Are my axles too tight in rebuilt 44??

[spdyracer]

I just had my dana 44 completely rebuilt and got it back from the guy who built it for me. I got the axles a few days later because he was waiting on the spacers from my disc brake conversion. I put the axles in the passenger side first and once I put that one in it got a bit tighter to turn. I then put the driver side in and when I did I could not turn the axles at all by hand. The only way I can get the axles to turn now is to twist the yoke and even that its pretty hard to do. Is this normal or should they turn pretty freely. Just didn't know if he pressed on the bearings and seals on too far and now the axles and being pushed in too far putting too much pressure on the center section. I'm pretty lost on all of this so I have no clue I'm just wanting to check before I put it in the cherokee and end up tearing it up.

 

[Vanimal]

did the spacers have a relief for the seal lips on one side? if so, is it facing the seal? it could be compressing the lip of the seal onto the axle shaft so tight that it's binding maybe? just a thought.
is there a locker? what kind?

 

[spdyracer]

yes it did and yes they are facing the seal. When I slid the first axle in before i started bolting anything down i could turn it pretty easy to line up the hole in the end of the axle to the nuts to tighten them down. the more i tighten both sides down the harder it got to turn. like i said this a all new to me but the only thing i keep thinking of is he pressed everything on the axles too far and that is allowing the axles to push in too far. i may be completely wrong on that but it seems to me that is whats happening.

 

[Vanimal]

yes it did and yes they are facing the seal. When I slid the first axle in before i started bolting anything down i could turn it pretty easy to line up the hole in the end of the axle to the nuts to tighten them down. the more i tighten both sides down the harder it got to turn. like i said this a all new to me but the only thing i keep thinking of is he pressed everything on the axles too far and that is allowing the axles to push in too far. i may be completely wrong on that but it seems to me that is whats happening.

not possibe, they stop at a specific point, cant go any farther.
one axle shaft is longer than the other, perhaps you got them backwards? i dont even think they'll go in like that but just throwing that out there

 

[spdyracer]

ok that makes me feel a little better. i marked the axles when i pulled them out just in case they where side specific so i know there in the sides they came out of.

 

[Vanimal]

ok that makes me feel a little better. i marked the axles when i pulled them out just in case they where side specific so i know there in the sides they came out of.

assuming the other guy put them in right haha
they're about 3/4" different in length. i do not know if they'll even go together like that, i am assuming it wont, but a spool or something might allow it. stock carrier probably wont.
are you sure the brakes arent rubbing? dont forget about the ebrake too, the shoes might be rubbing on the drum part of the rotor. they could be too tight also, there is an adjustment.

 

[spdyracer]

assuming the other guy put them in right haha
they're about 3/4" different in length. i do not know if they'll even go together like that, i am assuming it wont, but a spool or something might allow it. stock carrier probably wont.
are you sure the brakes arent rubbing? dont forget about the ebrake too, the shoes might be rubbing on the drum part of the rotor. they could be too tight also, there is an adjustment.

it still has the stock carrier. yeah im sure its not the brakes because the axles got hard to turn before i put the rotors on.

 

[Outlander560]

could just be the leverage you have when turning the axle shaft....just not enough to grab to turn it...install both shafts and turn it from the yoke. also because the bearings are new they do need to be broken in so they are tight...as well as their being no lubricant in the pumpkin will really just be metal on metal and that could be your problem as well. if you did all of this and still have the problem check the pinion to ring gear to see if he shimmed the pinion correctly...the guy who did all the work has he done this before?

 

[spdyracer]

could just be the leverage you have when turning the axle shaft....just not enough to grab to turn it...install both shafts and turn it from the yoke. also because the bearings are new they do need to be broken in so they are tight...as well as their being no lubricant in the pumpkin will really just be metal on metal and that could be your problem as well. if you did all of this and still have the problem check the pinion to ring gear to see if he shimmed the pinion correctly...the guy who did all the work has he done this before?

yeah i could see all of that being something that could affect it. also its sitting on jackstands in my garage also and not even installed in the cherokee yet.

 

[Oatmeal]

What kind of brakes, Explorer, Crown Vic?

If the spacers are too thick, (made mine .230" or just under a 1/4" when I adapted Explorer brakes) it will preload the bearings too much and cause that.

Measure the thickness and/or inquire about what he supplied.

Hans

 

[spdyracer]

its the teraflex brake kit so i guess that would be the explorer brakes. i got the rear end in tonight and i guess ill get it back together 100% and get it back over to the guy that built it for me and have him check it all out when he does the front for me.

 

[Talyn]

Did you lube the seals prior to sliding the axle shafts in?

 

[jonzer12]

Pull axles and turn yoke, if it spins free the center is good and your problem is at the outers. Add one part at a time until you introduce the binding.
Shouldn't take too long to find the problem. If its the brakes, it should be a no brainer, you should be able to see the pads hitting the rotor.

 

[2stix]

sounds like the binding starts when you install the shafts and tighten them down. this pretty much makes me believe that either the axle tubes are bent a little, or the bearing race was not installed properly. when you first start feeling it bind, is it smooth, or does it bind at a certian rotation then free up then bind again?

 

[Vanimal]

the tubes would have to be bent pretty good for it to bind like that.

i just checked the 44 i have waiting to go in. there is no binding, i can turn it with 2 fingers on the studs. this is with 4.56's and an elocker, with explorer brakes.
you still didnt say if you had a locker, lsd, or nothing.

 

[spdyracer]

thanks for all the ideas. it does have a lock right locker that was just put in before i got it. as far as the binding that is correct it starts when i start bolting down the axles and no there isn't a certain spot that binds more its the same all the way around. i got it back together and going to drop it off to the guy that did my gears sat. so i'll just let him check it all out. thanks for all the help.