DTS. This amount of inventory allows the shop to service just about any product that comes in the front door. (Randall Shafer)
Here you can see the ever helpful counter person at DTS is actually the sales and service manager. Rob Gutowski takes the time to explain the intricacies of the hardware and function to help the customer make the correct decision. (Randall Shafer)
You may decide that you do not have the time to work on your axle this time around, and just want a competent shop to handle it for you. Unfortunately, there have been, and still are, many automobile repair shops that are corrupt and incompetent. The more specialized the repair becomes, the more difficult it is to find a trustworthy, competent shop and mechanic. Most general repair facilities do not like working on axles. Axles are at times more of an art than a science, and some mechanics get frustrated trying to repair them correctly.
It is not always the mechanic’s fault. They are trying to fix an item that, at times, they have not been properly trained to repair. It is difficult to get good training on axles; shop manuals are not always good sources of information, and even your local dealership may not have an axle expert on hand to correct the problems. Realistically, axle problems are not that common, and therefore the mechanics cannot stay up to speed on all the latest items. There are good reputable shops in about every state, but you may need to drive a little further to get to them. We have found that the hassle of driving further to find a good axle repair facility far outweighs the hassle of dealing with a nearby, marginal shop.
This specialty driveline shop concentrates on axles of all types. Notice that they not only repair and service but, just as important, they sell parts. This means that they stock plenty of parts and are familiar with what works and what doesn’t. (Randall Shafer)
As you look around for a shop, the facility does not have to be spotless in order to be reputable. Busy shops work through a lot of drivelines, so many are not “operating room” clean. Here is a great selection of hard-to-find parts. Every good axle shop should have this available. (Randall Shafer)
This selection of used parts helps keep stock vehicles in good repair. Some of these parts are actually take-off parts with less than 1,000 miles on them.
At times, shops that do not work on axles often do not have some of those hard-to-find parts at their fingertips. Your axle may need a new adjuster nut for the differential case support and the shop does not have one available. If they are in a hurry to get the car back to you, they may improvise. Axle support takes up valuable shop space, but it’s well worth it when when it comes time to repair or replace some of the less-common axle internal components.
There are even times when you need a good axle shop to work on your normal daily driver. At DTS, they even have good, lightly used parts that work great for your daily driver. Some of these parts have very low miles, while others are open-box customer returns. With options available, there is no need to explore around the local scrap yards in your quest for good used parts.
Here are some good questions to ask:
• How many axles do they work on per week?
• Do they have experience with your specific axle?
• Do they offer a warranty and stand behind their work? (Granted, some high-performance applications cannot be warranted.)
• Where do they get their parts? Directly from the supplier or from a middleman?
• Do they have your parts in stock?
• Can they give you an estimate on cost, and how long it will take to repair?
• Can you see the shop area where the work will be performed?
I don’t mean to scare you or sound paranoid, but we have all had great and bad experiences getting repair work done on our vehicles. OK, enough of the disclaimers.
I have covered the fundamentals of any rear axle. You may not have been aware of what is in a traditional axle and some of the reasons behind the vehicle behavior. Chances are that you have experienced some of the above situations but never really wondered what caused them. The following chapters focus more on the specific details of the different type of axles, differentials, and driveshaft arrangements.
The time has come that your factory axle is in need of repair. You have decided that the 30-year-old housing is worn and it may need to be replaced or upgraded. Now it is time to start scouring friends’ garages and the local scrap yards to find your axle treasure. Before you begin the quest, you need to understand what to look for in your new axle housing.
This is a small sampling of the documents, axle-specific repair manuals, and design notebooks that I used as research and references. There are literally thousands of pages of documents that have been reviewed in an attempt to put together a concise text. Some of these documents are no longer in print or were limited in distribution when they were written. We have even found old research document reports that are from the original engineer’s design notes.
First I will cover some generic types and axle structures. I have spent many hours collecting, reading, and studying old shop manuals, supplier reference documents, SAE papers, and vehicle manufacturer reports and notes. Some of this information is very important because is it becoming more and more difficult to find documentation on axles and differentials that were first introduced more than 40 years ago.
There are two main categories or styles of axle housings available: beam-style axles and independent-carrier-style axles. The main difference is that the beam-axle housing has axle tubes as part of the axle housing; the independent-carrier-style axle is just the axle center section that houses the hypoid gears and differential.
Beam axles use straight axle shafts, and the entire axle housing moves during suspension travel events. The beam axle also reacts to suspension loads through the shocks and springs. When the suspension loads are transferred to the axle housing, it implies that the vehicle loads are also transferred to the housing. The more heavily loaded the vehicle, the more loads the axle must resist. This is more important on light-duty pickup trucks, but does relate to muscle cars, as you may stuff five passengers in the car and go for a zip around the block to show off your new limited-slip differential. The beam axle housing must also
