Need help: Ford 9" questions

[wayfarer]

Ok, so I bought a 9" posi pumpkin for the rear in the wayfarer at the swap meet yesterday, so I decided that I'd put it in this afternoon. Well, everything was going well and I thought the hardest part was done (you know, lifting the pumpkin in from under the car on my back?) when I ran into a problem. I can't get the driver's side axle back in. The passenger side I pushed in until the splines were engaged and gave it a tap with a sledge hammer and it popped right in. The driver's side on the other hand I can get the splines to engage and just get the bearing up to the race, but can't get it to go in at all. Is there something I'm missing? Does anyone have any techiniques to get it in? I'd like to finish it tonight so I can drive the thing tomorrow.

[OutLaw]

Are you sure you have the right splines? Besides that you they should just slide right it in. You might want to pull the pumpkin and axles and see if anything is buggered up.

[Flatdog]

Did you mix axle sides?

[McGrath]

Someone may have had it apart and didn't get that side lined up right. I have a Clutch-type posi in my 9" right now and when I disassembled it to check everything out, I noticed that on the Clutch side of the differential, the area the axle slides into is a two-piece deal.

I put it back together the first time without lining the pieces up and the axle wouldn't go in. I had to take it back apart, then re-assemble it with the axle stuck in that side to keep the sections lined up while I tightened everything back up.

There is probably a better way to do it, but thats the first time I ever had one apart.

[wayfarer]

I'm sure I have the right splines and I didn't mix up the axles, they were never all the way out. It is a two piece deal in the carrier, maybe that's the problem. I'm too pissed at it to finish it tonight. I'll take it all apart in the morning.

[Flatdog]

Way, if it is a clutch posi you MAY be able to jiggle the axle in by putting tires on it and two guys one on each side.jiggle the tires. The proper way is to assambe unit on a set of splines.

[wayfarer]

Thanks, I'll try that. Now I just have to find someone to help me. I hope I don't have to take it all apart again. The passenger side slid right in and I thought I was almost done. Shame on me, I've worked on cars long enough to know that everything takes at least twice as long as you think and nothing ever fits.

[himmelberg]

As a young man I spent alot of time and money replacing rear ends in a '55 chev. When we finally got ahold of a posi rear we couldn't seat one axle... 'til uncle Otis came in and informed us that you must "rotate" a posi axle into its splines. Didn't make sense then, or now... but it worked. himmelberg

[Flat Ernie]

In the posi (probably traction-lok), there are two sets of splines on one side - one for the spider & one for the clutch block. They need to be lined up or the one axle won't go all the way in.

What you can try is to jack up just the side you can't get in leaving the other wheel on the ground. Then try using something you can get some leverage with like the brake drum on backwards or even a rim & wrench it back & forth while pushing in on the axle. It should go in w/o too much effort. Be sure you've got the car well supported!!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[himmelberg]

That's basically what we were doing, Ernie. Rotating the axle to align the splines as we pushed inboard.