Steve, I am in the middle of this rebuild, and hope you [or someone] can recall where the right side needle bearing is located [it sits in a fairly long bore compared to the left side]. Is it oriented to the outside/inside of the bore? or perhaps even in the middle. The chatter marks from removing the old one have me confused as to where the original sat. Thanks. Ian

 

Steve, I am in the middle of this rebuild, and hope you [or someone] can recall where the right side needle bearing is located [it sits in a fairly long bore compared to the left side]. Is it oriented to the outside/inside of the bore? or perhaps even in the middle. The chatter marks from removing the old one have me confused as to where the original sat. Thanks. Ian

 

from the photo I see to remember the bearing being about flush on the inside of the case... I think the thrust shim keeps it from moving inward.. you need to push it in far enough that the shim does not touch.

 

Steve, Thanks for the reply. My intuition was to put both bearings as per your photo of the left/driver's side [close to the inboard edge of the case bore]; however, if you look at the photo of the left and right CV joints, you can see the needle bearing journal is in that first inch from where the seal runs on the outside of the case. Looks like the needle bearings would be basically equal distances from the outside of the case, and that would put the right side needle bearing close to flush with the outside, not the inside, of the long bearing bore on that side of the case. Ian

 

I took several other photos during the rebuild. I have one photo of the shaft like yours above.. The seal wear was in the CENTER of the shaft land just to the left of your ruler, and the bearing wear was CENTERED on the shaft land as you said. I guess you can have the bearing pushed in or out maybe 1/8 inch off and it will still ride on the shaft journal. You cant hit the seal, and if the bearing is not in far enough then the thrust washer on the bevel gear shaft will not set flush against the case. A guess anywhere in between would work. .................... also note that one half shaft is 1 inch longer than the other. I measured them, marked them, and STILL put the wrong shaft in the wrong side... The long shaft will bind up if installed on the short side.

 

Steve. Basically, the needle bearings are just slightly inboard of the outside edge of the case bores despite the bores being different lengths. As shown in the photo of the CV axles, I had the old style seals which utilize the plastic ring [dust shield?] as part of the seal design. I had to pry them off to use the new style [two piece] seals that came in my rebuild kit. I also confused myself by thinking that all three seals in the kit were the same. The pinion seal was in fact different, using the same plastic dust shield approach as the old axle seals. That became obvious when I tried to install one of the axle seals in the pinion seal bore - and it was marginally too large. Nothing like experience is there? After the wresting match of getting the diff back into place, I had to sleep on the new installation before I realized that I hadn't remembered to replace the speed sensor and the vent tube. Hopefully that will be the last learning experience on this chore. Thanks again for your input. Ian