Rear drive axle dirt shields?

[Air345Fly]

I am going through the brakes on my 345. I removed the dual wheels
on one side and the dirt shield had rusted away. It fell off when I touched
it. It is the thin sheet of steel that keeps dirt and water from splashing
on the disk from the inside.



I have not been able to find a new one anywhere. Anyone have any
ideas?


Thanks.

[davejay]

Hey,
I did a little digging around. On one of the 4x4 sites, they claim the 3rd generation Dana rear end dust shields are exactly like the 2 HD gen shields. So you can get them from a dodge dealer, or supposedly, doorman makes them. I wish I had a picture for some sort of reference.. That Dana rear end is so common. Most step vans are p 30 I can't imagine the 8 bolt rears are any different than the 10 bolts ones they re both Dana 80s I believe. Let my know if this helps. I got a Frido lay dist. point right by my house. I know the mechanic. They got a lot of Stepvans. He may have a sourse for parts.
Got a pic of the said needed part?
The dodge part was like 200 bucks each. Dorman was like 50.00 each. The dodge shield sounds iffy to me, because unless they used the same setup for the disc brakes , the calipers would be differant. With that being said, my 89 dodge ramchrger front calipers mout almost like a Chevy. And they look like a Chevy. Caliper too. So maybe a dodge shield will work. These 4x4 guys are amazing, for all the stuff they know. Total gear heads. Remember eveverything al the way back to the wagon wheel days. DJ

[cmadmaxman]

I think this is the shield he is talking about.

[Air345Fly]

I believe that our (or at least my) rear differential is a Dana 70.
Here is a picture of my differential cover:



That seems to match up with pictures of a Data 70 that I see on the net.
It seems that there are very few Dana 70 with disk brakes.

I will take more pictures.

[Air345Fly]

Here is a picture of the rusted out dirt shield:


The center where it bolted to the axle is completely gone.
The shield on the other side is missing.

Here is the end of the axle.


Here are the bolts that would have held the shield in place.


This is a better shot of the rear cover.


This is the front of the differential.


I believe that this is a Dana 70 and not a Dana 80 because of the
shape of the cover plate. The Dana 80 has a bolt on differential
gear carrier whereas on the Dana 70 the differential gear carrier
is integral to the axle. I can't find any numbers stamped into
the axle tube as the manual shows.

I have not found a good service manual for the Dana 70 rear axle.
The manual that I did find described the front axle version.

I was thinking of making dirt shields from flat galvanized steel.
They are not too complicated and a flat shield should be OK.

But are they really necessary?

[bobmiller1]

See if the AC Delhi part number is still on it. If not check Rock Auto for the part number and google for NOS on the outside. Regards, Bob

[cmadmaxman]

Should be a 70HD. Look at center casting and it will be molded into the casting. The only shield on mine was for keeping any gear oil that might get past the seal, off the rotor. Nothing else for a shield and almost 100k !

[cmadmaxman]

Look for this.

[cmadmaxman]

This is how mine went back in, no rotor shields, and no sign of any that were there.

[Air345Fly]

Originally Posted by bobmiller1

See if the AC Delhi part number is still on it. If not check Rock Auto for the part number and google for NOS on the outside. Regards, Bob

I have looked on the rockauto site and others but found nothing.

[Air345Fly]

Originally Posted by cmadmaxman

This is how mine went back in, no rotor shields, and no sign of any that were there.Attachment 345997

Your unit looks really nice!

I think that I won't worry about the shields.

[Air345Fly]

Is there a service manual available for the Dana 70?
I am not sure how the disk and hub are assembled.


Do you need to remove the wheel bearings and hub
to be able to replace the disk? Are the lug studs
pressed into the disk and not the hub?

[davejay]

Hey,
Your right about it being a Dana 70 HD. In 1989 Chevy made a pickup truck. A one ton daully. I think it was a 3500. Came with 10 bolt 19.5 wheels. So, they are around. I know where two of them are, so this is first hand knowledge. They both had disc brakes. These shields are available. You don't really need them, they re there to keep dirt off the rotor, and also, to direct air for cooling. If you can find them, I'd put them back on, if not, I wouldn't sweat it to much. I wonder if the HD part of the Dana 70 was because of the 10 bolt wheels. I can't imagine a dana70 is any differant. Could be a Dana 70 HD meant disc brakes. Then there'd be a difference. Look up 1989 Chevy 3500 or maybe 4500. A dealerships gotta have them I'm still trying to figure out how to get this guys Alcoa front wheels from his truck. Suppose I could give him my inner wheels with brand new tires. That may intice him. I'll keep looking for yah. We'll find them. DJ

[davejay]

Hey,
Well I stand corrected. A dana70 HD is a differant beast altogether. The tubes are bigger,the pinion shaft is bigger, ie bigger bearing, and they came in drum brakes, except for some motorhome applications. I think those shields are unattainable. My friend Jeff at Frto lay my know of a sourse. My guess is he'll say they re not needed. Sorry, this doesn't t help much. DJ if you paint it satin black like Brenda's, nobody will notice it's missing. The cool factor far out weights functionality. Just sayin

[cmadmaxman]

The Dana 80 I worked on in a 1999 Chevy dump truck had the shields. Also bigger brake rotors and brake pads! Take a look at my post on the mechanic thread and you might get some ideas on this Dana.