Thank you, Skicker, RRobert, John, and all,
I'll pull the whole rear end out by Thursday, and cut the tube as nicely as I can close to the brake backer plate (this will tie in nicely with my middle son having some teeth pulled tomorrow morning)..
And John, yes - you can probably see the pics above from a different computer that I had the adjuster ring and plate unbolted and pulled out of the way against the axle flange. And the tube flange studs I knocked out so that the 'expander bolts' only acted between the back of the axle flange and the front of the brake backer plate..
..I distributed these bolts around the perimeter, so I doubt I bent the flange of the axle, but I'll have a machine shop check it is "true" after I do the cutting...
..and just because I cut it loose doesn't mean I'll get the race out of that remaining chunk of tube, but I'll take it to a machine shop and ask what they do with it.. I think they can stand it up, rig some blocks to press on the tube flange while it stand on the axle's splined end... and start pressing... I wish I could be there when their 20ton press finally
POPs that !IO&#% thing outta there...
Cheers,
- Art
Art if you are going to get another housing just sawzall the axle tube around the axle and it will come out of the center section.
Or you could cut the axle end off say 3/4 inch behind the flange and have a new end welded to your current housing , that will save the housing and save the axle .
I haven't seen pictures ... haven't checked this thread at home but your expanding bolts comment scare me , where was the adjuster plate during this ??? hopefully against the back of the axle flange?
Time for a cutting torch and burn the bearing out ... but you need to get the oil out of the center ...
