A dumb D35 question.

[8594]

Let's see if I can get a few pictures up here.
Housing
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994002.jpg
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994003.jpg
Stub axle in.
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994004.jpg
Slip Yoke Bottomed.
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994005.jpg
U-Joint not lined up w/ Ball-Joints.
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994006.jpg
And Hanging out the Knuckle.
http://i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq230/E85d/TTB351994007.jpg

I'm stumped. The seal number is 40773 and

 

[4x4junkie]

Looks like the axle is in the pig all the way...
Your suspension is clearly at droop in those pics though, maybe that's too much droop for it (which would mean trimming the shaft is needed), although if you say it wouldn't go in with it at ride height either...
I'm out of ideas in that case

Are any brackets bent? (pivots)? Your beams aren't modified for lift are they? (sometimes referred to as "cut & turned" beams)?

 

[8594]

4x.

It was a running Truck.
No parts were changed other then Gears, bearings, seals, u-joints, ball joints, less dirt, more paint.
So, again, these are the parts that came out, except the seal and I'm going to yank it soon and see if things fit then...

 

[8594]

Review.

Complete 'running' 94 Ranger 4WD.
Take the front a part, Pull the beams etc, (no mounts) send the third out to be regeared. I clean and paint the various parts, replacing the u-joints, and the Ball Joints.
I then bolt the 3RD into the D/side beam and hang it then hang the P/side and put the Dside axle in and everything fits just fine.
I go to put the P/side in and the two piece axle is roughly 1/4" too long:
With the axle in the diff until the seal bottoms out and with the slip yoke bottomed out.
I then pull the axle and check everything.
Mounting points were never moved.
Could I have mixed parts side to side? Not likely as I witnessed marked everything and all the stamps line up.
Spicer joints in the shafts and Spicer ball joints.
Knuckles only fit on the side they came off.

Pull the Left seal that the shaft moves about 1/16-inch great about 1/4" to go.

My question at this point is.
The axle shaft for the spider gears is flat on one side and round on the other this was done to accommodate the fact that one shaft had a retaining clip and the other did not. Which side gets the flat?
In the mean time I'm going to go have a drink and ignore this damn Ranger

 

[bobbywalter]

the bearing possibly is not seated all the way from what i can see. that or you have the extra spacers on the inside of the spindle.

you should be able to force it pastthe seal in any case.


but the bearing and spiders are a different story.

i would die mark( saymarkal paint stick)the splines and see if they are seating all the way.

 

[bobbywalter]

that is assuming the outside shaft is not bottomed against the center u joint.

if the cap is still there then it is likely bottomed against that....in that case just smash it out and let the axle move toward the ujoint ut should be ok if it dont smash it.


but you will have to externally spring it from the long side.

 

[8594]

the bearing possibly is not seated all the way from what i can see. that or you have the extra spacers on the inside of the spindle.

you should be able to force it pastthe seal in any case.


but the bearing and spiders are a different story.

i would die mark( saymarkal paint stick)the splines and see if they are seating all the way.

Thinking along those lines I removed the seal and... Nada.
I have no spacers outside of the Diff anywhere so that should not be an issue.

 

[8594]

that is assuming the outside shaft is not bottomed against the center u joint.

if the cap is still there then it is likely bottomed against that....in that case just smash it out and let the axle move toward the ujoint ut should be ok if it dont smash it.


but you will have to externally spring it from the long side.

Ok here is the deal this shit was all assembled once. I should not have to be smashing jack shit to reassemble it....
Not that I may not just smash it at some point!!!

 

[4x4junkie]

My only guess is that what I said originally about the suspension at droop is what's happening.
When the truck was assembled the last time, the suspension was NOT at full droop like that. The axle went in no problem at that point. With everything together, the binding of the shaft at droop was never observed because it normally doesn't affect the operation of it to any noticeable degree, but it CAN potentially bust that cap out that Bobby mentioned. I would NOT go running around without that cap in place though, as dust & dirt will get into the splines and then you'll start chewing up the slipyoke and the splined thrust washer on the passengerside spindle.

I would say trim the shaft down however much is needed at the big splined end, until it will just go in with the suspension at droop and be done with it.

 

[8594]

My only guess is that what I said originally about the suspension at droop is what's happening.
When the truck was assembled the last time, the suspension was NOT at full droop like that. The axle went in no problem at that point. With everything together, the binding of the shaft at droop was never observed because it normally doesn't affect the operation of it to any noticeable degree, but it CAN potentially bust that cap out that Bobby mentioned. I would NOT go running around without that cap in place though, as dust & dirt will get into the splines and then you'll start chewing up the slipyoke and the splined thrust washer on the passengerside spindle.

I would say trim the shaft down however much is needed at the big splined end, until it will just go in with the suspension at droop and be done with it.

I just plotted rough axle & beam lengths and mounting points in CAD (something I've never done before with the TTB) and what you say has merit.
My only problem is that (I do listen) when I jacked the suspension up (yesterday) to roughly ride height I still had the problem...
I do find it difficult to see how the truck was driven for the past 40,000+miles with the lift, with these axles on and off road and this condition didn't damage something...

Today I pulled it back apart and stuffed the axle into the Diff-housing and unfortunately there is nothing wrong there. So that is ok...
I'll reinstall that beam and start over in the morning. And if I need to chop the axle then chop it will be!

When I do finally get this whipped I'll definitely post up!

Thank you all for the suggestions, I do check each one out the best I can.

 

[4x4junkie]

Good luck with it, and don't worry about causing other problems by cutting the shaft a bit, that shaft already has at least 3" spline engagement into the yoke even normally, a quarter to half-inch off the end won't matter.

 

[CopyKat]

I trimmed 3/8" off mine.

 

[8594]

Need a dimension.

I'm going to end up chopping this shaft I have no doubt.
Before I do I would like to know what the dimension between the two beam mounting bolts is supposed to be. I've been through every shop manual I have and I do not have this number, even in the OR Ford service manual.
I just measured my 86 and got 15" and the 94 and got 15.75"

Thanks!

 

[4x4junkie]

I kindof doubt a number like that would be published anywhere (unless there's a such thing as a frame repair/specifications manual.).

Best that I can tell due to them being staggered front/rear, the lateral separation is somewhere between 14.5"-14.75" on mine.

 

[8594]

The Duff brackets are 15 3/4" just hanging there and being wider then yours by an inch...
But how could it be that far off and live for 40k-miles???

It could also explain why the tires on factory rims didn't clear the shocks and radius arms, and why Duff had to replace the springs on this truck... It could just be that luck is what let it live!