Tight axles?

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n8ling

n8ling

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So I assembled my rear end yesterday 8 3/4 3:55 green bearings! When I bolted down my axles and backing plates things got a little snug! Axles have 3" studs, bolts with lock washers under heads. Pass side clears with less then quarter inch from spreader bar for shoes, driver side hits spreader bar for shoes , and over all without spreader bar entire assembly turns with a lot of drag?? What am I missing here??
 
Couple of questions:

1. What parts did you change from the original rear end (assuming it was correct before)?

2. New axles?

3. The "spreader bar" you are referring to, is it the one I've highlighted with the arrow in the attached picture? (that part is called a strut.)

4. The axle studs are press in, correct? The part that confused me in your description was this: "Axles have 3" studs, bolts with lock washers under heads".
 

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Removed the pin in center section as the axle bearings no longer adjustable.
Had stock a body 4" bolt pattern axles drilled to 4.5" and old holes filled, used 3"x 1/2nft bolts from a set of moser axles with lock washers under bolt heads and back side of axle flange. Easy fix is to remove lock washers and use lock tite ,my concerns are the 1/4 space between strut and back side of axles on pass side and no clearence on driver side
 
n8ling said:
...used 3"x 1/2nft bolts from a set of moser axles with lock washers under bolt heads and back side of axle flange. /QUOTE]

That's the problem, the bolt heads are much thicker than press in studs. I think I would give Moser a call and see if they have any suggestions. There is not a lot of room between the backside of the axle flange with press-in studs, I've never measured it but I bet it's not much more than a 1/4".
Click to expand...
 
First thing is are the Green Bearings pressed on all the way ? When I install screw in studs in the axles I torque the bolts to 55 ft lbs with red lock tight on them and no lock washers, also torque the axle flanges down in a cross pattern just like lug nuts some times if you just tighten one then another if cocks the bearing a little and it binds up so the rear is tight. Shortly after that the bearings burn up and the rear leaks gear oil.
 
Backing plates bolted up square. Will remove tomorrow night and check bearing, I will also remove lock washers. Thanks will keep posted!
 
I'm running studs but like Hemi446 I don't use lock washers. Just red Loctite and torque them to 55 lb. ft. The heads of the studs are still close to the spreader bars (less than 1/8" clearance) but have never hit. Been running it that way for over 10,000 hard miles with no issues. Take the washers out and Loctite them and you should be good
 
So I pulled it all apart and got rid of lock washers and studs are all loctited up. I did notice on pass side axle that my retaining plate was a bit coned , so I swapped sides with axles and did pass side first and evenly,very evenly as soon as backing plate gets tight things start to tighten up, pulled it out and assembled driver side ,no prob rolls over smooth!?!? Bearings are fully seated. Wheel studs(bolt) do not touch or rub . The only thing I have noticed is between diff tube flange and behind backing plates there were three gaskets?!? Extra space? Tomorrow I will fully undress backing plate and hopefully find something?!
 
n8ling said:
Pass side only had three gaskets
Click to expand...

Should only have 2 on each side. Any extra gaskets moves the backing plate out farther towards the axles and makes the chances of interference with wheel studs greater. Someone probably just had 2 stuck together when they assembled it and didn't notice.
 
steel gasket between the backing plate and housing. fibre or foam gasket between axle retainer and backing plate. the lock washers are there for 2 reasons. one to lock the bolt up and the other is to space the head of the bolt away from the flange. see most bolts have a radius on the under side of the head and that radius must not contact the flange material before the flat part of the hex. very important to have the back side of the axle flange bolt holes to have a counter sink so that the radius does not contact the sharp corner of the hole. with that done stud lock and proper torgue and you are good to go.paul
 
If you are running Green bearings with the crimped on 5-hole retainer, you must remove the differential thrust block. Otherwise the bearings will bind once you install the second axle.

If you have snap-ring style Green bearings, you can simply install the axles without modification.
 
Thrust block? Is that the pin with the two shoulderd halves ? Where end of axles would butt up against? If so already out, bearings are green bearings from dr.diff
 
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