Hi, I'm interested in the rear axle but have no information regarding it's assembly. Does anyone have an idea how the half shaft is retained in the axle housing. I have managed to remove the hub with a puller and was surprised to see a parallel roller bearing and wondered how the shaft is removed.
Also how strong is this axle, would it stand up to twice the power output from a different engine and weather there are different ratio's available
Thanks for your help.

 

If you want to double your power, swap out the axle for a 9" or an Explorer 8.8. Your choices of ratios are very limited with the stock rear. They are great if you want a period or doing a nostalgia build. But if you're wanting to double power or want to change and ratios, you'd be miles ahead by swapping out the rear.