Short Axle problem (SOLVED)

[Indrid cold]

Recap on my adventure of bonding with my (new too me) 84 Hatch ($100) that I just started to work on, ... long story short, my right Axle which needed replacement was short by about 5/16"? ... and found out that some one... in it's past lost the spacer between the bearings and decided to replace it with one that was... you guessed it, 5/16" longer (EA-82?), thus.... just enough threads on the end of the axle if you omit the lock ring and use half a cotter pin... hey.. it worked for the kid I bought it from.:-\ but I wanted it back to norm, but it confused the heck out of me as I had no idea what was switched, modified, or changed..etc... on the right side.

 

Then, Murphey showed up and totally messed the hole job up, the kid who owned the car before found that a BIG hammer seemed to be the best tool too use and what should have been a 2-3 hour event took a frustrating long, long time, .... as even the simplist bolt seemed too put on a fight. Also; the parts store were all mixed up and trying too sell me parts that weren't right etc... so that just added too the experience.

 

I finaly got mad and took Murphey on by getting some decent tools:

first a quality punch for taking out the axle pin that wouldn't. Then I bought a machine-shaft spacer which would recess into the Knuckle which makes a great bearing pounder-inner. Then a Dial-Caliper as I had too take the good side apart (driverside) to diemension everything so I would have a reference for the bad side... which all ready had my new axle and bearings/seals installed since I figure someone had put in the wrong axle, but when I got it together I had the same situation, ... so I tore it down again and compaired the parts from the dimensional on the left....

sure enough.. the center spacer... wrong....

 

So the good: Lots of bonding time with my new Hatch which is a good thing. loosening old bolts and degreasing everything. Some better tools. A new axle on one side, the other needed seals, regrease and actually a good thing I busted it down. The bad is I had to beat out the new bearings I had just installed... but seems o.k.and good is I had parts on hand to finish up the job. My goal was to get this Hatch on the road for total of $500.... but with all the extra's I will probably overshoot that... but hey... new tools and all.

 

also one last rattle.... two thumbs up too BratsRus1 (Jerry) in Yakima for his long distance help.