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Need 8 3/4 help; axle end play

If u have a cone type suregrip or an open diff that is what u will see in the center. Sometimes u have to remove that block. That means complete dissambly of the unit if u use certain roller/green bearings without the snap ring. U r fine, just adjust ur axle play play too less than .010. Kim
 
With a -742 sure grip there are two sets of splines per side. They can get misaligned and the axle will only go into the first set and not until the second. This will make the axle seem “long” to the tune of 5/8”. To fix this you need to fully engage the side that fits the whole way in then engage the first set in the other side and using some hefty leverage (pipes etc), twist one in relation to the other until the second axle slides the whole way in. Last time I did this was out of the car with axles plugged in, pipe wrenches and long pipes on them. Takes a bit to make it slip.
 
Kim - thank you for the information. This is definitely a sure grip 3rd member, I cannot say whether it is cone or clutches.

Nate - I think the axles are going all the way it, they (the axles) go right up to the end plates, so I suspect I am not having the issue you describe.

I just came from the shop messing with this and I have had the axles in and out several times. The problem I am experiencing is that I do not seem to have any end play, at best it seems like around .002". You cannot feel any end play regardless of where the adjuster is set. I have tried to turn the adjuster in to the bearing as well as out towards the axle as well as in between and none of it seems to make a difference at least as how it feels. With the right axle out, the left shows some movement but once you put the right back in and tighten the bolts there is no or little movement (lateral) that you can feel.

I put a dial indicator on it and could not get any real reading, at best I got .002"or maybe .003". I have tried spinning the axles (as the manual states) but that doesn't seem to help much.

All this said, when both sides are in and tight, there doesn't seem to be binding although there is a little drag meaning that turning the axles is a little more difficult to turn when everything is tight but not unreasonably tight.

I am at a loss here, I have looked at the axles thinking the bearings were not on correctly but they look like they are on right. Help....
 
So after thinking about this, I am wondering if I need a thicker metal gasket on each axle. As it is now, I have the foam against the housing, then the metal gasket, then the axle. As I think it through its like the axles are going too deep.
 
So after thinking about this, I am wondering if I need a thicker metal gasket on each axle. As it is now, I have the foam against the housing, then the metal gasket, then the axle. As I think it through its like the axles are going too deep.

On the earlier 8-3/4 housings the backlash was done with shims. It's possible they have the same bolt pattern. Those might not be too difficult to get.
 
You could put washer or washers on housing studs on both sides of housing until you have a little side play. Make shims close to the same thickness. You could set side play before cutting shims just to make sure it works. Of course it will need to be redone with new shims.
Like Nate's idea about early shims but finding them? If you want to go that way a few members probably have them.
 
Interesting, I have pretty much a full machine shop so I am able to make whatever I need. I am just trying to figure out why this is happening. I like to understand what the problem is and why it has occurred before applying solutions. I am not saying I am against the shims just want to make sure what I am doing is the right way.

So lets review what I have going on, perhaps I have jacked this up some way.

- Rear end and axles are both original to the car, 69 Plymouth wagon
- 3rd member is a 489 case with 3.91 gears and SG which supposedly came out of a running/driving 69 RR (swapped for 3.23 or something)
- the bearings appear to be on correctly
- i am using a new foam gasket against the housing and a steel gasket on the outside against the axle plates (they were new or near new)
- the seals are new and appear to be correctly installed (I put them in and drove them to the stops, then felt around the seals to make sure)

What is happening
- axles will go in relatively freely once I align the axle plates with the studs
- the adjuster on the right side (passenger side) is set so that it is not touching the bearing
- with the right axle out, the left side has some lateral (left to right) movement
- with the right axle in and "almost" tightened down, the axle shows some looseness and lateral movement, however once the bolts are tightened, all play is gone (regardless of where the adjuster is)
- once the right axle is in and tightened (even 3 bolts; 2 on the top left/right and one on the bottom @ 6 O'clock) all play disappears on both axles

Thinking this through mechanically, it "seems" that one condition or another is present;

1. the thrust block is too long
2. the axles are too long (unlikely)
3. the right axle is going in too far (seems possible but not overly likely)
5. something is going on with the adjuster (not sure what they could be)
6. something I am completely overlooking or not understanding...

I suspect that whatever is happening here is not as complex as I am thinking, it is possible that I am doing something incorrectly here, but I can say that there is no play that can be felt once the axles in. Here is what i have done during this endeavor;

1. install both axles
2. position a dial indicator onto the left (drivers side) axle; I am using a magnetic base with the base on my caliper mount (which is welded to the housing) and the indicator is reading off the axle flange
3. using a non metallic hammer, I whack the left axle several times and zero out the indicator
4. i whack the left side axle several times with the non metallic hammer
5. i read the dial indicator

Note: I have tried rotating the axles several times before and after whacking the left axle (as called out in the manual), I have also tried a wood block and a BFH to do the "whacking" and nothing seems to differ.

I am open to any comments or suggestions...
 
I never measured how thick backing plates are, my guess is 3/32". So you've eliminated 3/16" from the width of the housing. I'd measure thickness of backing plates and shim both axle flanges the same amount and try that. If your washer are .010 thicker that would be ok, but not thinner. I posted a picture of the guts of the SG. In the center of picture is the pin the axles go against. You'll see the springs and cross shaft it's right above them. MO you've narrowed the housing by not using backing plates so axles are bottoming out on that pin.
suregrip7.JPG
 
Fran - the light bulb just flashed on for me... THANK YOU!!! completely forgot about the fact that I have eliminated the backing plates.... I knew it would be something I was overlooking...

I will go out and space them accordingly and report back.. THANKS AGAIN
 
@oldkimmer mention it in post #18 but didn't go into detail.
I didn’t think I should have to go into detail as he is a pretty handy guy. Also Thanks Fran. u need the shim against the housing. Then the spacer then the foam gasket and then the axle. Hopefully this time works. Kim
 
I didn’t think I should have to go into detail as he is a pretty handy guy. Also Thanks Fran. u need the shim against the housing. Then the spacer then the foam gasket and then the axle. Hopefully this time works. Kim
Sometimes the light bulb doesn't light, needs spla-in.:DYou got it right so you deserve credit.
 
Yeah I know it was mentioned but at that point my mind was elsewhere and I wasn't thinking it completely through, sometimes I have to get his with the 2x4 a couple of times to get it... Again, thanks all for the responses, comments, pictures and patience. I got it adjusted out to about .011 (due to the clip, had to go one notch one direction or the other and one side resulted in about .007, so I went the other).
 
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