Rebuilding the sterling rear axle II

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We began putting the axle back together by first removing the old wheel cylinders and replacing them with the new units. We even blasted the small pins that seat in each end of the wheel cylinder. With all of the work we've gone through, the last thing we want is to put old rusty parts back on our truck.

Next, we cleaned, primed and painted the brake shoes and all of the mounting hardware. Once it was dry, we installed the brake shoes, retaining springs, self adjusting "star" wheels and the parking brake cables. It was much easier to work on the brakes without the hubs being in the way.

Brakes installed, ready for the hubs	Hubs installed, waiting for axles
Limited Slip Trac-Loc Installed	Axle complete with MagHytec cover installed

The next step was to remove the wear sleeves from the spindles for the new National brand seals to be installed. We pressed the seals into the rear of the hubs. After applying a small amount of gear oil to the seal, we were able to work them up onto the spindles. It was a very tight fit. Next, we slipped in the outter wheel bearings and the self ratcheting spindle nuts. Using an OTC brand spindle nut tool, we torqued them down to 65ft-lbs and then backed them off five clicks each. Then we cleaned the axle shafts and replaced the "O" ring seals and slid them into the axle housing. Lastly, we installed the retaining bolts after coating them with a locking thread compound.

The last step was then to mount the wheels and tires so that the axle could be rolled around to get it under the chassis when the time came. We do know for a fact that the Trac-Loc works because it took quite a bit of effort to rotate the axle while moving it into place. Now all that is left is to finish the truck so we can go out and see how well the Trac-Loc works.