Brake drum overheating and angled, differential?
 

I have a 79 k5 blazer. The problem I am observing is the right rear brake drum overheating. Here is when it all started, I was driving on the freeway and the rear of the truck started to shimmy around a bit, i felt like the rear wheels were bouncing around in a rut(the road surface was smooth, and never experience something like this on the road before). Right as soon as this happened i pulled off of the freeway onto the shoulder because i could smell my brakes. I hopped out and the right rear brake was bellowing white smoke.

Since then i have noticed that when the truck is on its wheels the right rear wheel sits at an angle, when that wheel is jacked with wheel/drum off the axle moves to the right,left,up, and down. The left axle does not do this.

I am able to drive the truck short distances just to test things out/ feel for things. The only audible sound is coming from the right rear brake it is a grinding sound, the brake drum overheats.

Things i have done: replace drum springs, and wheel cylinder.

Im thinking it could be the differential carrier, that is what i some one with a similar problem had that i read online.
I don't know what to do and test for or inspect.

Think bearings rather than diff. Though, depending how many miles you have put on it since you've had problems, you may need a new axle.

yup, check those outer bearings.

my Dad's '76 FS had the same issue. same wheel in fact.

turned out the bearing was totally shot. i think some of them had actually crushed & fallen out. can't remember the exact specifics (this was over 25 years ago) but i do remember helping him do the bearings after helping stear it home when it locked up.

guess slippery roads in the Winter are good for someting, eh?

Thanks guys I had a slight thought it could be the outer bearing but i didn't know because it didn't make any sounds. I put maybe one mile on the vehicle so I'm thinking the axle will be okay.

Thanks for the quick reply's, Ill check the bearing out this weekend.

if you need a axle and cant find one let me know

I took out the axle and saw that the bearing indeed was the problem.
[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/thomas/Desktop/messed%20up%20bearing.jpg[/IMG]
The axle is worn down and pitted where the bearing was, so I will try to find another axle tomorrow.

Ouch, yeah that's not good.

Ive ordered a new axle shaft. The only problem I am running into right now is that there is quite a bit of metal shavings in the axle tube from the bearing. the shavings got pretty far up toward the differential. Ive used a rag to get some of it cleaned up but is there a good way to clean it out? or just run it for a couple miles and then drain and fill with new fluid?

i agree Kyle, that is one messed up bearing.

i would drop the side with the destroyed bearing as low as you can, or jack up the other side as high as you can, and spray a few cans of brake cleaner down that tube while dragging a few clean rags through it. even soak it down with some brake cleaner, and then blow some compressed air through it.

if you don't get it out, it will make it's way onto the rest of the diff & just cause more damage. may not happen tomorrow or next week, but it'll happen.

You can take a rag soaked with solvent (mineral spirits is a good cheap choice here) and shove it through the tube to get the metal shavings out. you'll want to wad the rag up so it's kind of snug inside the tube. Repeat with clean rags until no more metal comes out. I'd also spend a bit of time and a few cans of brake clean getting the diff. completely cleaned out. It's going to take a while but you don't want any shiny stuff floating around.