Rear axle into diff -> wont go... argh

[funkytown]

Hey

So im trying to get an axle to go into the rear diff and it wont go in... Not for the life of me

I have a v2 STI RA rear diff (R160) and a set of WRX v7/8 (not STI) R160 rear axles and hubs

I can get the drivers side in and seeminly accept. But not the PASSENGER side

I pulled the drivers side back out and it has a circlip in the diff, the passenger side doesnt. The passenger side goes in fine with out the clip but is floppy (falls out as expected) so i put a circlip on that axle and it wont go past the first the circlip no matter how vigorous i am.

Interestingly the splines in the diff before and after the circlip locating bit are different lengths.... Does this matter?

The axles are the same length... Is this ok for this diff?

how the frig do i get the passenger side axle in??

[Guest boostin]

Don't V2 diffs have the little stub axles??

[funkytown]

both are R160... and the drivers side accepts fully..

the passenger side is accepting without the circlip so id say they are compatible

[funkytown]

 boostin said:

Don't V2 diffs have the little stub axles??

edit: sorry rushed in to reply earlier

my v3 sti axles were different lengths...

however the internals of this diff do look to take "short stubs"... my v7/8 WRX hubs are both equal (short) length.. im still lost why it wont work

[Guest boostin]

Why are your V3 axles different lengths? That doesn't sound right....

Or is it the inner CV that differs? BG GT's are like that. The LH? CV has an extra set of splines.

[funkytown]

 boostin said:

Why are your V3 axles different lengths? That doesn't sound right....

Or is it the inner CV that differs? BG GT's are like that. The LH? CV has an extra set of splines.

no its coz its a viscous diff (the v3 one that is) it has a smaller tappered spline for one axle (passenger side). my V2 one is a mechanical diff so doesnt have / need the tappered spline in the diff and doesnt require diff length axles

I have got both circlips now and they are definately the same size / diameter. I have inspected the drivers side one (but not removed it) and it sits freely in the groove in the diff allowing for expansion as the axle spreads it and locates onto the axle groove.

I put a circlip in the diff on passenger side and its tight as fuk - it wont spin or move and wont expand to allow the axle so slide past it... This is my issue as far as i see...

The slot in the diff looks to same on both sides as far as i can see and the axles are identical as they should be..

The diff went to gear tech in palmy to be refurbished and i think for some reason they have forgotten to put a "correct" clip in that side.

I suspect my clips wud be ok but you have to bend them a little to put them in the diff which is real hard when its up in the rear subframe.

Im mighty pissed at it now and giving up - fuk the stupid thing and fuk MM

[Guest boostin]

Will the LH axle fit in the RH side? As in are the definitely the same?

Otherwise it sounds like that LH clip is too fat.

[Koom]

Could get the groove machined deeper so the circlip can sink below the base of the teeth. I had to do that to fit stubs onto a new gearbox. Takes any decent machine shop about 60 secs.

[funkytown]

 boostin said:

Will the LH axle fit in the RH side? As in are the definitely the same?

Otherwise it sounds like that LH clip is too fat.

i havent tried it in the other side - i have to remove the trailing arm for that, axle is in the hub and i havent / cant get them out.

Its either

a) clips are to big... cant see the fuk why... they should all be just the same (I have both clips from both sides on my v3 one and are identical in size).

b) the groove in the diff to locate the clip is to small... again cant see the fuk why.. they should be same..

[funkytown]

 Koom said:

Could get the groove machined deeper so the circlip can sink below the base of the teeth. I had to do that to fit stubs onto a new gearbox. Takes any decent machine shop about 60 secs.

the clip wont recede back into the diff groove far enough - its not the axle side

means removing all the diff and likely spliting it open again... it was just split open and refurbished before i got it...

putting it all back in on my back on the garage floor made be oober angry the first time i did it and dont want to repeat

[funkytown]

well Rick has been by, they are definitely circlip in diff type.

Hes compared the clip to a version 8 one he has and they are even bigger. Thus we can only assume the clip in the diff already is smaller than my v3 ones.

its the only explanation.

adding injury to insult ive not got a v3 clip stuck in the diff and its likely all going to have to come out including the center section of the diff to extract the clip..

> totally uncool

[Guest Fastfour]

Tis unfortunate but thats what happens when you go into relatively untested grounds

[funkytown]

so i think we have found the issue as per my thread in the garage.

my next question in aid of helping Josh - how easy / feasible is it to extract just the stubs out of the cvs that go into the rear diff?

If at all possible i want to use the CV's i have and axles / boots etc.

[dubbedup]

thinking out legacy ones i have bulled apart there is just a clip under the grease...i will have a look and if i get stuck i will post it up in here!

[funkytown]

 dubbedup said:

thinking out legacy ones i have bulled apart there is just a clip under the grease...i will have a look and if i get stuck i will post it up in here!

Demo tells me there is a pin in the axle about where ive circled... and the stub should come out with out getting into the greasy bit.. Il inspect my axles tonight as well.

[Koom]

They're either the ones that you just punch out the cotter pin and the stub falls out of the cv or they're the male cv that the stub is part of i.e. doesn't come off.

[funkytown]

is the cotter pin where i circled?

I suspect mine are the type that dont come out at home - i dont remember a pin

any idea which come with and which dont Koom?

[Guest boostin]

Only gen 1 Legacy and V1 and 2 Impreza have the pins. The rest are all 1 piece.

[funkytown]

 boostin said:

Only gen 1 Legacy and V1 and 2 Impreza have the pins. The rest are all 1 piece.

> > grrrrrrr fuk it

[Koom]

So you have a cv currently that fits the spline. Just measure how deep the groove is inside the diff, check against the shallow groove on the spline of the cv. If they line up, get the groove machined deeper so you can put your clip on the cv's spline and shove it in the hole.

[funkytown]

the splines (yes they do fit) are different length to those im after.

i am picking that its best to get the right shape axle - I dont know exactly what the reduced spline on the axle does inside the LSD but i know it plays an important part on the viscous ones.. I dont know what it does on the mech ones...

thus i should probably stick to what came in that diff from factory right..?

[Koom]

The splines that go into the diff, are they shorter or longer than the female splines inside the diff? and by how much?

They basically just need to provide an interface to transmit torque to/from the diff and as long as they aren't radically different (i.e. not half the required length) and you can also get a groove in the right place to match up the circlips, I wouldn't worry too much. The most likely place for a splined shaft to break is at the end of the teeth and the spline's are generally much stronger (due to the way they tend to be designed).

[funkytown]

no no you dont get me..

see that pic i posted, it has a reduced spline in the center - it turns a part inside the (well at least inside the) viscous LSD unit. this can oscillates at different speed to the rest when the axle is out (and to the LHS).

Inside the Mech female splines i cant see a space where this reduced spline would mate to (although there is room for it).

Agree with what you have written, but concern is whether that reduced spline bit is required or not in a mech lsd.

I have checked both sides of my current axles and they fully insert into the diff and locate fine. What i will do that you suggested it work out the depth and placement of the two grooves to see if they line up or not.

you follow what i mean above re the reduced spline, not in terms of the "interface" but of its function within the LSD. my knowledge of how lsd's work is very very crap.

[Koom]

 funkytown said:

Inside the Mech female splines i cant see a space where this reduced spline would mate to (although there is room for it).

Does it actually require that reduced spline? or does it need a longer spline?

Whats inside the diff? One short length of spline on both sides or one twice the length of the other. I can't remember when I last looked at one of those so can't remember if you need a longer spline on one side or not.

[funkytown]

the viscous does require the long spline 100% sure on that..

What i dont know and also asking is whether the mech one "actually" needs that bit of reduced spline..

If not then your post before is the best solution i agree.

I think its a short bit of spline on both sides, with a smooth center bit right in the middle..