Ford axle shaft installation

I have a 1972 Ford Mustang, 351C-4V. I just finished swapping out my rearend gears on the Traction-Lock differential (went from 3.25 OEM to

3.89 Richmond). Pumpkin is back in and I was able to get the right- rear axle shaft back in place with no problem. I cannot get the left- rear (driver's side) back in. The wheel bearing sits out of the axle housing about 1/2 inch and will not seat all of the way. The axle splines (28-spline) are engaging the differential splines as I feel it and I can rotate the pinion with the axle shaft, but it feels as if the axle shaft is bottoming out on something when inserted. Don't know what it is.

I've tried pounding it in with a hammer (to be sure that the bearing just was not seating properly in the housing), and I then tried pressing it on with the bearing retainer plate with the bolts on the brake backing plate, which simply ended up bending the bearing retainer plate (which I now need to replace). This is driving me nuts. Like I said, the right-rear (passenger side) went in with a breeze, but I cannot get the left-rear to seat in there. What can be holding it up? Anyone ever have this problem? I did not inadvertently swap the axles (left for right) because I kept track of them since removing from the car.

Reply to
lanser1996
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Try this. Put the car in gear or park so the driveshaft can't turn. Put the tire/wheel on the flange with a couple nuts. Push in on the axle and try to turn the wheel. You may have to rock the wheel back and forth while you push in. Let us know what happens.

Al

Reply to
Big Al

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote in news:e7804d03-0553-4069-8ee9-4a77b5b71774@

56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com:

It would help if you'd posted which rear end it is. 9 inch? 8.8? 8 inch? They are all very different from one another.

Reply to
elaich

Sorry - it is a Ford 9". I tried it with the wheel, per Big Al. Did not work. Plus, since it is a Traction Lock, if I turn the wheel hard enough, the diff will turn, even if in gear.

Reply to
lanser1996

Sorry - it is a Ford 9". I tried it with the wheel, per Big Al. Did not work. Plus, since it is a Traction Lock, if I turn the wheel hard enough, the diff will turn, even if in gear.

That's what I wanted you to do. Turn the differential. That's why I asked you to put the wheel on. Any chance at all that you accidentally swapped axles? Why not pull the other side and see?

Al

Reply to
Big Al

74@

I can't see how I possibly swapped the axles. I kept the left axle on the left side of the car and the right axle on the right side of the car. Any other thoughts that would cause this hang-up?

Reply to
lanser1996

I can't see how I possibly swapped the axles. I kept the left axle on the left side of the car and the right axle on the right side of the car. Any other thoughts that would cause this hang-up?

No. On a 9" with a stock carrier there should be no hang ups after the axle starts in the side gear. Unless the bearing is hanging up in the axle tube? You say it has a "Traction Lock." Is that something other than a stock LS unit? Look through this and decide if it's really a Traction Lock. But if it's a Ford factory carrier, makes no difference, the axle should go right in.

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Is there a chance the spline on the axle is twisted? About how far does it go in before it hangs up?

Al

Reply to
Big Al

I would withdraw the installed axle and try the other one. If it goes, re-do the first.

I have a screen door with a lock that will accept its key either from inside or outside, if alone, but will not take a key from the outside if the inside has a key in the lock, and /will/ take a key from inside when the outside has a key in it. Weird.

Reply to
Frank ess

snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@x35g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

You say you changed the pumpkin, and that you have 28 spline axles. Was that pumpkin rebuilt? A junkyard pickup?

I'm wondering if the axle carrier in the side that won't go in has been changed to 31 spline somehow? Either a mixup at a rebuilder, or some shade tree genius had one 31 spline axle, and changed the pumpkin to accomodate it. A dirt track racer who wanted a 31 spline on the side with the power tire?

I like the design of the 9" with the pumpkin, but at this point, it would be great to have a cover that you could take off and actually see what's going on.

Reply to
elaich

x35g2000hsb.googlegroups.com:

Got it figured out (finally). Had to take it in. What was happening

- the metal gasket behind the brake backing plate and the axle mount was bent in ever so slightly so that it was acting as a wedge between the bearing and the axle housing. Because of this, the bearing would not seat all of the way.

Reply to
lanser1996

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