FordMustangXBA

Ok so I'm replacing the seals and bearings on both axles, and the book says to slide the pinion shaft out as far as it will go after taking the bolt out. The thing is, the shaft comes out all the way. It says to pull out the notched end of the shaft...but both ends are notched. I'm assuming you pull it out from the side without the bolt...but should I just take it all the way out? I don't want to not be able to get it back in once the axles are back in...lol.

BlessedHellride

Take it all the way out.

FordMustangXBA

Another question...The inside of my diffy looks different than the one that's shown in the book. It has a kind of curled metal spring in the middle of the gear, which isn't shown in the book, and I can't find the C-clips to save my life. What the hell is this thing? I guess my rear end isn't stock after all...lol.

7upedition

That is the spider gear retaining spring... you need two pairs of vice grips to take it out.. one for each side, it's shaped like an S right?

FordMustangXBA

Yeah. Do you just pop it out? I dunno why it's not in the picture. Once it comes out, does it become a bitch to put back in?

7upedition

No, you just gotta put the vice clips back on and slide it back in, be careful that fker is under a lil bit of pressure... when you put the spider gears back in be sure they move freely... 5.0 Mustang and Fast Fords had a really good article on this in thier last issue... Trak Lok rebuild...

FordMustangXBA

I'm not rebuilding the rear end, i'm just trying to get the axles out so I can redo the seals and bearings. I have to get the c-clips out to do that but I can't get a pair of vicegrips or pliers on the c-clips themselves becaue this retaining spring is in the way.

7upedition

Yea, you gotts pull all that crap out to get to them... so essentially you are taking apart and reassembling the t-lok

red95gtconvert

You have to push in on the axles from where the wheels studs are to expose the c-clips, once you push in on them you will see the c-clips.

FordMustangXBA

I tried pushing in on the axles and they go in like 1/2" at the most...not far enough to fully expose the clips. I thought this would be a little simpler than it's turning out to be lol.