Anyone every had a rear bent axle?
 

Ever since i put new rear brake pads and drums on the truck, I'm still trying to figure out why when i brake, the rear axle pulsates, even if you brake slow under 10mph, you can feel the rear drag in certain spots.

New dodge pads and napa drums, adjuster is a tight as it goes.

I don't tow heavy, or have a 5th or gooseneck or ever carried a load beyond 800lbs or so. The napa guy says its a bent axle. He said since I'm actually "using" the rear brakes now with new parts that its being amplified as I threw almost all new parts at it. I told him its happening on both sides.

If you jack the truck up and spin the wheel, it grabs at a certain spot on both wheels.

He told me tonite to pull the wheels, watch the drum while its spinning, this will indicate a bent axle.

Is this how its done for checking axles? What else do I need to look at or consider as another problem, bad bearing?

How hard is it to pull the rear axle, and what parts do i need, besides two new axles? How much $$ are those axles?

Thanks,
John

What a crackhead (the napa guy)... you may have bent a spindle, or have wheel bearings that need to be adjusted, but a bent axle will not cause the brakes to grab. if it's VERY hard to pull and re-insert the axle shaft, the tube may be bent, but again, this wouldn't cause grabbing.

have you tried running the truck in gear with no wheels and seeing if the brakes grab then? could be the wheels putting uneven force on the drum?

I had the same problem with my old gasser. It turned out that the previous owner had installed the rear brake shoes backwards [dummy] . When you hit the brakes it pulsated like crazy! I know the shoes are very close in size, but one is definately smaller than the other. Not second guessing your work, just offering up a suggestion.

MIke

short goes to the front

brake pulse
 

A drum/rotor "out of round or egg shaped" will cause this. Rust or dirt between the drum/rotor and axel/hub can cause run-out. If the shoe is backward most of the time it causes brake grab or pull to one side, poor braking and fast pad wear. Long shoe in the back if the wheel cylinder is at the top. Then oil on the shoe/pad will cause it to grab.
Just somethings to look for.

I'm pretty sure the long shoe goes at the rear. Edit-boy you guys are fast! There is very minimal difference in the size though (enough that you might actually have to bend over and look at them closely :D ) With my old truck, I had thought that the drums had gotten warped, and it turned out the shoes were on backwards. (talk about an expensive mistake, those drums aren't cheap!) Also check and make sure they didn't put the shorty's on one side and the long ones on the other. Worth a shot, at least.

MIke

If you end up needing axles, or the housing, i may be able to help ya out. I have all my old stuff laying around from putting a new axle in my truck when my gears broke in my old axle. Far as i know axle shafts are good.I wouldnt mind to keep it for parts for me just in case i ever need the stuff, but pm me if you end up needing something.

Eric

Don't rule out crappy new drums, either. I've had good and bad experiences with most parts stores. Sometimes you just get garbage right out of the box...

Twisted a bunch off building mud & pulls in no. Calif. in the 80s, only gasers back then , I might of stayed hook if we were doing DIESELs back then.