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yet another reason to go hdt.


runaway parents

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So this morning I go out to find a pool of gear oil on the ground near the rear drivers side tire on my f250. Sure enough bad axle seal.

Got that one fixed, looked over and realized the right side was bad also. Weird how both sides went bad at the same time. I used to pull my fifth wheel with this truck.it has been retired since we bought our hdt .I wonder if the fifth wheel could of caused this. So when these buggers go bad it creates a dangerous problem .NO Brakes across the back axle This can cause jack knife if the brakes on the 5r fail. So the point I am trying to make that. You guys that insist on pulling your 5r with your ltd trucks . You need to keep an eye one the inside of the wheels Any sign of oil get it fixed a.s.a.p oil will end up on your brake shoes and drums . This will cause the front axle to do all the work. I have seen one fatal jack knifed rig, coming home from work this week I don't want to here of any more. Don't let this be you.

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Bought an International 4700 MDT from a customer who pulled his 39 foot Newman over the Rockies with no rear brakes. The right caliper would not retract properly and burnt up. The left rear wheel seal leaked oil rendering that brake useless. Now.MDTs have "real" brakes designed to truly stop 32,000 pounds of gross weight. So the only damage I discovered when I started to fix the truck was that he warped both front disks since these brakes did all the braking. We were able to true them out on the grinding machine (barely), these suckers are big and expensive. If this guy was doing this with a little girlie truck, I might be writing another story.

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A lack of use is what generally causes seals to go bad. When the vehicles sit, there is no way for the seals to get lubricated all the way around. It pools and keeps the lower section soft and pliable as the upper sections dry out. It is actually worse on a vehicle to let them sit, better to drive them. As I used to tell people when I worked on cars for a job, if you are going to let a vehicle sit for an extended period, put them up on jack stands and start them and run them in drive so all of the fluids move. Try and do it every 2-3 weeks, but a t least once a month. Just my experience with them.

2007 Volvo VNL 780 "Vlad"

2008 Dutchmen Grand Junction 34QRL

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So may be you are thinking 250,000 miles might be pushing the factory guaranty on those seals? yep it has got a few miles on it but still dose not burn a lick of oil. still wonder if the fifth wheel had something to do with it. guess the point I was trying to make was keep a close eye on the inside of those tires and backing plates if you see oil fix it. Like Sinbad5024 stated things do not last for ever. His comment is so true

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No, I think they should have gone 300,000, at least. I think you should call Ford and see if they will replace them under warranty!!! I like drum brakes, but I don't like wet, gear oil covered drum brakes. I don't mind doing axles seals, but the shoes are not much fun soaked and dripping. Leaks are on of my biggest pet peaves, doesn't matter where they are.

 

Shane

2007 Volvo VNL 780 "Vlad"

2008 Dutchmen Grand Junction 34QRL

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Did you by chance recently change or add oil to the rear diff? A common failure of axle seals from leaking is due to overfilling the diff. case. For a GM truck, I run the diff. oil level about a inch below the fill plug. If you fill the case to the fill plug level and it gets hot, the excess oil will blow past the seals into your brake drums. I learned that the hard way.

Greg

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One thing to watch for and that made me a bunch of cash in years gone by, make sure the vent tube on the top of the differential is open. Heat build up with that vent clogged up will blow the axle seals pretty fast. Dirt daubers were the most common cause but so was 4 wheeling in thick mud.

2017 Kenworth T680
2015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites
2016 Smart Prime

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HDTs can create their own problems, simply by being so powerful. I had a transmission problem near Portland, OR and the Volvo truck dealer did the repair. Somehow, during the repair, a wire that transmitted the braking impulse to the trailer was connected to a full time power source. As the trailer was some distance from the Volvo dealer there was no issue till I picked up the trailer. After hitching I checked my trailer brake controller, which seemed properly adjusted. The trailer seemed to roll freely, but in fact the brakes were on. The 730 overpowered the trailer brakes so completely the wheels showed no sign of the brakes being on, initially.

 

One brake did a better job than the others, heating the disc to the point the metal on the fitting to which the brake fluid line was attached expanded, releasing the brake line. The loose line then sprayed brake fluid on the disc which instantly ignited the fluid. The first thing I noticed was a very alarmed motorist on my left making frantic gestures toward the trailer. I pulled over and found the right rear wheel engulfed in flames.

 

The chemical extinguisher did a good job snuffing the fire three times, as the brake fluid kept reigniting. The caliper on the wheel that caught fire was toast and the other three calipers were suspect as they had also locked up and overheated. At $400 each I swallowed hard and replaced them all. The fire gave the trailer fender a ruffled appearance and killed the tire. I'm not sure I can trust the wheel, but it may do as the spare. Almost $3,000 to get back on the road and I have now to buy a spare and have the extinguisher recharged.

 

In a pick up I would have noticed the brakes were on. That and backing into tight spaces with little room in front are about the only reasons I can think of to buy a pick up. The heavier trailers will kill the gas engines early and no pickup can handle a large 5er in mountainous terrain with real safety, and we live in the mountain west.

John McLaughlin

2010 Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, singled and decked

2014 Lifestyle 38' Fifth Wheel

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That could have been really really bad, thank god for the car that flagged you down.

 

Few months back I left a camp ground in BigBear CA

At around 8500ft elevation. When I parked the trailer, I turned off the gain for my trailer brakes. I forgot it and my steering wheel blocks the brake gain read out.

When I got to the bottom of the mountain, I noticed it was off looked at my wife and said oops.?

She layed into me

pretty good because she hates hills.

Thing is I never noticed it because I pretty much just run the Jake brake on all hills with little foot brake input.

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To address the original question- a man does not NEED a reason to have an HDT, WANTING it should be enough.

" how many men does it take to open a beer? NONE, it should be open when she brings it...................."

 

 

 

Let the flames fly..............................

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'03 KA 38KSWB

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" how many men does it take to open a beer? NONE, it should be open when she brings it...................."

 

 

I tried that once Ron many years ago. My head still hurts. You know Lodge skillets are pretty heavy :).

2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift

Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding"

2017 DRV 39DBRS3

2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty"

 

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!"

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" how many men does it take to open a beer? NONE, it should be open when she brings it...................."

 

 

I tried that once Ron many years ago. My head still hurts. You know Lodge skillets are pretty heavy :).

That explains a lot! ;)

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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My youngest daughter used to bring me "Little Kings", opened, when she was only 4 years old. I'd always let her have the first sip. Now they'd call that child abuse.

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contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net

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