Dropping an Axle??

[tcr1016]

I am looking at a cabover and would like to drop the front rear axle. I am making the truck into an RV and I do not need both axles. Is it harder to drop the axle on a truck than my Ford Dually, well except the weight?? I have replaced axles even on my RV (Eaton). Has anyone done it?? I hate using shops and would rather do it myself.

[Kranky]

I am looking at a cabover and would like to drop the front rear axle. I am making the truck into an RV and I do not need both axles. Is it harder to drop the axle on a truck than my Ford Dually, well except the weight?? I have replaced axles even on my RV (Eaton). Has anyone done it?? I hate using shops and would rather do it myself.

When you say "drop the axle", you mean you want to eliminate the frontmost drive axle and make it a single axle tractor?

I'll assume this is an air ride equipped chassis.

If so, disconnect the driveshafts, disconnect & plug off air lines to brakes, power divider lock and air bags on the front drive axle. Jack up the rear of the chassis and support it on sturdy jack stands designed for heavy truck use. Put a roller jack under the center of the front drive axle. Remove wheels from front drive axle. Disconnect and remove torque rods and transverse torque rods from the front drive axle housing and their attaching points at the frame and crossmember. Using a cutting torch, cut off all bolts or huck fasteners that secure the air suspension brackets to the truck frame, then use a hammer and drift to drive the cutoff bolts out of the holes. Lower the jack slowly and you may have to use a sledgehammer to persuade the air suspension brackets to slide down off the frame. Lower the jack and pull the axle and air suspension out from under the truck (use a helper to steady the axle housing as you pull it out.)

Now you'll have to get custom made driveshafts & hanger bearings to connect the transmission directly to the rear axle. It's best to have a driveshaft specialist design this for you, as there are certain parameters that mus be adhered to, for example, the length limit of a driveshaft tube is 60", thats why you'll have to use a multi piece driveshaft with hanger bearings on a long run such as that. You'll also have to install a crossmember at each hanger bearing location to support the hanger bearings, or move existing crossmembers to accomplish this.

Here's a link to the driveshaft shop that we use:

universal joints, dana spicer, drive shafts, Propeller Shafts, GWB - Machine Service, Inc

universal joints, dana spicer, drive shafts, Propeller Shafts, GWB - Machine Service, Inc

If this were a truck that was going to pull heavy loads I wouldn't recommend removing one drive axle and directly powering the remaining axle, but for your stated intention of recreational use it should be OK.

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[tcr1016]

Yes I want to make it a single axle. Thank you for the explanation.

[eplurubus]

What's the advantage of removing the front drive axle versus the rear drive axle?

[VPIDarkAngel]

What's the advantage of removing the front drive axle versus the rear drive axle?

The front drive axle has an unneeded output shaft. The rear drive axle does not. If you look at a single-drive truck, you'll see that the drive axle the same as the rear drive axle of a similarly equipped twin-screw.

[Kranky]

The front drive axle has an unneeded output shaft. The rear drive axle does not. If you look at a single-drive truck, you'll see that the drive axle the same as the rear drive axle of a similarly equipped twin-screw.

Also, the front drive axle contains the inter axle power divider which is unnecessary for a single axle setup, and would just be dead weight and unnecessary rotating mass.

If you were to remove the rear drive axle and run the front drive axle by itself, you'd have to engage the power divider lock 100% of the time in order to get power to the wheels, since there would not be anything (ie rear drive axle) connected to the power divider output shaft at the back of the front drive axle.

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