update on ford tw35

OK, I got the axle housing out. I need to know how to get it apart.
Thanks for any help.

if its like the smaller axles... with housing sitting on blocks, almost level, remove the brake COVER, then the brake discs, brake actuator, and more discs and counter plate. Pulling the actuator rod through the rubber seal.

the you can see the nut and nut keeper on the end of the axle as the brakes are out of the way. pull keeper, then nut, washer, and special spacer shim.. axle will then pull out. but end seal will need to come off also..


Notes... again on smaller version.. used a bearing clamp to put between axle flange and bearing. used two equal 3/8 inch thick cold chisels to drive on each side to move bearing out a bit.. driving them so that the DONT hit the axle or bearing surface.. They are on opposite sides, and paraellel to each other. Then switch to metal log cutting wedges to drive in from opposite directions, just as I did the cold chisels,, then finally drive the bearing off.. then you can remove the seal,

( you might just leave the bearing and buy a new bearing, outer seal and brake rod seal, and new giant oring)

hold new seal up and over end of axle housing to see how much it covers the groove in the housing... this is important as you will have to drive a dimple or dent only on the part that overhangs the groove on 4 opposite sides o fthe seal after axle is on, so look now to see how much of the seal covers over the groove on the trumpet.. its just a bit of the edge. Do this wrong and you will have to start over, so look now...

place new seal on axle, press new or old bearing back on axle. slide axle into housing and reduction gear. from other side, replace the spacer, washer, and the bolt removed earlier. adjust final bolt position so you can put the bolt keeper back on..

then.. set housing on the lug nuts of the axle, with big side pointing up in the air....... and reassemble the brakes, pad,plate, pad, actuator, pad and then housing. The final brake housing will only drop down all the way if all the discs, and actuator are perfectly aligned. if one disc is off, the housing will not seat and you can not bolt it down with out damaging it.

when all done there, inspect or replace giant oring. I have reused the orings with success, but they are not expensive, so if they are nicked or damaged, they need to be replaced.... replace the brake rod seal.. rechain up housing sideways to the shop crane or transmission jack, raise up, and pissant into place, making sure to line up the two studs on the front side as you go back together. after bolted back to tractor, push the axles outer seal in with a pry or big screwdriver, and stake it on each of the 4 sides, into the groove that you saw earlier. Do this right are you will have to start all over. As you stake it, it will tighten it up to seal correctly.

As its a bigger housing than the one i described,, I sure others will chime in. A shop manual is always good, but the bad experience with the seal and aligning bake disc are always important. Due to gravity, I could not get the brake disc to align till I turn the axle onto the lugs so gravity would not pull the discs out of alignment.

I used a shop crane (engine hoist) and used a chain and bolts to grab the axle housing in different positions as needed for each step. I had a chain on the top bolt hole with a bolt and nut, nut to the inside, and the other end of the chain wrapped around a groove in the axle, again pinned with a bolt and nut. With the bolt and nut, the nut to the inside... as the housing slipped onto the studs, and a couple of bolts barely started, I still had room to unscrew the nut and carefully lift it out, then pushed the axle the last 1/2 inch in to final spot..


and put a new seal on, pack bearing.

Here's how my students did it, just today in fact. The big A-frame was used to remove the tire/wheel/weights/calcium package, the small cherry picker was used to remove the final drive, and an overhead hoist was used to remove the trumpet housing off of the axle shaft. Note the old 8000 rim/wheel assembly we have that is used to clamp down and hold the axle shaft - very handy. Also note the BFH laying on the table - that is used to beat the axle shaft out of the inner bearing via a long 1" bolt - that bearing is a tight press fit! A 50-ton press and large bearing splitter will then be used to remove the outer bearing off of the axle shaft and complete the disassembly process.

The cutaway drawing that you see will be used by students so they can try and wrap their heads around the shimming process. It's one thing to describe it in class, and quite another for them to do it for real and get it right.

The TW axles are a fair bit different (and much heavier) than the smaller Fords. You also didn't mention anything about the shimming process, which is kind of important for someone who plans to put in a different shaft.

To the OP: recommend reading about it in the repair manual. Too long to type out here.

If I had a repair manual I wouldn't be asking here.

Suggest you get one, because I aint typing out the procedure.

(quoted from post at 20:54:50 10/18/17) The TW axles are a fair bit different (and much heavier) than the smaller Fords. You also didn't mention anything about the shimming process, which is kind of important for someone who plans to put in a different shaft.

To the OP: recommend reading about it in the repair manual. Too long to type out here.

Click to expand...

I have been reusing the old shim, then washer, and bolt... after seal replacement. I am sure this is NOT correct as the bearing may not be pressed back on in the same place. BUt.. I press it all the way down on the axle.. and hope its back in the same place. So far, so good.

Reusing the old shim would be fine if one were merely replacing the seal on a 3- or 4-cylinder tractor (not necessary to disturb on a 6-cylinder). In fact, a person could likely get away with doing that even if changing the bearings. In this case though, the OP wants to change the shaft. Simply re-using the original shim pack could end up being a crapshoot.

To make matters worse, the procedure shown in the Ford manual is vague at best, and the entire process is fraught with potential errors because of the tight press fit of the bearings. It takes the majority of my students at least two tries to get it right.

I ordered the service manual but now I have to wait a week to get it. I'm working outside so who knows if I will be able to get it done before next spring.