Ford F 600 rear axle

crsutton81

Member
I have a 75 year model F 600 grain truck with the 2 speed axle that has started snapping off the center hub plate bolts on the rear axle. The bolts have been replaced several times now and kept tight, but during corn harvest this year, it was common to have a couple to replace everyday or re-tighten. It is always on the same side, the drivers side. What would cause these to work loose or just snap off? There is not any noticeable wheel wobble when I follow behind the truck while it's being driven.
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That is the head of the axle, not just a plate. It delivers the drive torque to the hub. I would pull the axle out, clean and degrease the axle head and hub mating area. Look for burrs on both and flatten with a file if needed. Get a full set of the correct, new studs (not bolts), cones, washers, nuts and gasket (many used an aluminum gasket between the axle head and hub). The studs should fit tightly in the hub threads and the cones should protrude slightly from the head, so they compress gripping the studs and wedging into the axle holes when tightened. I use a light coat of number 2 Permatex on both sides of the gasket, if anything.

Damaged gasket from being loose, studs loose in the holes and poor fitting cones are reasons it doesn't hold, as well as not cleaning and resealing are likely contributing factors to your problem. Just replacing bolt does not often work in my experience with these. Properly done, one generally needs to smack the center of the axle head a few times with an 8 lb. hammer to jar the wedges loose, to pull an axle.
 
One stud has been missing a long time... and the remaining ones are loose. Looks like someone put it together with no wedges at some point. Whether the wheels wobble doesnt tell you anything. It just means that they were tightened up crooked. If the hub bearings were loose enough to be noticeable, it would be pouring oil all over the brakes.
 
If you have it installed correctly with the cones that go under the lock washers your axle is most likely bent or the bearings in the hub are going out. Either will allow the axle to work in and out as the wheel rotates usually causing a leaking gasket but it can snap the bolts also.
 

That particular axle is probably twisted and should be replaced. Usually they just break and leave you going nowhere, but sometimes they twist.
 
Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Dad took the last load of corn off to the local elevator with it and it snapped all of the bolts off upon crossing the scales empty. It is currently still there at the elevator, but we need to get it home now since Ian has passed. Will there be any harm in towing it home with all of the bolts snapped off ? It still has excellent brakes but will not move under it's own power.
 
(quoted from post at 13:29:14 10/02/22) Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Dad took the last load of corn off to the local elevator with it and it snapped all of the bolts off upon crossing the scales empty. It is currently still there at the elevator, but we need to get it home now since Ian has passed. Will there be any harm in towing it home with all of the bolts snapped off ? It still has excellent brakes but will not move under it's own power.

No. That should hurt it .
 
If all the bolts are snapped off pull the axle out and stuff a shop rag into the housing hole the axle came out of to keep rear end oil from running out. This will disconnect that wheel from the rear end. The other side will roll freely because of the spider gears in the rear end. No harm will be done to the truck. This is the way wrecker drivers tow big trucks everyday by taking one axle out.
 
The bearings are loose.

Loose bearings are putting excess stress on the axle flange.

I would take the hub off and inspect the bearings. check for evidence of the bearings cutting into the bottom side of the axle tube, and bearing races spun out and loos in the hub. If all looks good, replace the seal, put it back together being careful to preload the bearings and lock the nuts as they are designed to be locked. Be very careful to preload and lock the nuts properly. Be a good time to check the other side too.

Be sure to replace all the axle bolts with the correct bolts and taper sleeves. Once they have been run loose, they have been stressed and distorted. Look the threads in the hub over, if stripped, split, or wallowed loose, they will need to be repaired while it's apart. Be sure the surface of the hub and the mating surface of the axle are flat and not burred, and the tapered holes are not oblonged or split.
 

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