Front Axle C Clip/ Front Disc Conversion

I am finishing my front disc conversion (horsepowersales) and after putting the body of my Warn M2 hubs back in place, I cannot access the groove for the D27 axle clip. I have about 1/8” of axle shaft sticking out.


I found an old thread on this:
http://www.earlycj5.com/xf_cj5/index.php?threads/24048/page-2

Dr. Vern said:
“The chamfer on the new bushing is not wide enough to clear the radius on the axleshaft. It keeps the axleshaft from seating fully in the spindle” but the link to his web page is dead.

It sounds like the c clip may not be necessary and the locking hubs look like they will still work, but I also had some uneven wear at the inner surface of the axle housing at the knuckles that may have been due to not having one of the clips in place.

I’m buying some short 3/8 bolts to snug up the locking hub body agains the hub/rotor and a 7/16 bolt to pull the inside of the axle shaft out to see if that gets me enough room.

If that doesn’t work, do I skip the c clip or see where I can machine away something to snug up the spindle? Or something else?
Thanks.

 

Are you using an open differential? with the cover off you might be able to reach inside next to the axle gear with a small pry bar and push the end of the axle outward a little.
Also if you like only a few thousandths getting the lock ring on, you might grind the thickness of the lock ring down little.
Always wanted one of those surface grinders with a magnetic table !

 

I have maybe a few thousandths of the groove showing, but I appreciate your efforts to get me to but a new tool!
I think I have an open differential. LSD would be the Power-Lok, correct? Here is a photo. I don’t see where I would push on the axle with the spider gears in the way

 

Yep, open. If the cover is still off, nothing lost to try and push the shaft outward but you would be at the same place pulling on a bolt threaded into the end of the axle. The problem may indeed be the first thing on Vern's list.

 

I found where to push the axle. That doesn’t push it out any further than when I pull on the bolt in the end of the axle. I’m going to call horsepowersales tomorrow and see if this is something they have encountered.

 

X2, this is where I would go next.

 

I didn’t change the spindle bushing. Could it be the thickness of the “stack” that is on the spindle? That would be the caliper bracket, dust cover, rotor/hub.

Any chance someone has the measurement of how far the axle should stick out the spindle?

 

I got an email back from Dan at horsepowersales and he said that sometimes there isn’t enough room to fit the c-clip, and it isn’t necessary because the hub holds everything securely. I’m not sure what you all think about that, but two thumbs up for horsepower sales for getting back to me very promptly. They’ve been a great vendor to work with.

 

Mine has been running like that without the clips for I dunno, a decade?

 

X2
This assuming you have front axle shafts with the regular Spicer type ujoints.

 

Yes, regular axles with spicer U joints. One of the clips was missing when I took it apart (don’t remember which side), and I had an uneven wear pattern inside the axle housing that I thought might be related to that. There is still plenty of housing left before I wear through.

 

The universal joint will self center within the knuckle when the spindle and axle tube are not inline. Ie when your front wheels are pointed ahead the axle shafts can slide around within the splines.

 

You are okay running Spicer joints without the clip.

 

If this is the GM style caliper brackets been doing the conversion and leaving off the snap rings for 30 years with no issues. If you are using stock drum brake spindles (I assume you are since closed knuckle) then the reason the snap rings don’t fit is because the inner wheel bearing race spaces out the bearing hub more than stock so the caliper lines up properly with the rotor.