free of the dust plate and/or clip somehow. Don't remember exactly how though. It's been too long.

 

Good time for this info to come up, I'll be doing this soon myself. Luckily I have a second diff, so I can do this off the car and not be rushed to finish. I was just going through the VB catalogue for a ballpark cost on the seals and stuff and I've come up against a small problem. I'm not sure of the exact year diff I bought, I'm going to try and find the guy I bought it off, but is there an easy way to tell? It's LSD for sure.


It looks like the part number for the oil seal changes in '83. What happens that year? I think the axles got bigger or something. Hmmm...