Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
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HOMESERVICE MANUALSCHEVROLET1981FORWARD CONTROL 4.8L ENG VIN T, STANDARD TRANSREPAIR AND DIAGNOSIS (SINGLE PAGE)DRIVELINES & AXLESDIFFERENTIALS & DRIVE AXLESDRIVE AXLES - SPICER (DANA) FULL-FLOATING FRONT & REAR AXLESOVERHAULDISASSEMBLY
1981 Chevrolet Forward Control 4.8L Eng VIN T, Standard Trans
Drive Axles - SPICER (DANA) Full-Floating Front & Rear Axles: Overhaul: Disassembly
1981 Chevrolet Forward Control 4.8L Eng VIN T, Standard TransSECTION Disassembly
NOTE:
Remove axle housing assembly before beginning overhaul.
- Remove axles and housing cover. Be sure that side bearing caps are marked so that they can later be installed in their original positions. Remove bolts and side bearing caps. Use a housing spreader to spread differential housing 0.015 - 0.020". Use a dial indicator to measure spread. Carefully pry differential case out of housing. Be careful not to damage machined surface of housing. Remove spreader immediately to prevent possibility of carrier taking set. See Fig 1.CAUTION: Do not spread housing more than 0.020". Permanent damage to housing could result.
- If differential case is one piece, proceed as follows: Remove bolts holding ring gear to differential case, then tap ring gear off with soft-faced hammer. With a small punch, drive out lock pin. Remove differential shaft and thrust block. Remove differential pinion gears and thrust washers.
- If differential case is two piece, proceed as follows: Remove bolts holding ring gear to differential case, then tap ring gear off with soft-faced hammer. Mark differential case halves to aid reassembly. Remove bolts and separate case halves. Remove pinion gear spider, pinion gears, side gears, and all thrust washers.
- Remove pinion nut. With suitable puller, remove pinion flange. Using a soft-faced hammer, drive pinion shaft out of housing. Remove oil seal and bearing cone. If baffle or an oil slinger are also present, record the order in which they were removed so they may be installed correctly. Discard seal. Remove inner bearing cone and press pinion bearing off pinion shaft.NOTE: Pinion bearing adjusting shims may remain on pinion shaft, stick to bearing, or fall loose. Collect and save them for reassembly.
- Using a suitable puller, remove side bearings from differential case. Often during removal of side bearings, shims between bearings and differential case are mutilated. If so, shims must be individually measured and their thicknesses recorded, so that new shim packs can be secured.
RENDER: 1.0x
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.