8" Ford Technical Question - HELP!

I bougt an 8" ford out of a junkyard - came from a '74 Maverick and installed into my '31 Tudor Sedan. Fit is great and all... but i took it out to clean it up, rebuild brakes, etc. this weekend and decided i wanted to paint the backing plates.

Well, i'm completely baffeled on how to do so! I unbolted the backing plate from the axle housing flange, but the backing plate is held on by the axle end and the bearing and bearing keeper?

It's my first time to work with an 8", but i have a ford 9" and it's set up differently. I can unbolt the backing plate and take it off without having to pull axles, remove bearings, and then remove backing plate.

Did someone work on this previously and install the backing plate between bearing and axle end in error? Or do you really have to remove bearings to remove backing plate?

All information is helpful. I have been searching the Tech Posts on the HAMB, but i see pictures with axles with bearings installed and no backing plates?

Thanks in advance!

 

it should come off without having to remove the bearing.

 

there should be just enough space to work the plate over the bearing and off. Gunk and paint will make it look like it wont come off but It was put on like that.

 

it'll come off..tight fit.

clean up the hole in the backing plate and the outer bearing race, and get that tin shim out of the way...(dont fuck that tin shim up..if it aint fucked up you can use it again)

 

Tight fit on the tim shin... how easily replaceable are those? This stuff, tight fit, impatient bastard with fat hands = might need new ones?

 

Axles slide out of the backing plates just like a 9". Pulled the ones of my Falcon just yesterday and the backing plates were actually stuck to the housing. This like others said that you just got junk built up.

 

it fits through the hole..

 

those tin shims can be easily replaced if you bend one all to shit, when i did my 8 in my sedan, i just bought all new shit, make sure they know which ones to get..i ended up with the wrong ones first shot out of the parts house..normally i would have reused them, but mine were all bent up pretty good

 

Thanks all! Lots of gunk and grim, cut the tin shims off and cleaned bearings. Should have new shims in 3 days and will rebuild from there! I'm guessing the Maverick may have been in the boneyard awhile? or it's just a 36 year old rear end? Obviously, there are two diameters of ID of the spacers = 2 11/16 and 2 55/64.