The free truck that wasn't

[gunsmith]

currently scraping by with around 3 to 4 hundred per month, last month I had to hand over all my money for a fine I incurred in the peoples republic of Cali-so I'm broker then my usual broke.

I had managed to finally get the 86 K10 registered & insured and finally got the tanks full ( gas here in the middle of nowhere is close to 5 a gallon ) ... I drove it 40 miles only to discover that the rear wheel had no bearings & the axle is probably toast now too.

I'm to far out in the middle of nowhere to even trade parts for whatever. Pretty discouraged.

[White Horseradish]

currently scraping by with around 3 to 4 hundred per month, last month I had to hand over all my money for a fine I incurred in the peoples republic of Cali-so I'm broker then my usual broke.

I had managed to finally get the 86 K10 registered & insured and finally got the tanks full ( gas here in the middle of nowhere is close to 5 a gallon ) ... I drove it 40 miles only to discover that the rear wheel had no bearings & the axle is probably toast now too.

I'm to far out in the middle of nowhere to even trade parts for whatever. Pretty discouraged.

I'd rather say it's a free truck that isn't yet.

I have a car I've been gathering parts for for a while. Nothing to get discouraged about. A vehicle that isn't driven doesn't need to be fed. I routinely take the car I am not currently driving off the insurance and put it back on once I'm done fixing it. This isn't a problem in the middle of a fairly large city, so it probably wouldn't be a problem out in the sticks where you are. You can get parts as you need them.

[Viking]

Sorry to hear dude . Hope you can get it repaired.

[Jamie B]

currently scraping by with around 3 to 4 hundred per month, last month I had to hand over all my money for a fine I incurred in the peoples republic of Cali-so I'm broker then my usual broke.

I had managed to finally get the 86 K10 registered & insured and finally got the tanks full ( gas here in the middle of nowhere is close to 5 a gallon ) ... I drove it 40 miles only to discover that the rear wheel had no bearings & the axle is probably toast now too.

I'm to far out in the middle of nowhere to even trade parts for whatever. Pretty discouraged.

The rear had no bearings, or they were in really bad shape?
I am not a Chevy guy, but if the axle is OK, maybe $15 bucks per side for bearings with new races?
Sorry I am not more help.....
If I had money myself, I would send bearings to you, but, alas, I also scrape tightly every day.

[dogmush]

Is this a parts thing, or do you need a mechanic?

Rear inner and outers on a ......what chevy 10 bolt?  I *might* have some of those lying around.  Do you have the axle apart? Does it def need axles?  Just outer bearings is a pretty easy fix if you have a slide hammer.  If it needs axles and inners, it's more complicated.  I don't play with Chevy's that much so I don't remember if you have to set up the whole diff again after new inner bearings.  Get it open, it might not be as bad as you think.

[Tallpine]

On a K-10, I think that you have to pull the banjo cover to remove the C-clips that hold the axles into the housing ...? 

If it was a K-20, and it was just the wheel bearings, it is quite simple: the axles unbolt on the outside and pull right out, and then there are two big nuts that hold the wheel bearings and hub.

An entire K-10 rear end should not be hard to find but it has to be the same gear ratio as the front.

Except they are sorta hard to haul on a motorcycle 

[gunsmith]

& I only have a few tools, mostly for mc maintenance and simple home repair.
& I have to drive 20 miles to use cell phone/20 back.
& its roughly 300 mile round trip to junkyard.

mr ranch owner doesn't want another vehicle slowly rotting away on his property collecting mice.

I am going to siphon the gas, give the new battery to a friend who needs it and probably never touch another Chevy.

[Jamie B]

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/Chevrolet/K10/AC_Delco/Wheel_Bearing/1986/Silverado/8_Cyl_5-dot-0L/AC1559TS.html?loc=Rear&tlc=Brakes%2C+Suspension+%26+Steering

Looks like $28.74 per side for new bearings.
You could order them online, and have them delivered, saving driving time and cost.
Probably not too overwhelming from a tool standpoint.
Cripe, I can change bearings, so it would have to be much easier for anyone else! 

[Tallpine]

& I only have a few tools, mostly for mc maintenance and simple home repair.
& I have to drive 20 miles to use cell phone/20 back.
& its roughly 300 mile round trip to junkyard.

mr ranch owner doesn't want another vehicle slowly rotting away on his property collecting mice.

I am going to siphon the gas, give the new battery to a friend who needs it and probably never touch another Chevy.

So you don't think Chevy's are any good because the FREE one that was given to you has a couple problems 

Did you bother to even check the oil level in the rear axle before you drove it ? 

[French G.]

I would make the effort to fix the truck, much handier for many things than a bike.

[dogmush]

It's your call, but I'd at least take it apart and see how bad it is before I trashed the truck.

Outer bearings: (Overview, I haven't done a chevy axle in a while)

Jack up truck.

Lossen diff cover and drain oil. Remove cover.

Remove wheels and brake drums.

Look on Dif.  There should be a ~3/4 in pin through the center od the dif.  It's retained by a small bolt in the diff housing on one side.  Remove small bolt (usually a 5/16" head) and the pin will drop out of the diff. If it's a posi, for goodness sake don't take the spring out.

Push axle in towards center of the truck about 1", and look in the diff, there will be a little "C" clip on the end of the axle.  If it didn't fall out when you pushed the axle (It did) pull it off.

Pull axle out of axle housing.

With large screw driver pry out and discard old oil seal.

Put a slide hammer behind old bearing and pull it out of axle tube. (I can walk you through building a slide hammer if you can't borrow one, just need some scrap metal)

Tap new bearing in with bearing installer (Usually a large socket)

Tap new oil seal in with brass or wood drift (Don't tap on the rubber part.

Reintall axles, "C" clips, pin, retaining bolt and diff cover.  Refill housing with oil and friction modifier as needed.

The whole project is like 3 hours (with beer breaks) and ~ $60.  And like I said I might have those bearings and seals in my pile o' *expletive deleted*it I'll never use.  If you want to give it a try.

If the axles themselves are grooved, or the inner bearings are bad you might be right.  The axles are a couple hundred to replace, and the inner bearings require a press and some special tools to replace.

But it's free to jack it up and pull an axle to see how bad it is (or isn't). Don't give up prematurely.

[Tallpine]

Lossen diff cover and drain oil.

If none comes out, then there's your problem 

[Physics]

As to your lack of cell coverage, you have internet, no?

I also get no cell coverage, but google voice has helped out a lot.  Pick up a cheap microphone and you can make free domestic calls through your computer.  If you have wireless and a cellphone that supports it, you can also tie your cellphone into google voice and make calls through your phone over your internet connection.  It's free, although you'll need a gmail account IIRC.

[gunsmith]

As to your lack of cell coverage, you have internet, no?

I also get no cell coverage, but google voice has helped out a lot.  Pick up a cheap microphone and you can make free domestic calls through your computer.  If you have wireless and a cellphone that supports it, you can also tie your cellphone into google voice and make calls through your phone over your internet connection.  It's free, although you'll need a gmail account IIRC.

Mr ranch owner has tried all kinds of skypes/voip/nothing seems to work. We have made calls but the other end cant hear us very well.

So you don't think Chevy's are any good because the FREE one that was given to you has a couple problems 

Did you bother to even check the oil level in the rear axle before you drove it ? 

sour grapes I guess, I probably would get a Camero if I could.

I didn't know to check the oil level in the rear axle, if I had I would have. I checked the tranny fluid and oil and put some coolant, cleaned the k&n filter and re oiled, bought a new batt, got it reg/insured.

I'm just done with it. the money I put into could have gotten me some ammo, could have gotten my mom a mothers day present,  a million things I need. I worry that its just a money pit, there are bike mechanics I trust but I do not know any car mechanics around here.

I tried but I think it just sat around for to long - 3 or four yrs at least.

Its lifted a bit and the truck had no jack, the jack here broke last month and has not been replaced - the guy I'm giving the batt to can really use it, I can use the gas for at least 5 300 mile trips on my bike as opposed to one trip...

but mainly I'm just disgusted and depressed and sick of getting my hopes up, making plans. ....I just plain give up

[Tallpine]

I didn't know to check the oil level in the rear axle

Drive it and see how fast the bearings burn out 

[Tallpine]

Seriously, there's a plug in the side of the housing that you pull out, and then stick your finger in to see if there is oil.  It should be up to or almost up to the level of the hole.

IIRC, on a C/K-10 Chevy rear end it takes a 3/8" square ratchet drive.

[Tuco]

Drive it and see how fast the bearings burn out 

Re move the plug in the differential cover and stick your finger in and down .  If there is oil on your finger, there's oil in the differential.

[Tallpine]

Re move the plug in the differential cover and stick your finger in and down .  If there is oil on your finger, there's oil in the differential.

I think the plug on a Chevy rear end is on the (left?) side in front of the axle rather than in the cover.

You need a 3/8" drive and an extension as the plug just has a square hole in the middle.  You probably have to clean off a bunch of dirt first: the plug is almost flush with the housing and the hole is probably full of dirt.

[White Horseradish]

In your situation I'd try a bit harder.  But, what do I know. Nobody ever gave me a free truck. 

[Tallpine]

In your situation I'd try a bit harder.  But, what do I know. Nobody ever gave me a free truck. 

Agreed.

How do you know that a rear wheel bearing is bad? 

Exactly what are the symptoms 

[charby]

Agreed.

How do you know that a rear wheel bearing is bad? 

Exactly what are the symptoms 

Could also be a locked up brake shoe

[roo_ster]

Could also be a locked up brake shoe

BTDT.

[gunsmith]

Town is 20 miles away, I drove to town, back to ranch then the next day back to town on my way to Reno.
I pulled over to check mail ( no rural delivery, mail is only delivered to post office.)

I get out and there is a ton of smoke coming out of rear passenger side wheel, its super hot too.

Town gas station mechanic takes a look and says "the bearing are gone, you probably ruined the axle too"

35 an hour for him to check axle, I live 20 miles away with out the right tools to do it myself - if I even could figure out how to do it myself.

Working on vehicles sucks where I am even if I had the correct tools, which I do not. vehicle work is done outside in the gravel and dust.

Actually the last time I was underneath a truck here a gopher snake cam to share the shade, could have easily been a rattler.

In your situation I'd try a bit harder.  But, what do I know. Nobody ever gave me a free truck. 

You can have this one, free.

I have a choice, use my money to keep my 93 cbr 600 running, it needs new brakes last month or sink more money into the truck not knowing whether it will cost me 3 times the money I make in a month.
If you really feel you could do better there is an easy way to prove it - live on 300 a month and maintain your vehicles and do all your shopping at a city that is a 300 mile round trip. Please report back to me right away, I am eager to see how others do it better then I do.


You can have this truck right now, free, with a good title. You will need a battery and I'll leave enough gas in it to get to the gas station.

I've already sunk a bit over 300 in it, please take it from me for free, you're welcome to it-or anybody else for that matter, please take it for free.

[Tallpine]

I get out and there is a ton of smoke coming out of rear passenger side wheel, its super hot too.

Town gas station mechanic takes a look and says "the bearing are gone, you probably ruined the axle too"

Ok, I'm going to take a guess that he doesn't know what he is talking about and maybe there's something wrong with the brakes on that side   Could be a part broke and dropped down in the wrong place, or a bunch of mud jammed up in the drum.  I once had a self-adjuster that just kept tightening no matter what, and I finally turned it around or something so that you just manually adjusted it like the really old ones.

I'm thinking that if a bearing was putting out that much smoke, then you would have had much more obvious problems while driving     

How did you get it home, or did you ...?

If I wasn't so far away, I would come help you with it - even though my knees are shot and I can't hardly even work on my own stuff anymore.

For that matter, I would like to have the old pickup myself except you said it was an automatic, right ? :(

By the way, I used to live way out in the mountains on very little money.  But I was young then and I fixed everything myself.  If I didn't know how then I learned by asking and doing.  I tore down and put back together a diesel engine where the tractor was broke down in the middle of the woods - TWICE, a couple years apart, because the first time I didn't have the money to put in all new pistons. 

[Cliffh]

I actually had the outboard axle bearing in a Chevy 10 bolt burn up at 70mph.  Didn't notice it for long enough that the brake fluid from the wheel cylinder caught fire.  

Had to have it towed to my parents place, (a couple hundred miles closer than the barracks), but replacing the bearing wasn't hard to do - in the dirt alongside the house.  Kept a couple rags handy to wipe down the parts before installation and tried not to stir up too much dust.  The axle itself was just fine.

If it's already broken, you can't hurt it any more than it already is.  It's not a project that you have to finish tomorrow, so take your time and ask questions.  The work can be completed with not much more than the tools you have to work on your bike.  If you get it apart and decide it's not worth fixing, it'll only have cost a couple of hours & some sweat; you can re-bolt the broken parts back together again and it'll be just as it is now.  And you'll have a better idea of how Chevy put the brakes, axle & rear end gearing together.