Axle installation. Help!

[Musicman]

BTW there is SOMETHING in the center...

Yup, a Thrust Block

[terrible one]

BTW there is SOMETHING in the center...

Yup, a Thrust Block

Is that the same as the "thrust button" 1hot68 was talking about?

[Musicman]

I can only assume that is what he was referring to It goes by a number of different names depending on who your talking too.

[Charger-Bodie]

here is a link to the thrust button (axle spacer) That I was refering to : http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-MOPAR-NORS-2881313-8-3-4-Axle-Spacer-67-70-Cuda-GTX_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247QQcategoryZ34208QQihZ018QQitemZ280199934386QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

here is a pic, it goes in the hole in the middle where the axles meet.

[Musicman]

I hate not being home where I can view everything... I see the pic's 1hot68 posted, and Yes those are the Thrust Blocks, Thrust Buttons, Axle Spacers, or whatever else you want to call them, that I was referring too. I've posted a couple of pic's below so you can see how they look in a Sure Grip application. If you have a big empty hole running through your pinion assembly, then yes they are missing as 1hot68 suggested. They don't generally just fall out however, but it can and does happen.
Of course, I can't see the pic's you posted, but if you find that the block assembly is missing, you can thank 1hot68 for picking up on it 

[terrible one]

I don't think it's missing. There's a block in there with a smaller hole through it but it's different than the one in the 2.76's I pulled out. 

[Charger-Bodie]

I don't think it's missing. There's a block in there with a smaller hole through it but it's different than the one in the 2.76's I pulled out. 

In the pic where youre looking in thru the housing tubes , it looks like its missing to me. 

[terrible one]

I'm not sure what to think?

If it was missing however, wouldn't that make it to where the axles had nothing to butt up against and therefore I wouldn't have been able to set end play, etc.?

[Charger-Bodie]

I'm not sure what to think?

If it was missing however, wouldn't that make it to where the axles had nothing to butt up against and therefore I wouldn't have been able to set end play, etc.?

You may just have the right axle in so far that its bottomed out , giving the illusion that its adjusted when in actuallity the left axle may not be touching at all.

[terrible one]

I'm not sure what to think?

If it was missing however, wouldn't that make it to where the axles had nothing to butt up against and therefore I wouldn't have been able to set end play, etc.?

You may just have the right axle in so far that its bottomed out , giving the illusion that its adjusted when in actuallity the left axle may not be touching at all.

I have to disagree. While I may be missing something, there is a block in the middle, and both axles are against it as the end play is at a correct measurement on both sides. Both axles are tight.

[Musicman]

I wish I could see those pic's... I wasn't smart enough to look at them at home the other day, just looked at the casing shots to verify the numbers. If you have a hole running through the 2 pinion pieces, that's say roughly 3/8" in Dia. then they are missing. These things vary a lot depending on the particular rear end and differential. In your case however, I believe you are looking for the 2 "button blocks" with the pin as illusrtated in the pic's I posted earlier.

[terrible one]

I wish I could see those pic's... I wasn't smart enough to look at them at home the other day, just looked at the casing shots to verify the numbers. If you have a hole running through the 2 pinion pieces, that's say roughly 3/8" in Dia. then they are missing. These things vary a lot depending on the particular rear end and differential. In your case however, I believe you are looking for the 2 "button blocks" with the pin as illusrtated in the pic's I posted.

That sounds about right. I guess I'm missing them. So . . . ?

[Musicman]

So, go find them... probably still with the old casing. 

[terrible one]

So, go find them... probably still with the old casing. 

Yeah, they're in there. But can I put them in easily or what? Do I need them?

[Musicman]

Yes, you need them (they protect the pinions, and also act as spacers), and yes you can put them back in... do you have the pin that holds them together, and is it any good. You can always buy new ones if necessary.

[Charger-Bodie]

I posted a picture of exactly what you need and an ebay link to a set  the spacer in youre other gear set is differant, you need the small button style like in the pic........


Also just because the play is right dont mean its ok .....the spacer makes the 2 axles ALMOST work as one, to avoid side pressure on the gears etc. in the pumpkin.

[terrible one]

So if I buy the ones on Ebay I can put them in easily? Will I need to tear the chunk down or just take it out of the case?

[Charger-Bodie]

So if I buy the ones on Ebay I can put them in easily? Will I need to tear the chunk down or just take it out of the case?

Ive put the in thru the tubes with a long magnet, BUT I would strongly recomend just pulling the center section back out .

They will just slip in the hole and then just install the pin and its ready.......you do not need to tear the gear set apart for this at all.

[Musicman]

  Like 1hot68 said... just pull the case, drop in the 2 pieces, install the pin, and your ready to go 

[terrible one]

Alright. I'm down for that. Not so bad.

Can I use the pieces from the old chunk, or is the pin and stuff a one-time-only thing? I don't mind getting the thing off of Ebay, but only if I have to. Money is tight here.

And. . . is it hard to install the pin when I take my chunk out to put it in? Do I need any special tools or anything?

Thanks guys. 

[Musicman]

No special tools reqired... If you have the old pin your all set, as long as it's not broken or rusted away.

[terrible one]

Okay, so that's the plan.

With that being said, how do I go about removing it from the old chunk? A long punch and a hammer? The pin just drives back out, correct? Then back in for the new chunk?

[terrible one]

I tried knocking what looks like the tip of the pin out with a hammer and screwdriver but it's no good. I'm sure a punch would work better, which I'll round up and try next, but am I going in the right direction here?

[terrible one]

Okay,

So I came across this thread: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,25720.0.html

While my old chunk isn't a 489 case, it definitely has those same big round spacers in it, and the 741 case shown in the thread uses the same block as the one I have, but has a lot smaller spacers in it (the ones Brian posted the Ebay link to), which helps my confusion a bit. I was wondering why they looked so much smaller on the Ebay ad and in the diagrams! So I'll get the ones off of Ebay since the ones out of the old case aren't right anyways, and hopefully have them in the day they get here. I HATE delays!

[Musicman]

While my old chunk isn't a 489 case, it definitely has those same big round spacers in it, and the 741 case shown in the thread uses the same block as the one I have, but has a lot smaller spacers in it (the ones Brian posted the Ebay link to), which helps my confusion a bit.

Like I said earlier...

These things vary a lot depending on the particular rear end and differential. In your case however, I believe you are looking for the 2 "button blocks" with the pin.

Get the right pieces and git-r-done