Tapered axles - POOF

i thought it was as tight as possible with a ten foot cheater bar and then backed of until the cotter pin lines up with the castle nut... and they will work loose without that cotter pin no matter how tight you put it on. i'm just lucky i was on a backstreet and the key held everything in place when i saw a huge nut come flying from behind me. it ain't fun.

 

didn't have to purchase hubs
cut the drums away, press old studs out, install new non-swage type studs, back on the road
FYI

 

I have a spare full floating axle off of a newer jeep that the axles and flanges are shot. The 11 inch brakes are in great shape along with the drums. I was just concerned about getting the hubs off of the 10 inch drums. Well, I used a bfh and beat them off tonight. I believe I have all the parts I need to get back on the road. My only concern is puttin the axle key in correctly. I'm using the same key as stated earlier in this thread. I just don't know if the tapered end goes toward the diff or toward the wheels. Also, does the longest piece of the tapered end go along the axle or along the hub? I want to make sure I do it right because I don't want to end up with a spun hub. I'm got a lot of meat and hp going through those axles...

Thanks,

TAZ

 

As said, tapered end goes in first. Make sure you put the hub on lightly first, then slide the key in, then nut and washer. If you put the key in first then the hub the key has a tendency to slide up the ramped portion of the axle and make you think the hub is on all the way. Then when you tighten the nut the key area of the hub is blown out because it forces the key to push through as the nut is tightened down. Nickmil.

 

I used a 3 ft cheater with a 2 foot breaker. I just kept torquing that thing as hard as possible until I got to where the cotter pin (barely) lined up. I was told that in no way I should line up the cotter pin by backing off, only by tightening. Knock on wood, no troubles so far.

 

Have fun when you have to take it off. I had a 64 CJ-6 with a Chevy 283 and 5.38 gears. Never had any problems with the axle key set up. I used to install everything as per the FSM.

 

That's what they make that MONGO puller for -
To "un-torque" what we get all "torqued up"... at least that's my hope -
I'd rather fight to get it off, than have it fall off in my hand after it got spun.

 

Just to clarify... I used the 11inch brake backing plate from a Dana 30 front off of a 74 CJ. It was a perfect fit. The rear backing plate's holes would not fit because the holes don't line up. It appears that the centered Dana 44 and the off-set Dana 44 have different patterns, as related to backing plates.

TAZ

 

You can use the round pattern 11" backing plates on the flanged axle housings by drilling two holes and grinding the center hole larger so the bearing/seal can pass through. That's all that's needed to do. The Offset flanged and the centered flanged share the same pattern and have a larger center hole for the bearing/seal to pass through. The tapered axle rear shares all 6 of the same bolt holes when using front backing plates. Nickmil.

 

You are correct. I'm just saying that the 11 inch backing plate from the Dana 30 from was a perfect fit, with no modifications.

Thanks,

TAZ