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DRIVE AXLE TOWING REMOVE AXLE COVERS
OK I had a recent tow remove drive axles tow company had no covers I’m still cleaning the back of my bus. I ‘m looking for covers .Truckers say use plywood make your own .I would like to buy them .Looking at around 8 inch dia. with 10 bolts 5/16 or maybe1/2 If it comes down to making them looking for something other than plywood ie metal or poly Need help with this thanks TAG
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9 Replies
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For $40 this seems like a good item to carry with us. Which one do we need? Is it the MR10D (meritor 10 bolt?)
Gerald
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The only time I was towed the driver had no covers but made them of a small square of cardboard that he pressed against the studs to mark the hole locations and then cut “X’s” at each hole.
He just pressed the carboard over the studs and dragged my bus 180 miles. No oil lost.
Unless you plan on getting towed a lot seems to me that is an easy solution.
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TAG1
First, I never planned on needing a tow. Unfortunately things do happen. My first experience was following a blown engine 245 miles after a shop in Raleigh performed an in chassis rebuild. The shop stood behind their work and sent an experienced tow operator from Raleigh to the west side of Black Mountain. This guy had metal covers for the removed axle and was able to use my existing gasket.
My second experience was this summer when a fitting failed under the kitchen sink that carried engine coolent to some heat exchangers. Your coach is the same age as mine, although I don’t have converter information in your profile, so you might want to pull the cover on the cabinet floor under the sink and look around. The fitting is/was a plastic “Y.” Over the 26 years with hot coolant flowing through it had eroded from the inside and eventually broke through. What a mess it was. Well we were 40 miles south of Indianapolis on I-65 and had no idea of what company would provide acceptable service. I emphasized it was a bus conversion weighing in at around 55,000 pounds. The company was suggested by the McAllister Machine Cat shop in NE Indianapolis, who were willing to investigate and repair the leak. They sent a tri-axle tow truck with “Police Impound” as part of the side graphics. They did not have a 10 lug cover plate. They did not know there was anything but eight bolt plates. Now I am getting a little worried. They took an eight bolt piece of plywood and drilled new noles to fit the ten bolt housing. In my case, some gear lube got past the plywood during the tow, possibly due to not having a ten bolt gasket. My old gasket was torn during axle removal.
So, while still not anticipating a third tow, I had the same thought. Find a ten bolt cover plate AND gasket. One thought, not knowing the availability of such a cover was to go to a wrecking yard and buy a used axle, cut off the cover from the shaft and find a new gasket to go with it. It would not add significantly to the weight of the coach and I would be prepared if and when I needed that third tow.
I’m glad to see the link and that is where I’m going now.
Safe travels.
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What are tow covers? and why, when you say remove drive axles or drive shaft?
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Tow covers or axle caps are anything that you put over the axle housing after you pull the axles for towing. They prevent the diff oil, grease from coming out. The ones I referenced are made out of plastic. Ideally the tow truck would have a set to fit your bus, but most don’t. I carried them in my Foretravel and the only time I needed them , the tow operator did not know how to pull the axles. He disconnected the drive shaft. And away we when.
Roy
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Just get a couple gaskets then make a cover out of most anything, wood, plastic or rubber, drill the holes and your good. There’s no pressure on the gear lube, assuming the vent isn’t plugged, so thats why even cardboard will work.
Pulling the axle is not a big deal, Jon pulled his at a Rally one time as a maintenance demo. Of course I had to be the clean up guy.
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Hey Tom,
Remember Babe Ruth was a cleanup guy too.
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If you have to have a tow you have only two options. The drive shaft must be dropped (not likely) or the axle has to be pulled. Saying you have to pull and axle strikes fear into most owners, but in reality I am not sure it takes more than 5 or ten minutes. Remove the nuts and give the end of the axle a big bang with a sledge hammer and it will pop right out. If it does not pop out there are three threaded holes in the axle cover and if you thread a 1/2 -13 bolt into each one slowly and one at a time the axle will slide out.
The differential fluid level is typically at or below the opening with the axle removed so a minimal amount of fluid is likely to escape. If there is a concern just place an old cool whip container below the axle cover and catch what runs out.
Never ever let your coach be towed unless an axle is removed or the drive shaft has been dropped.
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