truck axle Q Options

[Blainefab]

I'm thinking the rear wheel bearings are going on my truck: 160Kmi 2002 2500 (non-HD) Silverado 2wd reg cab long bed 6L gas A4 tow package 4.11 posi. Lotsa towing miles, the center ds bearing support is shot, I'll replace that too. Ujoints feel fine. I got a rumbly vibration that changes with speed, and I feel a little vertical play in each axle.

Are these Cclip axles? I'm real familiar with the Fbody 10bolt, will I find any surprizes when I crack this open? It's my only driver so need to get it fixed in one shot.

Any recommendation for gear lube? I stock Redline 75/90 but that sounds too light for a truck?

a pic:

(IMG:http://www.skyhighway.com/~bfpix5/IMG_1985.JPG)

[trackbird]

Alan,

I do not know which rear came in that truck, but I'm going to guess it's a full floating style rear (are there 8 bolts in the hub area of the rear wheels?...other than the lug nuts). In those, you pull the 8 bolts and pull the axle shafts out of the housing. The wheels are held on with a rather large nut that is under that cap. Then you can pull the diff cover and remove the diff. Assuming the wheel bearings are ok, you should be able to pull the axles, drop the cover and pull the diff out. However, send a PM to Racerdad916 on here (he works on this stuff often) to verify I didn't miss anything. I'd expect that to be an AAM 10.5, but I'm guessing at that and it's not because I recognize the rear from the photo.

[StanIROCZ]

That's a 9.5. It is a semi float (just like a 10 bolt), so same sort of deal for pulling c-clips etc. Same style of wheel bearings.

10.5-11.5 are full float. 9.5 and smaller are semi-float.

[StanIROCZ]

Oh and for fluid, FWIW the factory uses a 75-90 Synthetic or close to that.

[Blainefab]

Thanks guys, I'll pick up some bearings and have at it.