Dragged this axle home yesterday (click for bigger pics).



Want to use it as a donor for the one in my truck. It came with the side I'm interested in looking like this:



I'm trying to get through to the axle shaft. I'm familiar with locking hubs, but I don't want to go to far with my chisel/mallet/creativity. If the shaft is in decent shape, I don't need to reuse the cap, but I've learned to be overly aggressive only when you need to... Could re-use it just to hold the 80/90 on the recipient axle in if the shaft is a lost cause or needs a bunch of work.

 

That is a grease cap. Just pops out like a two wheel drive grease cap. Made of a little heavier stuff and may be rusted in. Judicious use of hammer and chisel may help. Tap all around the outer edge of the cap as if you were trying to drive it at yourself. Hope this is not to confusing. OBCB

 

No, not confused (for a change). I figured it was an always-on cap that locked the hub to the axle somehow (as for the ft 4wd). Other side is a mess... Old school manual locker held on w/ electrical tape.

Guy claimed that he'd been "driving it around the yard a few days ago". Told hi
I'd take a chance on it...

Will try to get her off as you've sugg'd and post the results...

 

Got impatient: Hung grampa's old vice off of it and banged on the vice from a couple different directions.



At first, I thought I had what I needed:



Nope:



30 spline inner with 19 outer. Guess someone tried to bodge something together in there.

I'm getting really close to giving up on this axle altogether. Darn near impossible to find a stinking part for it.

 

I'm not sure about the difference in the spline count, never paid any attention to them number wise. The picture you posted looks like it should. Ready to install locking hub. Odd to me , what apperes to be late style hub with early drum brakes. Clean up axle tube ( long side) look for numbers stamped into tube. This will help with a starting place to identify and later to get parts. Should be back on tonight, will try to help more then. OBCB

 

Thanks for helpin' out. The only number I could locate after a quick inspection was the one on the long-side of the diff housing: "2 over 37070".

Just to be clear, here's the situation:

I've got two similar axles - visually, at least. One is on my truck. One is in the dirt near my truck (that's what the pictures are from). Both have broken short-side axles. The one on the truck supposedly came from a "1975 F250 tear down". No frame or VIN to verify.

One way or the other, I'd like to get a working axle put together. Worst case scenario, I give up, put on some dust/grease caps, and drive around rear-wheel drive (with winter coming back to Wisconsin).

The one on the truck has D44 stamped in it in the same spot as the stamp I just mentioned. It's got decent looking 4.10 gears in it and the long side fits tight. The short side came to me broken. I broke it worse trying it out. The lower steering bearing was bouncing around inside the knuckle when I got it all the way apart. The end flange is pretty beat up, but I figure it'd work if I could get a working shaft to seat in there. I replaced the steering bearings on the short side of that one, and it's painted up pretty good. All the gears seem pretty tight. Unfortunately, I tossed the broken originals. (I don't throw anything away any more.)

I tried sticking the short-side inner from the "new" axle into the one on my truck. It came up short - I think at the carrier acceptor, but could've been at the seal surface. Best I could do was to grease them up good and see what got the most 80/90 smudge. I'm guessing it's the 30-spline, since rubbing shop towel on the carrier surface from the inside "looks like" 19.

Given my predicament, I figure there's no good reason not to pull the gears out of both differentials at this point (and move them inside). I read on another post that I can find some more casting numbers that way. Then pull the long side of the one on my truck and see what I've got.

According to the VIN that came on the title (F26U....), the truck is a '75 F250. But U means diesel, and that doesn't make sense. I haven't been able to get at the VIN on the PS frame behind the front cab mount.

I used a wire brush to work the crud off the front of the long side on the "new" axle. Couldn't find anything. No diff ID tags, obviously. Plan to take the wire brush at the paint on the truck axle tomorrow if anyone can suggest it'd be a good idea and point close to the right location.