Need help to remove axle vent

[77 4XFord]

Welding up the rear axle brace and I need to move my combination rear brake line junction and vent. How does this thing come off? It looks like the vent section passes through the distribution block and into the axle tube, is this correct? Thanks.

This is a '77 F150 4X4 9" rear axle.

 

[highhorse78]

Correct, then you can just unscrew the tube from the axle

 

[77 4XFord]

Thank you, I'll keep at it.

 

[77 4XFord]

Well I finally won the battle with the vent but the brake line and fitting didn't fair too well

Once the threads in the axle tube were cleaned up it was the search for a 7/16" fine thread fitting. Ended up using a fine thread bolt and drilled it out on the lathe. Welded a tube onto it so a piece of leftover braided line could be slipped on for the vent tube. The new brake line was bolted to the new axle brace, bleed the brakes and adjusted them and done.

Now if the rain would stop I could get the compressor out and clean the axle and get some Rust Bullet on it.

 

[highhorse78]

Nice fab work. Never seen a safety loop quite like that before.

 

[rsalter66]

Nice job man, congrats, when you going to run those pipes out the side and add some flame throwers to it??

 

[TheRoadVirus]

I've never seen one quite like that either. Looks like it'll work the same way, though. Nice work. She doesn't look like she has a lack of support.. that's for sure.

 

[77 4XFord]

Launching this heavy pig with big tires flexes on both the X & Y axis, that's why both the back and top support. I found the brace on a rock crawler site, it comes in four pieces pre-bent and cut for the radiuses. After checking fitment and a little trimming the bottom was welded to the top u shape, the cuts at the bends were welded up also. It was pretty thick metal. Cleaning years of grunge off the axle was slow in order to get clean material to weld too. Once tacked on all I could do was watch my friend work his magic with the welder, small pass, let it cool, small pass, let it cool, small pass..........................two days later, a brace.

Flame throwers..........hmmmmmm