Trouble with the rear axle on '69 Charger

[denver98]

So I finally got my car back on the road.  New DD dash installed and many other projects finally complete.  Took it out for a spin about 22 miles, car ran great but something felt just a little off towards the latter part.  So, about a mile from the house, I'm slowing to stop at a stop light and hear what sounds like a rub.  It's was definitely rotational.  I continue to home, the rub sound continues but seems intermittent.  Get home pull into the garage and white smoke is pouring out from the drum brake.  So much so that it's completely burned the paint off the drum.  No fire actually seen and I kept an eye on it as it cooled.  After about 15 minutes BOTH drums showed about 195F still.  Once convinced that my car wasn't going to catch on fire, I left it for the night. 

This morning I take apart the drums, my next project was going to be rear disk brakes anyway.  Just going to do is sooner than expected.  The drum shoes still had plenty of pad left on both.  Which surprised me, as I thought it was a dragging brake.  So now I'm wondering if it was the bearings or the gears.  Both bearings look ok and turn easily.  I'm going to have a shop replace them anyway.  The left side was definitely the hottest side.  There was a small puddle of blackened gear oil on the floor and some had be slung around the wheel.  Any ideas?  The gear oil was clear and fresh prior to the drive.  Now its BLACK!  I'm going to pull the gears, should I suspect them as the problem?  Could it be a bearings or the brakes?

The first 2 pictures are driver side, the next 2 a passenger and the drive side wheel.

[70 sublime]

Too much oil in the rear end and the seals leaked and oil got on the back brake shoes ??
That would make white smoke if this is the first drive and the shoes had not worn into a happy place yet
Just my guess

[denver98]

I don't think that's the problem.  There was some MAJOR friction somewhere.  It didn't leak at all before I took it out. 

[70 sublime]

You said the gear oil was clear and fresh before your drive
Did you just change the oil in the rear end ?

It was just my guess when you said it was white smoke and the bearings seem to turn fine now when you have it apart

[denver98]

It was fresh as it has maybe 3 or 4 miles at most.  But not recently filled at least 6 months of sitting.  I understand what you're saying it's most likely the source of the smoke.  But, I just don't think it's the source of the HEAT.  It burned off high temp paint.  The driver side drum had to be glowing red.  The heat was so intense that the paint on the passenger side drum blackened. 

Obviously my main concern is the source of the heat. Secondary concern is what else may have been damaged by the heat. 

[John_Kunkel]

I'm quessing a dragging brake; the drums got hot and transferred the heat to the axle bearing seal which failed and burned the oil black in that area only. The oil in the rear end is probably still clear, scorching is localized only.

[denver98]

Let's say I drain the diff and all the oil is black?  (I'll get back to the car on Tuesday or Wednesday.)  I have a complete and ready to go 3.21 pumpkin, I don't really want to put those back in, the car runs really nice with 3.91s.  But, if the gear oil is scorched I think I will, and have the 3.91 inspected and possibly rebuilt. 

[c00nhunterjoe]

Did you have the side load set correctly? If it was set loose, it will allow the axles to move and could cause the issue. Only 1 drum was smoking or both?