My driver side 2500 (left) axle seal started showing signs of leakage.
*****
Added:
Read/skim this entire thread. There are some tips for bearing removal and installation included by others which are a bit less complex than the methods which I used.
*****
Dual Rear Wheel 3500
Word is that the NCV3 is very similar. The NCV3 Wrtie-up is here.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=346400
A 3500 overview. Thanks goes to Lindenengineering Dennis.
To be clear, I first checked with a Sprinter shop to do this, but the person was booked and suggested that most any machine shop could R&R (Remove and Re-install) the bearing/seal with a press. Based upon that I ventured merrily forward.
My first move was to print out the very detailed bearing and seal change instructions from Alldata. JDCaples recommends paying for that so I joined Alldata. He was right. It is well worth the money. I then took those instructions to my local Fl**t Pr**e large vehicle machine shop. The guy at the counter said that it looked pretty straight-forward, but he would have the technician call me on my included cell number if there was a problem. I ordered the bearing seal kit from Europarts. The parts arrived, the machine shop didn't wave me off by calling, so I removed the axle.
Rear Axle Removal
The service manual is very good at listing the procedure. I will only add some comments from memory.
The tools I needed.
BFH - always necessary, isn't it?
19mm socket - wheel bolts
Various screwdrivers.
T-50 torx - for rotor cap screw.
7mm Allen - caliper bolts. (a T-45 cheat works)
18mm - socket or box wrench - caliper frame (3/4" 6 pt impact socket cheat works). Added: 2006 = 19mm
* What is with using 18mm?? Most all wrench sets skip that size.
Pliers - parking brake position springs, and stretch springs R&R.
6" and 9" extension.
13mm socket - bearing/seal housing bolts.
Side cutters, crimps, splicing for Wheel Speed Sensor wire.
Brass brush to clean tone wheel slots.
All was very basic as to disassembly. I decided to change only the leaking side as there are no clips inside the differential. I think it was a good decision. I lost maybe at most a 1/4 cup of gear oil (caught in my plastic shopping bag overnight cover) and I know the fluid level was up to normal because I checked it the week before.
Some tips
The parking brake springs are not the traditional stake pin with a cup. The design uses spring wire for the entire assembly. The backing plate slots on my Sprinter were closed a bit for some reason. I had trouble getting the springs rotated and loose. That caused the hook at the end to distort. Once everything was apart I re-formed the hook end and used a small screwdriver to open up the backing plate slot to proper dimensions.
The parking brake cable needed to be pulled up a bit with the lever handle to allow the round pin to be extracted from the brake pivot/cam assembly. I used a thin punch to push the pin out. This is a good time to free up and lube the brake cable splitter assembly.
The spring position as found.
The star wheel adjuster as found.
I was unable to remove my wheel speed sensor. I tried PB Blaster, a little heat, and using a screwdriver blade to wedge a bit againt the tone ring. It wouldn't budge. The many salty winters have taken their toll.
I checked on the part before destroying mine. There is a left and right side sensor. The only difference that I see is signal wire length. I noticed that the ends of both are just wire to be spliced. I decided to cut my signal cable rather than damage the sensor. It worked fine for me.
Sidetrack:
Don't try the screwdriver wedge against tone ring trick to attempt sensor removal.
OK. The truth. Cutting the wire and re-splicing worked fine, but didn't cure everything. After re-assembly I had the ASR, ESP and ABS dash lights come on. Checking with the DAD revealed a left rear wheel sensor code and a bunch of other codes. My first thought was that I had damaged the sensor. Further inspection as I rotated the hub showed that the sensor to tone ring distance changed. The tone ring was either distorted when I tried my screwdriver wedge on the sensor removal,or when the new bearing and seal were pressed in. Either way, I used a 15 thousandths feeler gauge (the closest distance I found) and a 1/8" fairly long flat blade screwdriver to lever the tone ring slots back into shape. Edit: 12 thousandths might be a better target. After clearing codes with the DAD all was well.
Some additional info about the DTC's is here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=260688#post260688
If you find a machine shop to R&R your bearing/seal then the installation of the axle shaft assembly is reverse order just as the service manual says.
If you want to have some ideas of how to remove and re-install the bearing/seal DIY then continue reading my wordy description. You have been warned.
*****
Added:
Read/skim this entire thread. There are some tips for bearing removal and installation included by others which are a bit less complex than the methods which I used.
*****
Dual Rear Wheel 3500
Word is that the NCV3 is very similar. The NCV3 Wrtie-up is here.
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=346400
A 3500 overview. Thanks goes to Lindenengineering Dennis.
*****The issues come up from not being prepared with parts AND some special tools!!
The design on the 3500 is a "mini" fully floating axle design just as you would find under a heavy truck or bus its just at a Dinky/Tonka toy downsize.
First is having NEW axle nut lock plates on hand ! (Boy Scout motto here)
Simply put, in about 80% of cases during tear down you will bust off the retention tongues which cannot be used again.
The hub nuts are a crenelated design.
Therefore you need a special peg socket to bust them loose.
Yes you can use a punch at a pinch and hope you won't mar up the crenelated teeth.
I was always taught by (Ex WW2 RN & RAF mechanics) to the right tool so that the next bloke would state a professional "bod" put this back together. (Some habits die hard)
Gaining access to the rear seal.
Once on the bench. the seal is shrouded by the cup style tone ring. It is factory installed onto a machined shoulder by using a special cup placing tool.
Often the tone ring cup is deteriorated to such an extent by rust .Therefore it won't stand any resistance to removal and will often fall apart or seriously distort upon any attempts to remove it.
The removal technique is to use a suitable long punch poked through the hub and engage against a shoulder on the tone cup .
So new tone cups MUST be on hand otherwise the van is VOR'd
Then you can use a punch to carefully re-install the new tight fitting tone ring up but you can distort it. Hence have special cup we made for accurate placing of the tone ring.
Then there's the a seal itself !Easy to remove with a seal extractor or your favorite beating tool .(big old screwdriver??)
Caution behind the seal is a backing oil defection washer.
Often whacked up & then fattened by careless wrenching activity, its often thrown away and therefore found MIA .
So two new backing washer also need to be sourced BEFORE starting the job together with genuine style silicon hub seals and new tone rings.
Seals are best placed using an install cup or placing tool due to its recessed step location shoulder . Hence a BFH won't work in this case!!
Hope that is of help.
Dennis
To be clear, I first checked with a Sprinter shop to do this, but the person was booked and suggested that most any machine shop could R&R (Remove and Re-install) the bearing/seal with a press. Based upon that I ventured merrily forward.
My first move was to print out the very detailed bearing and seal change instructions from Alldata. JDCaples recommends paying for that so I joined Alldata. He was right. It is well worth the money. I then took those instructions to my local Fl**t Pr**e large vehicle machine shop. The guy at the counter said that it looked pretty straight-forward, but he would have the technician call me on my included cell number if there was a problem. I ordered the bearing seal kit from Europarts. The parts arrived, the machine shop didn't wave me off by calling, so I removed the axle.
Rear Axle Removal
The service manual is very good at listing the procedure. I will only add some comments from memory.
The tools I needed.
BFH - always necessary, isn't it?
19mm socket - wheel bolts
Various screwdrivers.
T-50 torx - for rotor cap screw.
7mm Allen - caliper bolts. (a T-45 cheat works)
18mm - socket or box wrench - caliper frame (3/4" 6 pt impact socket cheat works). Added: 2006 = 19mm
* What is with using 18mm?? Most all wrench sets skip that size.
Pliers - parking brake position springs, and stretch springs R&R.
6" and 9" extension.
13mm socket - bearing/seal housing bolts.
Side cutters, crimps, splicing for Wheel Speed Sensor wire.
Brass brush to clean tone wheel slots.
All was very basic as to disassembly. I decided to change only the leaking side as there are no clips inside the differential. I think it was a good decision. I lost maybe at most a 1/4 cup of gear oil (caught in my plastic shopping bag overnight cover) and I know the fluid level was up to normal because I checked it the week before.
Some tips
The parking brake springs are not the traditional stake pin with a cup. The design uses spring wire for the entire assembly. The backing plate slots on my Sprinter were closed a bit for some reason. I had trouble getting the springs rotated and loose. That caused the hook at the end to distort. Once everything was apart I re-formed the hook end and used a small screwdriver to open up the backing plate slot to proper dimensions.
The parking brake cable needed to be pulled up a bit with the lever handle to allow the round pin to be extracted from the brake pivot/cam assembly. I used a thin punch to push the pin out. This is a good time to free up and lube the brake cable splitter assembly.
The spring position as found.
The star wheel adjuster as found.
I was unable to remove my wheel speed sensor. I tried PB Blaster, a little heat, and using a screwdriver blade to wedge a bit againt the tone ring. It wouldn't budge. The many salty winters have taken their toll.
I checked on the part before destroying mine. There is a left and right side sensor. The only difference that I see is signal wire length. I noticed that the ends of both are just wire to be spliced. I decided to cut my signal cable rather than damage the sensor. It worked fine for me.
Sidetrack:
Don't try the screwdriver wedge against tone ring trick to attempt sensor removal.
OK. The truth. Cutting the wire and re-splicing worked fine, but didn't cure everything. After re-assembly I had the ASR, ESP and ABS dash lights come on. Checking with the DAD revealed a left rear wheel sensor code and a bunch of other codes. My first thought was that I had damaged the sensor. Further inspection as I rotated the hub showed that the sensor to tone ring distance changed. The tone ring was either distorted when I tried my screwdriver wedge on the sensor removal,
Some additional info about the DTC's is here:
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=260688#post260688
If you find a machine shop to R&R your bearing/seal then the installation of the axle shaft assembly is reverse order just as the service manual says.
If you want to have some ideas of how to remove and re-install the bearing/seal DIY then continue reading my wordy description. You have been warned.
Last edited: