This wasn’t what I was expecting to see on our early 32 diff . I can see a key way in there. But what holds the drive shaft in place? I want to remove it.
This wasn’t what I was expecting to see on our early 32 diff . I can see a key way in there. But what holds the drive shaft in place? I want to remove it.
Oh yuck. So the whole thing has to disassembled completely to take the axle tube off to get to the nut. Never done a model A axle. For some reason the TT is one inch short of the K member. A complete virgin 32 rear plucked from our B4 32 correct spring. K member is in the correct place, rear cross member is still on original rivets. TT measure 53 3/8???
One thing to try is drop the rear spring out of the rear crossmember.
It helps to lift the frame off the spring onto jack stands and have the rear on wheels on or on a floor jack. Roll the rear end forward and insert the u joint onto the drive shaft.
Assemble the TT to the rear of the transmission completely. Install all parts to the u joint housing cover as well. Gaskets too.
most likely you will find the rear spring is too far forward of the rear crossmember.
Because the spring is mounted to the shackles it will move fore and aft some usually enough to get the spring to slide up into the opening.
A pry bar may help for that last little bit.
Isn't the overall length (from front flange to axle centerline) different between 1932 B and V8 axle assemblies? Or does that only apply to 1933/34 models?
If you think that the front of the torque tube should in the same plane as the rear surface of the center cross member or even in the opening of the center cross member, that would be incorrect. I'll not take apart one of mine to obtain the exact measurement of the gap, but it is at least a 1/2" or more and as '32phil correctly notes, there's a bit of fore and aft wiggle room via the spring shackles.
You can remove that nut and nothing will happen for the simple reason that the pinion drive gear bearings are press fit in into the center housing and there's no other reason apart from wanting to replace those bearings to want to take it apart except perhaps to replace the pinion gear or the driveshaft itself. That's why the video is cited in #6 above.
I've replaced the rear shaft. Not hard to do, but I seem to recall that the reason why I didn't mess with the TT is that it is pressed into the bearing and the bearing is pressed into the banjo housing.
Spring shackles are good. Definitely 1” gap. Maybe a big ratchet strap from K member to rear axle. But that seems a lot of pressure. I struggled to get just two nuts on a few turns .