Thanks for such a concise and clear explanation, I have come to the
conclusion that if I must remove axles it falls outside of my DIY
mechanical skills. I am however going to attempt to repair the e-brakes
according to the instructions culled from the Ford technical CD.

Thanks Jim
Sid

In article <7MtNd.8920$K54.6696@edtnps84>,
says...
> You can use a gooseneck crowbar to pull the seals if you work carefully....
> I've seen techs and DIYers use the axle (shudder) to pop the seal but this
> introduces stress to the C-clip groove that were not intended in the
> original design. I have seen this area of the axle break off at the most
> inopportune time allowing the axle to walk out. On drum brake rears, this
> could be disasterous to your health... on disc break rears this can be
> disasterous to your wallet.
>
> Choose a bar that has little flex.... position it as far under the inner lip
> of the seal as possible. Move the bar so as to contact the far side of the
> axle tube firmly (you don't want to "hammer" against the tube) and give two
> or three sharp thrusts.... This should release the old seal. There will be
> some sealnt left in the seal bore... be sure to remove this ( a utility
> knife works well) to avoid having it contaminate the bearing. I like to
> squeeze a little wheel bearing grease into the axle bearing after I inspect
> it.
>
> While the axle is out, inspect the seal and bearing surfaces carefully.
> There are "axle saver" bearing kits available... Federal Mogul markets one
> that I have used in the past. I am not completely satisfied with these...
> their lifespan is short when compared to the stock arrangement and I'm not
> satisfied that their isn't the chance for housing damage. If my customer is
> in a delicate financial situation, I will gamble but I try to be sure that I
> explain my experience and my fears clearly. I have seen one where reverting
> to factory style installation has given me a seal that isn't as tight as it
> could be.
>
> When removing the axles... the lock bolt for the spider pin can be
> difficult... use a good quality 6 point wrench... apply force in the "off"
> direction (lefty loosey, righty tighty) and deliver a couple of sharp blows
> from the heal of your hand... this is probably gonna tingle but at least now
> you know a bit of what I go through. On installation, clean the thread with
> brake cleaner and apply a dab of blue lok-tite. Be sure the bolt is
> adequately torqued. I have seen these bolts back out - a loose spider pin
> can have you eating Kraft dinner for a long, long time.
>
> Having said that, the whole operation is about a 3 or 4 on a 5 scale.
>
>
> "Sid Daley" > wrote in message
> et...
> > Hi Steve, the general consensus is that it's a real bear of a job. I've
> > decided if I'm going to do it I'll pull the axles. I've been told that
> > you need special tools to pull the seals and it's really looking like I
> > should just bite the bullet and pay the piper.. LOL
> >
> > Sid
> >
> > In article <r_bNd.3355$Cs.349@okepread02>,
> > says...