Cleaning out axle tubes?

Moto85 · Aug 10, 2015

I'm doing the dirty deed of Dana 60 kingpins, axle seals, etc :gay:

How have you guys cleaned 30-40 years of mud and muck out of your axle tubes? I didn't pull the housing out of the jeep, so it's sitting on stands in my "clean" garage.

tommy450r · Aug 10, 2015

Just stuff a old rag in the axle tube from inside the diff an use a broom Handel or something to push it through..

Moto85 · Aug 10, 2015

tommy450r said:
Just stuff a old rag in the axle tube from inside the diff an use a broom Handel or something to push it through..

That sounds to easy. Thanks, I'll see how that goes.

kushKrawlin · Aug 10, 2015

God mine was like a hardend greasy paste. Man that **** was terrible. And smelled great for a few days in the garage like yours. If it gets done again it will be outside with a pressure washer. Ha. BUT mine was like yours so I did what was already posted. AFTER I used a 2x2 wood porch picket with a tolet Brush screwed to the end of it. Haha. And ALOT of degreaser. And a case of brake cleaner. Good luck, and have fun. Ha. That **** is nuts how old the gunk in there is. And in my case everything but seals was still good. Kinda crazy if u thin bout it.

Moto85 · Aug 10, 2015

kushKrawlin said:
God mine was like a hardend greasy paste. Man that **** was terrible. And smelled great for a few days in the garage like yours. If it gets done again it will be outside with a pressure washer. Ha. BUT mine was like yours so I did what was already posted. AFTER I used a 2x2 wood porch picket with a tolet Brush screwed to the end of it. Haha. And ALOT of degreaser. And a case of brake cleaner. Good luck, and have fun. Ha. That **** is nuts how old the gunk in there is. And in my case everything but seals was still good. Kinda crazy if u thin bout it.

I wish like hell mine was just seals. I'm up to 310$ in kingpin kits and wheel bearings. It's hurting my coil-over fund. I'm not looking forward to getting the kingpins out.

What do you guys think about the outer tube seals like east coast gear carries?

94xjsport94 · Aug 10, 2015

I hosed out my D30 donor when I bought it years ago to do my original 4wd swap. Then I used brake cleaner and fender washers on a piece of all thread to get anything else out. Then rags and more brake cleaner on a broom handle or all thread.

knaffie · Aug 10, 2015

Get an old piece of heavy wire rope, like 1/2". Fray one end really bad, but keep the other tight (heat shrink tubing works ok for this). Put the good end in your drill. Put the frayed end inside the axle tube. Pull the trigger and watch the magic.

huff75 · Aug 10, 2015

When I cleaned mine, I took a small wire wheel and welded to the end of a long steel rod. Then I put it in my cordless drill and ran the wheel down the tubes. You could hose out the tubes then. I had my axle out so I flushed it with my solvent tank.

toreadorranger · Aug 10, 2015

get a piece of all thread and bolt a fender washer to the end that is a little smaller than the axle tube and use it to scrape the insides of the tubes out toward the knuckles.

mdo817 · Aug 10, 2015

I taped a piece of line post for chain link fence to the shop vac, the line post would cut the crud and mud, the shop vac sucked the up.

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Woodlee · Aug 10, 2015

toreadorranger said:
get a piece of all thread and bolt a fender washer to the end that is a little smaller than the axle tube and use it to scrape the insides of the tubes out toward the knuckles.

This works the best for me.

tommy450r · Aug 10, 2015

mdo817 said:
I taped a piece of line post for chain link fence to the shop vac, the line post would cut the crud and mud, the shop vac sucked the up.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I will use this idea next time!! Good info..

Moto85 · Aug 14, 2015

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm still working on this. I got one kingpin replaced last night, and broke the head off my breaker bar on the other side. As a motorcycle mechanic of 13 years, I now have a whole new respect for what tight AF is.

Beerj · Aug 14, 2015

I cut a circle bigger than the id out of some really thick rubber door mat. Slid the all thread into the axle and attached the rubber to it with some washers and nuts. Pulled it through like a squeegee.