1973 Series III
I am refurbishing the front drive train all the way back to the differential oil seal. I'm building back up now, installed the RH axle (short) to completion. After installing the LH (long) axle I noticed that there's a great deal of end-play in it, which I don't think is right. Since the axle floats, the whole wheel and tire assembly would have this same end-play, nearly if not actually letts the inner wheel oil seak to pull back from its sealing surface on the stub axle (not good).
By my eye, when assembled the inside edge of the axle's wheel splines should roughly align with the end of the stub axle, and the wide shoulder in the slines should not be revealed. Yet I can put on the axle and this pulls out the spline shoulder beyond the end of the stub axle.
The only thing retaining the axle in its housing is the stub axle, thus I believe I'm missing a spacer on the differential side of this, where the wheel side yoke of the inserts into the stub axle. I also note there's not even a semblance of a tight fit in this same place. I suspect that a small, rather skinny spacer, or a very skinny bearing, about 1/4 - 1/2" wide is supposed to side onto the short side of the half-shaft yoke. This then would provide a postive retainer, psuhing and holding the axle farther into the differential and leaving no end play once the stub axle is bolted firmly in place.
Am I on the right track here? Bearing or spacer? This would explain why this wheel was full of water-instrusion when I disassembled it.
Thanks,
Don
I am refurbishing the front drive train all the way back to the differential oil seal. I'm building back up now, installed the RH axle (short) to completion. After installing the LH (long) axle I noticed that there's a great deal of end-play in it, which I don't think is right. Since the axle floats, the whole wheel and tire assembly would have this same end-play, nearly if not actually letts the inner wheel oil seak to pull back from its sealing surface on the stub axle (not good).
By my eye, when assembled the inside edge of the axle's wheel splines should roughly align with the end of the stub axle, and the wide shoulder in the slines should not be revealed. Yet I can put on the axle and this pulls out the spline shoulder beyond the end of the stub axle.
The only thing retaining the axle in its housing is the stub axle, thus I believe I'm missing a spacer on the differential side of this, where the wheel side yoke of the inserts into the stub axle. I also note there's not even a semblance of a tight fit in this same place. I suspect that a small, rather skinny spacer, or a very skinny bearing, about 1/4 - 1/2" wide is supposed to side onto the short side of the half-shaft yoke. This then would provide a postive retainer, psuhing and holding the axle farther into the differential and leaving no end play once the stub axle is bolted firmly in place.
Am I on the right track here? Bearing or spacer? This would explain why this wheel was full of water-instrusion when I disassembled it.
Thanks,
Don
