Inspecting a axle, what do i look for to see if its still good?

Question

im replacing a rear drivers side axel in a 1990 fullsize bronco, i was told by a mechanic that it's best for me to replace the whole rear end because my housing was damaged.but i cant find a complete rear end thats any good. my friend said i should just replace the one axel and seals and my prob would be fixed. im going today to pull a axel from a rearend that when i turn the hub the driveline doesnt turn. what do i look for to see if the axel is bad? do i have to replace it with a axel from the same exact rearend, or can i take the axel from something with a dif gear ratio? how do i know if axel is bad?

Answer 1

hi.. get a second opinion from another shop. if they tell you the same thing, then its true.  if u want to check it urself also, look if the axle housing is bent, or when u drive it or spin a tire , you hear a noise that is not there before, and also look for bent axle itself.  with this problem u will also need to check the tracking of the gears(the pinion and ring gear) and wear. if any of this is problem is present, damage or leakage to the seal which i believe you already are leaking. so, if the housing is bent (all it take is less than a quarter of an inch)  u will have no choice but to replace the whole rearend. get it from a wrecking/salvage yard.  following your friends advise is a quick  temporary fix, which will end you up looking for a whole rear end any way. or God forbid a grave.

Answer 2

If there's a wheel on it, spin it and watch closely for a wobble and listen for any strange sounds.  Next, look for any physical damage-gouge, bend, deep scrape.  Finally take a straight edge to it.

Axles aren't usually damaged in accidents--one from a junk yard should be fine.

That being said I guess it's a little strange you're looking for one . . . What were you doing when you broke yours?