Pinellas50,

Thanks for the link; nice pix. This is exactly what I'm trying to do. I think I've got a line on the problem, will try it out after work tonight. I'm going to remove the brake caliper on the other side I haven't touched and see if that doesn't loosen up the assembly some and allow the two axle ends to spread. This is the 9.75" Traction Lock unit and the book shows there's a cupped-washer spring behind the clutch stack on each side that pushes the side gears toward the center. If it's still too tight after removing the caliper, I'm thinking of rigging up a bolt and sleeve nut to spread the axle ends to compress those cup washers and give some clearance. I'll let you know how it goes.

John