C rear wheel bearing & axle tube damage

[Chris Cullin]

hi Brendan - For me that is part of the joy of a 356. I have committed myself knowing I still need to figure out how to press tubes back together. I'll send you a PM.

[Harlan Halsey]

The axle housings come apart and go back together easiest with a hydraulic press. To reassemble, you need to support the end of the tube in the center of the bell. A socket works. Line up the relief and push together sighting through the pin hole check the alignment and see where to stop.

[Harlan Halsey]

hi Chris
just pray the fulcrum plates don't slip out of place.

I doubt the axles can come out far enough to allow the fulcrum plates to rotate behind the end of the axle. I ignore that possibility when assembling a transmission, but I admit that I'm not absolutely certain.

[Vic Skirmants]

hi Chris
just pray the fulcrum plates don't slip out of place.

I doubt the axles can come out far enough to allow the fulcrum plates to rotate behind the end of the axle. I ignore that possibility when assembling a transmission, but I admit that I'm not absolutely certain.

They certainly can come out far enough to drop a fulcrum plate. You have just been very lucky.

[Harlan Halsey]

Thanks Vic. I guess I will have to take that into account from now on. All these years I have pried bearings off axles and moved transmissions around with bare axles and been just lucky.

[Chris Swatta]

Hi Chris, my third post Jacques! I thought I’d join the forum. Jacques right in the risk of the fulcrums coming out! Right gasket shims solves the wear problem.

[Chris Swatta]

I should add, axle tube gaskets not binding but no free play. A kit has several sizes or stoddard has. I seal them after dry fitting. wheel bearing shims preload as per factory manual should solve the issue.

[Michael Foster]

What type of damage occurs when fulcrum plates slip out?

Michael Foster

[Martin Benade]

The problem is that you have to pull the axle (and tube) out to get the fulcrum plates back in place. There’s no way to fish them out from inboard of the axle.

[Wes Bender]

In other words, your 2 hour project just became a 12 hour project. The axles can come out about 1/2" to 3/4" (Vic, correct me if I'm wrong) before you can lose the fulcrum plates, but I have always been careful not to push that distance.