Axle Re-build - Help!

[johnnyj]

Hi folks

I have stripped my 4-speed axle and now have all of the parts to rebuild it. However, I have been a bit silly and forgotten which side is left or right when it comes to reassembly. Basically I'd like to know if (a) the half shafts are handed and (b) which side the drum back plates relate to.

On the second point, the back plates are stamped LH/RH so all ok. But I don't know from which perspective we are talking LH/RH. So, can anyone tell me which back plate I should assign to which side of the axle?

To make it easier, let me know if "A" or "B" is left side or right side, in terms of the back plate locations, in the following pic

I have just had the bearings and hubs pressed onto the shafts and don't want to put them into the axle casing the wrong way around!

Many thanks, I'll take photos for reference next time I do anything like this!

Cheers

John

[john 215]

Hi,

The half shafts are the same side to side. Did the guy who pressed the bearing on, did he press it on the correct distance ?
There should be a gap of 4.1 mm ( quickly in my head that's about 161 thou in real measurements ), this closes up to the correct depth setting once you install the halfshaft etc back into the axle and you refit the flange and torque the retaining nut up.

The back plates are handed and you will find the parking brake lever slot will only face rearwards when correctly orientated

There are a few pictures on my, to my shame neglected blog pages


https://www.tr7triumph.com/forum/viewtop ... 16&t=16017


Cheers John

[johnnyj]

Hi John and thanks for the info. I left the gap between the shoulder of the half shaft and the bearing, so at least got that right! This morning I reassembled everything, but I do have a problem (I think!).

I can't seem to get the half shafts to "mesh" with the diff, so that they are gripped properly. When I turn the diff drive flange the half shafts do rotate, and likewise when I turn one of the half shafts by rotating the hubs the other half shaft rotates. However, I can grip either of the half shafts and still manually turn the other, and likewise if I do the same and turn the drive flange I can stop the rotation of the half shafts (even though the diff keeps turning). If it were on the car and in gear, it would roll down a hill. It all feels really loose.

So, I am guessing that the half shafts need drifting further towards the diff, to get the splines to line up. However there doesn't appear to be enough travel on the hub shafts to allow this.

I had the hubs fitted to the shafts before refitting, so I am wondering if that was my mistake! Also, have I fitted the bits & bobs around the hub correctly? I am starting to doubt myself...

Any help gratefully received!

All the best

John

[Stag76]

If one half shaft turns the other or the flange it would seem that they are engaged.

Can you stop both half shafts turning and still turn the flange?

[john 215]

Hi,

Looking at the pictures they look like you have them home, those retainers wouldn't be that flush. As my learned friend say's get someone ( unless you have three hands ) to hold both half shafts, then try turn the pinion it should be impossible to do so.

Cheers John

[johnnyj]

Thanks both.

Well, it turned out that the local garage, when pressing on the hub, had decided to go the whole hog and ram the bearing right up to the shoulder on the shafts, thus ridding me of my prized 4.1mm gap. A quick re-arrange with the hub puller got it sorted, and after that everything sat together nicely.

Job done!

[john 215]

Hi,

Well done, the hub should be always the last thing to be tightened and that 4mm gap is then ' adjusted ' as it is tightened into the casing. Unless they had done the job before or no manual then a easy mistake to make, they wont be the first and certainly the last to make that one !

They done well to get the flanges off in the first place, mate those things can be tight !





As a foot note, I see you are Northampton way, going to be at Billing this weekend, don't need to be a TRDC member or even have your car with you, certainly be made welcome.


Cheers John

[Stag76]

I built a hub remover for a friend a couple of years ago. We didn't know they were available.
He has a string of Herald based cars, Herald, Vitesse, Spitfire and GT6 and was always
trying to remove the hub to replace bearings using heat, prayer, violence etc.
This made it easy, just tighten it up and hit the outside if the taper with a drift.

[johnnyj]

Hi everyone and thank you for your comments, advice and encouragement. I'll certainly head over to Billing this weekend and hopefully make some new friends with similar wedgy interests.

The hub pullers look great and I wish I'd had them when I started this job! I also remember doing a similar job on my Bond Equipe, which involved using a special tool for jacking up the leaf spring in order to free the rotoflex couplings. But that was ages ago....

I now have the front and rear running gear ready to go back on the car, so I can take it to be painted. The only decision left to be made is whether to lower the car onto the running gear, or raise the running gear onto the car. It is currently about three feet in the air on a spit.

Thanks again folks

John

[john 215]

Hi John,

Great news you will be there

See you over the weekend,

Cheers John