Installing the rear axles. I have a late 60's mustang 8" rear end (NOT 8.8 Explorer, but 8" Mustang) and I am not sure how to tell if I have the rear axles fully seated/engaged into the diff and/or the axle housing. In the position shown in the pictures below, they are easily pulled out by hand, but turning the diff yoke turns the axles. Any guidance? BTW, I am aware the DS plate between the axle flange and the axle bearing is bent. I have been assured that when bolting it all up it will straighten out enough...

Thanks, Tyler

Driver's side first...







Now passenger's side...







Thanks again! t

 

Assuming the axle bearing and retainer are installed at the proper location you should be able to push the axle shafts in until your retainer flange is touching or just shy of touching the brake backing plate. The bearing should go all the way in. Then your bearing retainer bolts will tighten up and your axles are in correctly.

Pat

 

Tyler
Those bearings should be all the way in the housing.
Is it just a tight fit and needs a bigger hammer or something else ?
Are you sure they are the right axles?
You could remove the pumpkin and try to hammer them in.
The axle plate needs to be flat against backing plate.

 

Thanks liljohn and Pat. I am not 100% sure I understand all you are saying...

Pat, what is the retainer flange? Seems like just about every part except the brake backing plate could either be a retainer or a flange or both!

The brake backing plate is a separate part from the axles so I can get it up flush against the end of the axle housing, no problem. The axle bearing just fits (with some light tapping) in the main opening of the brake backing plate.

John, right behind the bearings there is a bearing seal. It looks kinda like this...


It sits just inside the axle housing and prevents the bearings from going all the way in housing. I am 99.9% sure I have the right bearings and the right axles.

Does any of that change your advice?

t

 

I'm not sure this picture will work,never done it before.
But should look like this.

 

It worked The flange plate will pull it in the rest of the way

 

Thanks, John. Where do your axle seals sit?

tyler

 

Just checked mine (65 Mustang 8 inch) The seal is in the small dia.of housing rubs on OD
of axle shouldn't touch bearing.

 

Sorry for the bad picture. But seal rubs on axle just inside of bearing. Shiny spot.

 

Forgot pic.

 

I think I have the wrong size seal. I'm pretty sure it should sit further inside the axle housing (on the "second seat" rather than the "first seat") and thus allow the axle bearing to seat fully (bearing on first seat, closest to outside, seal on second seat, further inboard). John is there any way you can measure the outside diameter of your seals without going to too much trouble? Please don't remove them if your diff has fluid in it. I'll figure this out some other way if need be.

Thanks!
tyler

 

I don't know if mine is the same. Mine is a tappered tube from a 65 mustang it looks like the
bearing housing is different mine has 2 dia. The seal is in the smaller dia. 1 1/8 inch to outside of seal from end of housing. Hope you can make sense of this.
Maybe you could measure the depth of the bearing housing see if there is room for bearing and seal

 

My seal sits in that dia. just outside of the weld.

 

Ford 8 Inch Rearend Build Axle Tube Photo 7

Tyler
This might help you, Might need to copy and paste

 

Thanks John! That article does help. One question for anyone who knows though...in the pictures that go w the article, it shows the guy installing the seals, building the brakes etc, then installing the axles. THEN, AFTER the axles are bolted on via the axle flange and backing plate the guy installs the guts of the diff. How is it possible for the diff to engage the axle splines if the axles are already in place? Won't the ends of the axles block the diff from going into the housing? Doesn't the diff have to go in first so the axles can slide into it once the diff is in position? Confused.

Tyler