Alright it has been awhile as I actually have been wheeling.
Something that I did not post up was that I did buy RCV axles.
Ok they are lots of moola but since I had broken another chrome-moly shaft I figured I was going to have to buy CTM's and at that much money I decided to go this way.
I had some slight problems installing the driver side (over 12 hours
issed
but after talking to Kraig at RCV the decision was made to "trim" the inner axle shaft because I was missing 1/4" of space to get it in. I finally did get it in but not until I had notched both my knuckle and "C" and also undid and let the ball joints float with the shaft partially installed and then hit it with a BFH.
In the end the problem was I had virgin knuckles from a waggy and had the passenger side milled but the driver side already was milled and had studs as it was a Chebby knuckle so I had decided to use it. I did not realize the true problem until Wednesday morning when I was supposed to be leaving for Rausch and I was only that late because when I went to pick them up the Friday before I found that Fedex had abused the box so bad that the shiny CV balls were missing :banghead: . Kraig air freighted me another set on Monday (that is excellent customer service) and Connie drove to Ogdensburg on Tuesday afternoon to pick them up (thanks honey) which left me fighting with them unitl 4:30 am and then back up at 8:30 and on the phone with Kraig as soon as they opened.
There is no measurable distance between fixed points but you can see the contours of the Chevy are much tighter and hence the problem.
When I got back from Rausch I pulled both sides, the passenger side was out in less than 40 minutes from wheel on but the driver was over 2.5 hours and I had to undo the ball joints again. Once I put the waggy on I was able to install both sides (just shafts) in just over 10 mins a side.
Even though they are particulary difficult to get the circlips locked in place (I am sure the Fords are much easier with their big hole) as I found out when I took it apart that apparently it was not snapped in place for the entire Rausch trip as you can see my orange boot moving up and in and out in the videos on the first day.
So after all that what is my opinion? These freaking rock! After riding for 3 days of engaging by about only 3/4" of the outer spline all it did to the splines was chew them up a bit where the circlip ring was and oblong the circlip. As far as I can tell it was only 1/2 engaged some of the time which explains why my wheel would stop and then go
Oh and I beat on this truck like a rented mule now, something I wouldn't have before.
Just a picture of the bottom of the front D44 when we got back from Rausch. Can you tell where the cover ends and the diff starts? Nice grade 8 bolts.
Oh a little tip when I remove main caps I mark them with a paint pen which keeps latitude and longtitude of each cap right without having to put a chisel mark in them. They will withstand oil in a diff for a year but brake clean does remove them fairly easily so then I just repaint.
Do you buy those crappy bag of rags at CTC or Princess? I was at one of my clients (a garage) the other day and a uniform guy was there so I asked him if he could wash the rags I had. He said I needed an account but I could put it through a garage who had an account. I said well can I put it through here? He says that this guy just buys the "seconds rags" meaning the ones that come back to them full of shavings and bondo for $15. So I say cool, oh how much for a bag of first quality rags and he responds $20 ......
So I hand him $20. The last bag Steve had brought from his work which were seconds lasted 1.5 years being frugal. Hell I have been like a junkie since then with this new bag. So next time you want real rags that actually do something just follow a uniform truck around until he stops. :beer:
