Old Tractor with a steerable Rockwell rear end

lenray said:

This ROCKWELL rear end is a model PS 251 HX 12---Near the knuckle where the wheel turns there is a big rubber seal that keeps the oil in the rear differential----this rubber seal is damaged.
Was wondering if any of you good folk have been into these and what it takes to get into the area to replace the rubber seal.
This machine is a 1964 Mississippi Road Service-- I 80 These tractors were used to pull rear PANS for loading dirt.

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Delmer said:

I was looking at some pics online to find similar axles and I'm still not sure what I'm looking at. I was thinking most of those type axles are similar, I'm looking at a Pettibone manual, doesn't say who made the axle, but they didn't make the engine, torque converter, or trans, so why would they make the axle? Anyway, the seal around the big spherical part comes off the back, but the whole hub (and planetary?) has to come off to get to the seal, which is just inside the end of the axle tube that doesn't move. Does yours have four bolts top and bottom that hold a square plate? that would be the "king pin" except it doesn't go through the joint obviously. Those come off and the works pulls right out if I'm seeing it right. What you have to do to get it to line up and go back together, I don't know?

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Always says they are too big. Any easy tips on how to post pics here.

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Delmer said:

I'm not the guy to ask about pictures, but if you go into your camera you can adjust the quality down to a lower level that will make smaller files. That's what I do, I'm sure there's other ways.

Does that sound like what you have, a ball on the end that swivels with a plate/pin at the top and bottom holding it in place?

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excavator said:

I've dealt with these axles years ago and am sure I found the info on the internet somewhere, just have to remember where. But I did see that you posted in another forum and there's someone there who appears to have the info you need. Let me know if I need to keep looking.

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lenray said:

thanks for the information......but a not sure I can make it work with what I AM USING firefox...

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Delmer said:

I was looking at some pics online to find similar axles and I'm still not sure what I'm looking at. I was thinking most of those type axles are similar, I'm looking at a Pettibone manual, doesn't say who made the axle, but they didn't make the engine, torque converter, or trans, so why would they make the axle? Anyway, the seal around the big spherical part comes off the back, but the whole hub (and planetary?) has to come off to get to the seal, which is just inside the end of the axle tube that doesn't move. Does yours have four bolts top and bottom that hold a square plate? that would be the "king pin" except it doesn't go through the joint obviously. Those come off and the works pulls right out if I'm seeing it right. What you have to do to get it to line up and go back together, I don't know?

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Vetech63 said:

It's a Pettibone type axle. They made a 3 and a 4 gear planetary reduction series. Delmer is correct in the fact if you remove the upper and lower trunnions caps, the tie rod, and the steering cylinder, the entire assembly should slide out.

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Delmer said:

I would take the plate with the two big bolts off the top, and the identical one off the bottom. Then the whole thing should slide right off. I'm not positive though, because I don't have a diagram of an axle with that bolted flange on the axle tube.

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Delmer said:

Yes, there's a CV joint in there. The diagram I have show splines on the inside of the CV joint pull right off the axle shaft. I don't know what those flanges are for on yours though.

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