I'm just getting ready to put my brake hubs on my new diff and don't have any experience with green bearing axles. What retains the axle in the tube? After unbolting the retainer, it doesn't slide out. Also, do I need to fashion up a gasket to go between the hub and retainer ring or do they go on bare? The old 8 3/4" had gaskets on each side but the bearing wasn't sealed.

Dennis

Just pops out. May take a pry or pop once the bolts are out.

I think I have seen gaskets on the mopar style green(where the retaining plate is part of the bearing), but not on the other style, that the retaining plate is seperate.

Okay, so I assume I should put the gasket between the backing plate and the housing flange. Then I can just use a little anti-sieze between the backing plate and the retaining ring. Sound good?

Also, reason I asked about the axle sliding off was that once I unbolted the retaining ring, the axle would fairly easily slide out 1/4 to 1/2 inch and then stop. I didn't want to force it without knowing if there was something on the inside by the carrier that retained it as well.

Dennis

The junkyard trick to pull the axle out is to pull the drum and then put it back on the axle flange with the inside out. Put 3 lug nuts on about 5-6 turns apiece. Use the drum as a large slide hammer, pulling until the axle pops out.

The axles slide in and out once the 5 hole wheel bearing retainer is unbolted. The O-ring on the wheel bearing provides a tight fit, however.

The black, foam gasket goes between the brake backing plate and the 5-hole retainer. You don't need a gasket between the housing end and the brake backing plate.