FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

Here's my problem

I have a noisy wheel bearing on the left rear and a damaged oil seal, which is leaking diff oil into my drum brakes which are squeeling badly.

I have an HR front end with disc brakes, but how do I identify the rear end, and as such the appropriate new parts (bearing, oil seal and brake pads) without taking the whole axle off ???

I'm a "Newbie" to this and the car (59 FC) is a daily driver so I don't want it off the road for too long.

Regards
Tim

Tim
     Jack your car up put some stands under the diff for safety. Check if the the tailsharft is bolted to the diff yoke or if it has "U" bolts. If your car is useing "U" bolts the diff has been changed if it's still a bolt up uni-joint then the diff is original.

Hope this helps a little.
Cheers
Sarge

Thanks Sarge
I'll give it a shot
If it ain't original it probably matches the front end
Regards
Tim

This will confirm that the diff centre is original or not, but not the diff housing, and therefore the brake and rear bearing seals may be stock FE/FC.

There has to be a difference in the backing plate design, can anyone help?

Craig.

Hi Tim,

I have a HR diff housing in my FC so I'll post some photos of the differences that will show whether you have an original housing or HR housing.

Basically, the HR housing has a "saddle" mount welded to the axle tubes for rear spring mounting as opposed to the U bolt/saddle/shock abs mounting plate set up on original axle housings.

Also, as Craig says, there are backing plate differences....and, if you're running boosted discs on the front and original drums on the back, there should be some pressure compensation device for the rear slave cylinders that should be obvious in the line to the rear otherwise the boosted line pressure will be too high for your 1" rear slave cyl's  (HR disc rear drum slaves are 9/16")....

I'll post some pics tonight....

cheers.....Brad

FC has 2 slotted holes in backing plate at top for adjustment, 1 each side of the wheel cylinder. HR has 1 adjuster at bottom in centre of backing plate.
Regards
Alex

Hi Tim,

here's those pics I said I'd get you...

1.  rear axle saddle arrangement...

2.  same thing from the side...

Thanks Sarge, Craig, Alex & Brad ;D
From the above info I guess that I have an FC rear end though I'm still a little confused with the U-bolts means changed comment from Sarge vs the U-bolts means stock from Brad ???
But Alex those two slotted holes are a give away ;D

PS Brad - I take it that means you have the power back on down your way.
Cheers Tim

Hi Tim,

yep, power's on, in fact we never lost it...

even better than that, broadband is a-happening...yay!!

Sarge is talking about "U" bolts on the diff yoke...the connection between the diff and the tailshaft..."U" bolts means later model diff......I was talking about the BIG "U" bolts that hold the axle tube to the shockie mounting plates....the old axles use "U" bolts whereas the HR axle uses the saddle plates as pictured on mine...

I'd be interested to know how the rear slave cyl's are set up...whether they've been reduced in bore or whether you have a pressure proportioning valve in the rear supply line from the booster.....or neither!!

do the rear brakes lock up under harsh braking...or are the shoes too oil soaked to know what "normal" is?

cheers....Brad

Gotta love broadband ;D
Here's a pic of my diff (with u-bolts also)
But I am now assuming that the bearing and oil seal I need to replace will be standard FC due to the backing plate.
I will do some investigation on the rear supply line and let you know.
Maaaate - I treat her too gentle to lock up the rear end - what are you inferring?

That centre looks like a 2.78 or 3.08 banjo centre from a Torana.  I fitted one to a HD last year and it had that longer bolt on the passenger side next to the drainhole bolt, earlier diffs had a thread and nut in this location.

Peter

I have always thought the long bolt was a high ratio and short was low, I always left in a long bolt and spaced it with wheel nuts when I had a low diff in.
This way whenever I got stuck on the side of the road with a blown diff I could fit either.

G'day all,
                   This is a pic of my diff/tailshaft was told it is out of a LJ torona , any ideas?
                                             Cheers Rusty

Looks the same as the centre in my FC it came out of a HQ

Yo Brad.

Have done some grovelling under the car and think I have identified a pressure compensating device in the rear supply line. Unfortunately the camera died on me before I could get a shot. Will try and post something tomorrow.

I am not surprised that the diff has been changed as the car is running a 202 from a VK commodore (not efi) and has a trimatic from an HQ (so I was told)

Tim

dont the longer bolts on the diff drain bolt and the 1 next 2 it mean its a lsd??? im shore it is had 1 in 1 of my old holdens till it whent bang!!
i keep it for a long time thinking to fix it 1 day? never did think it got ditched?
cheers

the long bolts do not mean its a lsd ,   the diffs with longer bolts from factory are 2.78 or 3.08  please inform me if i am wrong

gidday all

im running a 2.78 in the HT . it came out of a torana rear end and has the long bolts and it isnt lsd


denis

Here we go.
I don't believe that my diff is lsd.

Strange place to put a pressure compensating device - if thats what it is (under the drivers door?)
Difficult picture to take especially with some ugly mug staring at you (or is that me)

Looks like a proportioning valve off a HQ??

Quote

Posted by: sgo Posted on: May 28th, 2005, 10:39am
Looks like a proportioning valve off a HQ??

yes it is i got 1 in my ht to slow the camaro brakes down? with the ht disk the back end would lock up all the time! fun on the dirt lol soon as i put the hqs on the front it blanced it out
cheers

Well you will all be pleased to know that I managed to pull the rear end off over the weekend - and sure enough I have stock FC brakes, bearing and oil seal.
The only trouble is that no-one in Perth seemed to have any, including Rares!

Managed finally to source some replacements and the car should be back on the road this w/e.

Thanks to all those who assisted, your posts were greatly appreciated. ;D