Best Side Yokes axles for differential

[Scott Marzahl]

Is there much difference in quality when it comes to buying rebuilt side Yokes with the hardened ends. I've seen prices from $65 each from Muskegon Brakes to around $90 exchange from other vendors like CC. I have a fair amount lateral movement in mine. Are contributing factors wear of the axle stub and maybe the posi pack itself? Has anyone checked out the new EATON posi units with the carbon disks?

Thanks.

[Craig S.]

Re: Best Side Yokes axles for differential

Scott - International Axle has the best yokes on the market but they are not rebuilt, they are strong new forgings gound to exacting precsion. You can buy them directly from Tom at International Axle, or through Corvette suppliers. They will run about twice the price of the rebuilts. The clutch posi pack wear is also a contributing factor to the end play. Ideally, after setup, you should have 0.001-0.003 end play. Anything over 0.020 is territory for rebuild. I don't know about the new Eaton units with carbon disks. All of the parts you need for the posi are readily available from DTS....Craig

[Gary S.]

Re: Best Side Yokes axles for differential

Scott, when I had my 66 differential rebuilt, I watched as the fellow tore it apart. I had a fair amount of end play on the axle shafts and wanted to see what was happening. There was very little wear on the internal parts and after new bearings and a new posi clutch pack the unit was tight. He didn't do anything to tighten things up except for the clutch pack.
Gary

[Gary B.]

Craig; does one take a points hit during judging?

Craig,

With the Internation Axle side yokes, can one expect to get a points deduct during judging because of configuration/originality?

Thanks,

Gary

[Craig S.]

Re: Craig; does one take a points hit during judgi

Gary - well, I have a new set going in my 74 project car with the LS6, 67 tripower, and 4.11 gears, for strength, and I also have the wheel spindles from Tom....outstanding parts in all cases, and CNC machined to very exacting tolerances. However, they are visually beefier on the yokes, and the CNC billet caps, and discernable from GM. For my 66 and 67, I am using the GM yokes. Fortunatly, mine are still in great shape with no wear on the tips. I have heard that the GM parts through service channels in the late seventies on have poor case hardening on the tips and wear, I believe this was a tip from Charlie Smith. The original midyear through early seventies parts are quite good. You do need to check for any galling on the face where it contacts the cross shaft in the posi case. Now, Tom's wheel flange/spindles now have the two tabs as the original GM parts are are great for judging. You can ask him to not use the yellow zinc dichromate plate he adds for corrosion protection if you wish, and you will have a judging correct part. However, this is not the case with his yokes....Craig

[Craig S.]

Re: Best Side Yokes axles for differential

Gary...that's the way mine have been too, but, many cases also have considerable wear on the tips of the yokes. They have a surface case hardening, the older parts were better. If you do wear through the case hardening, they wear extremely rapidly and frequently even wear off the circlips...a very dangerous situation...Craig

[Duke W.]

Re: Best Side Yokes axles for differential

It's my opinion based on rebuilding the axle in my SWC that minor excess yoke end play is typically caused by positration clutch pack wear, and a new positraction case will bring the end play back to about .005". There are shims at the end of the clutch pack that can be swapped, if necessaary to get the play down to .005" or less , but the case has to be removed from the carrier and disassembled to change them. Setting up a diff can be time consuming!

Of course, if the yokes wear, end play will be measued in tenths of inches, not thousanths or hundreths.

Duke