Replacing Rear end

[Waffles]

Fair enough.

Anyone have any final idea on what quantity of oil it SHOULD have?

[camachinist]

Are you saying there is no level plug in the housing or differential case? The housing on the race car is out of a '57 Fairlane and, with a spool, takes nearly a gallon. YMMV.

[Waffles]

Ok...

Pulled the third member. Gave it to a guy at work that rebuilds them all the time.


He says it's shot. Posi is probably fine, ring and pinion are bad.

I'm picking up another 3rd member tonight for $75. Same exact one, 3.50 posi, 28 spline axles.

Between the two, I'm hoping to have one good one, and one bad one I can off for $75 and cut my losses. I knew it went in too easy... so of course I would hit a snag.

Anyway, everyones advice definitely made it easier, especially the brake drum slide hammer trick.

I'll update you. Hoping to have this good one installed this weekend. The rain makes it easier for me to accept that I can't drive the car anyway...

[camachinist]

Be aware, if you swap used RP, even if RP currently are noiseless (unknown), they could make noise when reinstalled into new carrier. If that's not a worry, then sounds great. Impressive price. Good luck.

[Waffles]

Ok,

I had my buddy check out the new 3rd member. Said it looks like it's in great shape.

I installed it last night. Got the 3rd member installed. Went to install the axle shafts... Passenger side went in perfectly, no problems.

Drivers side, on the other hand, went in, I'm pretty sure as far as it needed to, but the 4 bolts that come from the back of the axle flange were not sticking out far enough through the hub to get the nuts to thread on. I worked on it for a solid 2 hours. Could NOT get a nut to even start on one of them enough to use the ratchet to torque it down.

Am I doing something wrong, or is there a trick to this?

Thanks, guys.

[AzPete]

The bolts only fit the holes one of two ways if memory of an old man is correct.........

Sounds like something inside needs to be turned just a very little bit to fit. I remember something from times back about this problem. It is not completely lined up inside....

[daveSanborn]

Ok,

I had my buddy check out the new 3rd member. Said it looks like it's in great shape.

I installed it last night. Got the 3rd member installed. Went to install the axle shafts... Passenger side went in perfectly, no problems.

Drivers side, on the other hand, went in, I'm pretty sure as far as it needed to, but the 4 bolts that come from the back of the axle flange were not sticking out far enough through the hub to get the nuts to thread on. I worked on it for a solid 2 hours. Could NOT get a nut to even start on one of them enough to use the ratchet to torque it down.

Am I doing something wrong, or is there a trick to this?

Thanks, guys.

Waffles, it sounds to me that your drivers side axle isn't fully seated into the carrier.  You definitely should NOT be using the four axle retaining nuts to "seat" the axle into the carrier.

[Waffles]

So what? Pull the axle shaft, pull the 3rd member, and take a peek at it? Bleh, will if I have to, just was a massive pain to install it to begin with.

[daveSanborn]

With the carrier still installed, try rotating and 'wiggling" the drivers side axle to get it to seat further into the carrier.  Where is the axle bearing in regards to it's raceway on the end of the housing?  Seated?

[Waffles]

Seems like it's seated pretty well... I'll have another look tomorrow night, I work til 9pm tonight.

[M66Stang]

Is the third member a trac-loc unit?  If so, sounds like the issue I had with my driver side axle seating.  If the bearing is not fully seated in the hub, then the two sets of splines in the trac-loc unit are not aligned which doesn't let the axle slip all the way in.  I put the car in first gear and stuck a long prybar between two wheel studs and pushed down while tapping the axle center with a 2 lb. hammer and the axle slipped in. 

Mark

[daveSanborn]

then the two sets of splines in the trac-loc unit are not aligned which doesn't let the axle slip all the way in.

This is what I was thinking also....  but if the axle's bearing is fully seated in the axle housing it can't be the carrier.

Sometimes it seems it would be easier just to jump in the car and head out to all of these problems than to try and fix them on-line.

[Waffles]

Is the third member a trac-loc unit?  If so, sounds like the issue I had with my driver side axle seating.  If the bearing is not fully seated in the hub, then the two sets of splines in the trac-loc unit are not aligned which doesn't let the axle slip all the way in.  I put the car in first gear and stuck a long prybar between two wheel studs and pushed down while tapping the axle center with a 2 lb. hammer and the axle slipped in. 

Mark

I LIKE THIS POST.

I will try this tonight. Thanks!!!

[Waffles]

Ok didn't get a chance to work on it last night.

M66Stang, can you provide a quick step by step on what you mean to do? Hook up the 3rd member yoke to the driveshaft, start the car, put it in 1st, then what? Insert the axle shaft, put a pry bar between a couple lugs, and turn it clockwise or counter? should I be turning with the way the the driveshaft is trying to spin the axle or against it?

While I am putting pressure on it this way, I hit the center of the hub with a mallet? trying to knoc it into the posi unit?

Just don't wanna screw something up, ya dig?

[Waffles]

So you know, I have a C4.

[Horseplay]

DON'T START THE CAR! (unless you want to lose an arm or something)

You just want to stop any free spin in the drivetrain so you can "muscle" the splines in to alignment. It shouldn't take much of a tap to get it to seat.

[Waffles]

lol, I knew. tones are hard to convey on the intertnet, I was actually being sarcastic/joking about that part.

[M66Stang]

Just like Horseplay said, absolutely do not start the car!!  

The basic idea is you want to hold the passenger side axle from spinning while trying to turn the driver side axle.  My car is a manual tranny so I hooked up the drive shaft to the third member and put the car in first gear to keep the passenger side axle from rotating.  Your automatic should do the same while in park (I presume).  I wedged my prybar between two of the wheel studs and pushed down, clockwise with my right arm while tapping on the axle with a 2 lb. hammer with my left arm.  It probably doesn't really matter which way you push the prybar.  I was surprised how little pressure on the prybar it really took for the axle to slip in.

Hope that helps.    

[Waffles]

Perfect. Thanks for the advice. I might get to it tonight or tomorrow, but I'll bet this solves my problem.

[Waffles]

M66, your advice worked perfectly. Thanks a ton.

I took it for a quick drive. Feels like night and day difference from my 2.80 open. There is a little vibration at certain speeds. No real noise, but like a quick vibration at a certain point of accel and deceleration. This common? What's the first thing I should check?

Anyway, thanks a ton for all the help, guys.