what is safe for submerging a rear axle under water??
filed in 1997 Ford F150
Question: I’m just curious as to what is the safe depth or time that you can have your axle under water, as in when launching a boat, etc.
I launch with a Grand Cherokee, and a Ford F150 .
Thanks…
the rear end is a sealed system… you could literally park in the water and leave it there. This would be no different than driving a few hundred miles in rain. Unless of course you have some major leaks where, but even then the water pressure shouldnt be enough to get past the grease/oil that is in the leak area itself. I wouldnt worry too much. I don’t think you can specify a “safe” depth, but a gauranteed UN-safe depth is anthing higher than the breather on the top of the axle. If you know you are going into the water, change the breather to a hose fitting and run a hose up into the body, routing it to allow full suspension travel.
I’m just curious as to what is the safe depth or time that you can have your axle under water, as in when launching a boat, etc.
I launch with a Grand Cherokee, and a Ford F150 .
altavoz: I launched a 17′ Montgomery sailboat( 2600 lbs) with a spare tire on a crank at the tongue of trailer . The truck stayed 20 feet up the ramp . I looped a 3/4″ nylon anchor line over a pipe in the truck and lowered the “3rd” wheel and raised the hitch off the ball and payed out the line til boat was in the water. One time just for grins , i let the boat go free . Caused no harm , only a big splash as it hit the water at 15 MPH . Retreiving was easy . Parked truck 20 feet up the ramp . used the nylon line to pull boat out of water as much as possible . Then secured line to truck and drove up ramp 40 feet . Chocked the boat , and drove down to it and hitched up . I then folded up the 3rd wheel . Truck never got close to the water . The great advantage , especially on sailboats , is one can put the trailer 10 feet under water and under the boat w/o getting the truck in the water .
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