raydurr Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 I have an aging fleet of DM690s that are used in ready mixed concrete. They all have the 44,000LB fabricated steel rear axle housings.I have started to replace rear axle housing due to corrosion from acid cleaners and cracks near the differential housing gasket flange.I have notice the cracks always appear on the drivers side,under the bevel gear compartment and near the the gasket surface and/or mounting bolt holes.I have also had difficulty in finding good usable replacement housings.They are cracked in the same location.It seems that its always the rear,rear housing AND it used a horizontal anti-sway torque rod.I havent seen any cracked housings used in the front,rear location.I have welded the cracks on one housing,(50,000) because I couldnt locate a replacement.Its been 2 years ago and it seems good.Has anyone else performed repairs on this type housings ,where they were able to monitor their repairs for the years following. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Trucking Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 That happens because the transverse torque rod is constantly trying to tear the diff out of the banjo housing every time the truck goes around a corner. I've welded them before, as long as you vee out the crack, get good penetration & then put a reinforcement plate on the outside of the housing, it will usually stay fixed. The other way to solve the problem is to find a used "cast" banjo housing to replace the fabricated one. The cast housings don't crack under those conditions. Cast housongs are getting hard to find though, because most have been bought up for just that reason. Quote "If You Can't Shift It Smoothly, You Shouldn't Be Driving It" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164470 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmackattack Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Have the same issue with my rear rear... I have 34k rears so think its more to do with stress in that area... Mine cracked right thru one of the bolt holes near the back drverside. Had to grind it flat to help it seal better... Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164471 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Our 2001 RD690 has the 44,000 fabricated and the rear rear has been leaking for years. We took the rear out welded it and it lasted about a month. Has been leaking for last 4 or 5 years since fix. Never have seen cast housings crack. We have a set of 46,000 cast one and and we are thinking about putting those in. Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164472 Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Trucking Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Our 2001 RD690 has the 44,000 fabricated and the rear rear has been leaking for years. We took the rear out welded it and it lasted about a month. Has been leaking for last 4 or 5 years since fix. Never have seen cast housings crack. We have a set of 46,000 cast one and and we are thinking about putting those in.Just replace the rearmost housing with a cast one, save the other cast housing from your spare set of tandems for the next truck that has that issue. Quote "If You Can't Shift It Smoothly, You Shouldn't Be Driving It" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164476 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Just replace the rearmost housing with a cast one, save the other cast housing from your spare set of tandems for the next truck that has that issue.We have a set and a single one. Since we have had problems with those we try not to buy trucks with the two piece ones. Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164477 Share on other sites More sharing options...
raydurr Posted February 15, 2013 Author Share Posted February 15, 2013 Being close to an export point like Houston,the spear chunkers have bought up almost everything that says Mack on it.Ive considered using the cast housing but havent been able to get my hands on any yet.I was hoping I wasnt the only one having this experience. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164478 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Being close to an export point like Houston,the spear chunkers have bought up almost everything that says Mack on it.Ive considered using the cast housing but havent been able to get my hands on any yet.I was hoping I wasnt the only one having this experience.I think they all the two piece crack eventually especially if in a dump truck or mixer where all the weight is on those axles. Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164479 Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakebrake86 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 When I bought my RD the rear housing had been busted and repaired, then cracked again and leaking when I bought it. I assumed it was cast, and I didn't even know there was any other kind. I bought a used housing (also cast, I assume,) and swapped it in. It hasn't leaked ever since, (going on two years.) I did notice, however, upon swapping the housings out, that the one I bought was actually a front housing. I just stripped the spiders off of the old housing and mouted them on the new housing. Does anybody have a pic of a steel manufactured housing? I'd just about swear that mine is cast, but I'm not sure. Quote Jake Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164492 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 When I bought my RD the rear housing had been busted and repaired, then cracked again and leaking when I bought it. I assumed it was cast, and I didn't even know there was any other kind. I bought a used housing (also cast, I assume,) and swapped it in. It hasn't leaked ever since, (going on two years.) I did notice, however, upon swapping the housings out, that the one I bought was actually a front housing. I just stripped the spiders off of the old housing and mouted them on the new housing. Does anybody have a pic of a steel manufactured housing? I'd just about swear that mine is cast, but I'm not sure.Look at them there should be a bead of weld around the whole thing right in the middle where they welded the two halfs together Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164629 Share on other sites More sharing options...
raydurr Posted February 16, 2013 Author Share Posted February 16, 2013 The cast ones look like a battleship and the fabricated ones have multiple weld seams Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164785 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Notice the weld above the plug. Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164791 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 In a mixer application where the S440 bogie (fabricated axles) are not holding up, you can upgrade to cast axles (ref. S441 bogie). Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164864 Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakebrake86 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Look at them there should be a bead of weld around the whole thing right in the middle where they welded the two halfs togetherWell damned if it ain't! I guess I'll be changing another housing out in a couple of years, then, huh? Quote Jake Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-164872 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41180 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 thats weird our 89 superliner has the fabricated 50k lb rears and has never cracked . truck has 1.2 million miles Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165028 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 thats weird our 89 superliner has the fabricated 50k lb rears and has never cracked . truck has 1.2 million milesi have never seen 50K fabricated housings Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165029 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41180 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 i was looking at them today and theres a weld mark all the way around them. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165032 Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 An S50 bogie has cast axles, while the S501 has fabricated axles. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165042 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFCDrum Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 Interesting I worked at H and H Mack in Rockaway in parts back in 97 for about a year and a half.This was when triaxles started to become real popular in Jersey and they were specced light with 44 rears most of them. At one time we had fifteen axle housing replacements at once because these guys were overloading the crap out of these trucks and cracking the housings. When Mack finally came out with the 46's that seemed to solve a lot of problems. A lot of guys went to 50's, 52's and 54's and upgraded to 12r24.5's. The triaxle I ran for Gulino was Sanchez's and it had 52's, 20 tag and 18 front but Joe changed tires to 12r's rear and 425's on tag and front. We did a lot of dirt work so this truck held up pretty well. I'm not a fan of light tri axles. Cheers, Rob, Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165291 Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Trucking Posted February 17, 2013 Share Posted February 17, 2013 thats weird our 89 superliner has the fabricated 50k lb rears and has never cracked . truck has 1.2 million miles Did it have a transverse torque rod on the rearmost diff?? If not, then that's why it didn't crack. Quote "If You Can't Shift It Smoothly, You Shouldn't Be Driving It" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-165314 Share on other sites More sharing options...
41180 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 no it has just the 2 torque arms Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-166451 Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer52 Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Just looked at my MH...it has a welded steel axle. Any issues with a single axle 23K housing? Ya learn something everyday...now I can go back to sleep. Thanks! Quote Ken PRR Country and Charter member of the "Mack Pack" Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-166538 Share on other sites More sharing options...
truckbuyer Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 If anyone is in need of any Mack axle housings I have good used ones in stock. They are sanded and then checked for cracks or past weld repairs and have inspected bearing journals and then painted and ready for instalation. Can ship anywhareThanks, John 732 620 3051 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-168891 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BKrois Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Nice cracks on a 44k housing Quote BryanMy Photo Albums Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-168900 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFCDrum Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 That's what we used to see at H And H when we were changing all of those housings. Where was I going to put them all. My parts manager would never tell me until Pitt Ohio came in the morning and I had five or six pallets of these at a time. Crazy job but good experience. Cheers, Rob Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/29950-cracked-44000-axle-housings/#findComment-168920 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.