how to PM rear brakes on a '99 C3500?

[just a number]

we that explains alot of the fit issues. the pad you bought was the 2 1/2" instead out the 3 1/2". the backing plate is different between the 2. on the wider set the backing plate has a offset, but on the skinner set it's straight. the drums are alot different.

 

[coachjpg]

OK. Here it is with the proper shoes. The bar and lever no longer bear on the center of the backing plate. The shoes are now tight up against the plate. Amazing how much better this works with the right parts!


I still can't find where to adjust the parking brake cable length. The last two photos show the brake on and off; Does this look like about the right range of motion for the lever?

Thanks,
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[coachjpg]

I pulled the seal using a flywheel puller, and cleaned everything up with brake cleaner. The inboard bearing looks good to me. Should I also pull & inspect the outboard bearing? It looks like a snap ring is holding that bearing in place.



Anything else I should do before greasing the bearings and putting all this back together?

Thanks,
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[just a number]

just a very light coat of grease. remember all that diff fluid that's going to be there too. to remove the outer bearing you have to take the snap out, then the race(not as bad as it sounds) and the the bearing itself. you can get a decent check of how good the bearing is without taking it out. the bearing don't wear as bad as the Semi-floaters do. 2 bearings doing the job of 1.

 

[coachjpg]

I used an entire can of brake cleaner on the outer bearing, and it still feels gritty when I rotate it. I need to remove it and clean it more thoroughly. Unfortunately, it seems I do not have a tool that can remove the snap ring in the picture below. My biggest pair of needle-nose pliers doesn't even budge it. What is the proper tool for this? Will I also need a tool for the race?



Thanks,
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[just a number]

you need a pair of proper internal snapring pliers. it the only way I found to get it out. it you tap the race very gently from the inside, it'll take some of the load of the snapring. the just flip it over and tap the bearing are race out together. remember to tap all the way around. you don't want to cock it in there.

I found a set with a long nose and straight tips work best.

 

[coachjpg]

I got the bearings out and clean. The outer bearing has a couple of rollers with small rough spots, about 3 spots total, each about the size of the head of a pin. They are indentations into the roller, not protrusions. If I run my nail over them, I can feel roughness, but running a fingertip over them detects nothing.

Is there a tolerance for this, or does any imperfection mean you replace the bearing?

Thanks,
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[btfarm]

Without seeing them I couldn't say but bearings are pretty cheap. You've gone this far on the rehab... why not take it a bit further so you KNOW it's all good?

 

[coachjpg]

Without seeing them I couldn't say but bearings are pretty cheap. You've gone this far on the rehab... why not take it a bit further so you KNOW it's all good?

Right. I ordered new bearings and races.

For the record, here are some photos of the bearings after nearly 175K miles. They do show some wear. I'm guessing that this means I should change the diff lube while I'm doing all this. Should I be reading any other information from these wear patterns?

Thanks,
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Inner race:


Inner bearing:


Outer Bearing:


Outer race:

 

[btfarm]

2 observations:

1) Those are bad... yeah change the bearings AND the gear oil.

2) You have a really good camera.

 

[coachjpg]

Thanks!

To drain the gear oil, I remove the diff cover, right? Is there anything I should do while I have the diff open? Is there a way to flush out the junk before I close things up and put in new oil?

Thanks,
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[ak diesel driver]

I'd flush it with some diesel

 

[ak diesel driver]

x2 on the camera

 

[coachjpg]

x2 on the camera

Thanks.

It's just an old Canon PowerShot SX10. Their current models are even better. I got it for my son because it's simple, with one non-removable lens and an electronic viewfinder so it has no mirror flapping around. He uses it in automatic mode, and takes nice pictures.

The lens has a nice macro capability, and it goes to 20X. I also use it to film my son's football games in HD.

These cameras have massive feature sets. It takes training, practice, and experimentation to use them all effectively. I've taken some photography classes, and spent some time with the camera and the manual. Even so, for every picture I post, I average one or two rejects that I just delete. Every time I read the manual, I discover new features.

Good camera dealers offer classes that really do help.

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[ak diesel driver]

sure beats the heck out of my point and shoot. I do have a pretty nice/old slr

 

[coachjpg]

OK. I removed the bearings and races from the hub. When I picked up the replacements, I brought the old ones to make sure they matched. They did. Then I cleaned out the old oil from the hub, and I found some pitting from old corrosion in the area just outboard of the inner race. Photos below. There was no rust evident, just pitting. Is this typical of these trucks? Is it something I need to worry about? Should I somehow treat the pitted area? Do I need to replace the hubs now?



My family is starting to question whether this truck is worth fixing. My credibility is at stake here. I'm hoping this pitting is something I can just live with, since the metal is clean where the races sit. It's getting toward the time when I would like to stop finding new problems and taking things further apart, and start reassembly.

Thanks for all your help.
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PS. For those interested in the photos, for the close-ups I used a Canon PowerShot in super macro mode, and Gimp to crop. I surrounded the area with white paper towels so the flash would bounce off the towels and illuminate the subject. Otherwise, the built-in flash would have been useless, since the lens was nearly touching the subject. I suppose I could have dragged the hub into direct sunlight, but that thing is heavy and my hands were clean for the camera. Paper towels were easier.

 

[just a number]

I wouldn't worry about the pitting. mine looks the same and I've got 8 years on ya. gotta remeber that then never sealed the metal from the factory.

 

[coachjpg]

I wouldn't worry about the pitting. mine looks the same and I've got 8 years on ya. gotta remeber that then never sealed the metal from the factory.

That is *so* what I wanted to hear. Reassembly starts tomorrow!

Should I do something to seal the metal, while I have it open?

Thanks,
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[just a number]

I wouldn't bother. make sure there's no loose bits and you're good to go.

one thing to note for credibility, until you need to change the pads, you shouldn't need to open the up for atleast 2-3 years.

 

[ak diesel driver]

that rough "pitted" area is just the raw casting that has not been machined. Perfectly normal