Dirtbik3r

I know this is a little long, but please read, I need some help and advice from members with more experience than I have.

I recently rebuilt my FORD 9" rearend. I bought a 3.89:1 Richmond gear set, Richmond installation kit, Strange axle bearings/seals, and auburn pro limited slip differential. Before I go any further, let me bring back the past so you [the reader] will understand.

I purchases the rear end from ebay about a year and 1/2 ago. It came with 28spine axles and an open differential. Also, it had the Shock, LCA, and Panhard Rod brackets already welded on. I must say it does look professional, whoever welded it definitely set it up in a jig. The code on the carrier (center section) said it was from a 67 full size Ford car (not mustang). But, it was an oddball. The housing flange resembled more of a Chevy (Special - according to Wilwood). This is sort of like the flanges used on Grand Nationals or camaro's with c-clip eliminators. But it was a big bearing, not a small.

*Note that for the rebuild, I reused the axles since they had the correct offset already for thirdgen camaro wheels.

About a year ago, I wanted disk brakes and turned towards Wilwood. A local reputable performance shop (they have a 6 second 02 camaro out front, not sure which drag class - only stock ness is the firewall and roof) measured, bought, and installed the kit. They didn't have the whole car, just the rear end. They put on the Wilwood dynalite pro series parking brake kit; part number: 140-6699*. This kit is for the small bearing Ford with a 2.66" offset from axle flange to the face of the axle. Wilwood even states, "Make sure this kit is the correct kit to fit the axle housing flange, not necessarily the rear end make." Everything worked well for a whole year until I decided to rebuild it.

After the rebuild, I installed the carrier onto the housing, installed the brakes, and noticed that in neutral with the E-brake not applied, the wheels would not turn.

*I filed down the inside diameter of the studs because I noticed stress crack around the studs holes for the wheels on the rotor. I wanted the rotor to sit perfectly this time on the axle face.

They acted as if the caliper was seized which isn't the case. So stupid me jacked the wheels up and went thought each and every gear. I heard a horrible grinding noise and stopped. The inside of the rotor was destroyed. The bracket kit for the Wilwoods (the part which the caliper bolts onto) milled down the inside of the rotor. WHY would this happen now and not before. I am stumped.

Other thing I noticed include:
axle play on the driver's side. Inward and outward motion. measured: .118" of play

I also measured the offset correctly on each axle:
Driver's side: 2.568"-2.650" (the range is the actual axle end play)
Passenger side: 2.661" with almost no end play. Seems like the bearing is preloaded perfectly.

The other part about the axles which concerned me was how the bearings seated in the houisng. The Wilwood kit came with their own axle retainers with a lip on them. This lip is supposed to face toward the housing (Away from the wheel). Anyway, It almost seamed like the axles were too long and the retainers would only fit flat, the opposite way around without that lip pointing outwards. But, this was the way they have been seated for the past year, when they worked beautifully.

FYI: the rotor is gouged about 20-25 thousandths and Wilwood wants $160 per rotor...

What could cause this to rub now and not before? I'm lost and need help. Is their something I'm overlooking?

Shagwell

have you pulled the axle and checked to see why you have end-play? They shouldn't be able to move that much...
sure you didn't forget any shims that may have been installed when they put the brakes on?

Dirtbik3r

I'll pull the axle out tomorrow. I'm not really sure what to look for... I'm guessing one of the axle bearings isn't seated fully in the housing. But I won't know until tomorrow.

I didn't forget any shims. I'm positive. The only think i can think of which acted like a shim was the excess knurl diameter of the studs petruding through the axle end (face). I grinded and files this down so the hat of the rotor would sit better on the axle end (face).

I just ordered longer studs and 7/32" wheel spacer to go between the rotor hat and the axle face. I hoping this will solve the scraping issue.

-Thanks for the reply Shagwell

Dirtbik3r

I finally got around to pulling the axles today and noticed a bunch of things.

BOTH axles had side to side and up and down movements, kind of like the bearings were not seating well.

So a pulled both of em out and noticed that the bearings were to big... Let me explain what I mean. Viewed from the side of the car, the depth of the bearings on the axle are about 1/4" too big. So they petrude out of the housing ends about a 1/4". If this needs to be clarified better, please ask.

Also, the bearing collars which hold the bearings in got themselves loose. What and how does this happen? - 1.562" ID

I then stuck a tape measurer into the axle tubing until it hit the shaft which hold the spiders together. I measured from that point to the bearing and I believe the axles are maybe 1/8" too long... Help on this please? Have anything to do with the different housing end on the actually rear end housing. - 3.150" OD

What should be done? Is this a common problem when switching from an open diff to posi? (GM's name for limited slip)

*NOTE* Rear end housing is about 56" long. AND, i noticed the axles are made by moser and I've heard rumors about having to grind down moser axles about 1/8 of an inch for propper bearing seating... Any thought?