Sky's Offroad Design Super Duty RSK Install

[salans7]

Well, today I thought I might get the axles in, but pulled the tape off that was supposedly keeping the inside of the axle tubes clean. And, I was a bit surprised by what I found.

Here's the driver's side:

And, while that looked bad, here's the passenger's side:

So I spent quite a bit of time cleaning things up, gently so nothing was kicked back down the tube into the differential. Turned out that the stuff was hard, and it took a really long screwdriver to reach in and break the stuff loose. Then I fashioned a loop out of wire and reached in and pulled the debris out. Then I broke more loose pulled it out. Next I used a brass wire brush saturated in brake cleaner, with a stiff wire taped to it, and reached in and made sure I was pulling it out so anything kicked up would come out rather than in. And finally I wrapped a piece of a paper towel around the brush and wiped the tube down.

Here's the driver's side after Not perfect, but a bit better.

And here's the passenger's side, although I ran out of time today and will clean it up a bit more tomorrow before I put the axles in.

I have a feeling I'll be looking at the same if not worse once I start to pull apart mine.

[Gary Lewis]

I have a feeling I'll be looking at the same if not worse once I start to pull apart mine.

But you'll probably be pulling the differential so can flush out the tubes into the center. In my case the diff work has been done but they put the new gears back into a housing with dirt and grit in the tubes.

[ArdWrknTrk]

But you'll probably be pulling the differential so can flush out the tubes into the center. In my case the diff work has been done but they put the new gears back into a housing with dirt and grit in the tubes.

If the tubes were taped up like I saw in your bed (on the way TO the diff shop) how would they know what's inside???

[Gary Lewis]

If the tubes were taped up like I saw in your bed (on the way TO the diff shop) how would they know what's inside???

Good point, Jim. I guess I assumed that they'd pull the tape and clean the whole thing. But that was my tape and it hadn't been removed, so they obviously didn't.

[85lebaront2]

Good point, Jim. I guess I assumed that they'd pull the tape and clean the whole thing. But that was my tape and it hadn't been removed, so they obviously didn't.

Now you know why I do my own work on these.

[Gary Lewis]

Now you know why I do my own work on these.

Yep. Understood. And, want to hear/see another reason? Apparently the wrong OX locker is in it.

Tried to put the driver's side axle shaft in and it wouldn't go. At all. Finally measured the inside of the splines on the axle and got 1.400" Then I put sockets on extensions to measure the the ID of the splines in the axle. The driver's side will accept a 1.173" OD socket but a 1.250" won't go. However, the passenger's side will take a 1.333" socket. But, the axle won't go into the splines on that side.

Called the guy that did the work and we are going back and forth on what the problem could be, but we agree it has to be something with the OX locker.

Then I counted splines on the axle shafts and got 35, which is what I'd told him and what his records show. But in this pic of the driver's side I count 30 splines. How big of a hammer do I need?

I guess there's a silver lining - the diff has to come out so I can easily clean the axle tubes.

[Gary Lewis]

Now you know why I do my own work on these.

Yep. Understood. And, want to hear/see another reason? Apparently the wrong OX locker is in it.

Tried to put the driver's side axle shaft in and it wouldn't go. At all. Finally measured the inside of the splines on the axle and got 1.400" Then I put sockets on extensions to measure the the ID of the splines in the axle. The driver's side will accept a 1.173" OD socket but a 1.250" won't go. However, the passenger's side will take a 1.333" socket. But, the axle won't go into the splines on that side.

Called the guy that did the work and we are going back and forth on what the problem could be, but we agree it has to be something with the OX locker.

Then I counted splines on the axle shafts and got 35, which is what I'd told him and what his records show. But in this pic of the driver's side I count 30 splines. How big of a hammer do I need?

I guess there's a silver lining - the diff has to come out so I can easily clean the axle tubes.

Took a shot of the passenger's side splines, below, and I count 30. Talked to the guy that runs the shop where the locker was installed and he checked his records - he ordered a 35 spline unit. So OX supplied the wrong part.

He's gone back to them to get this sorted. But I'm NOT a happy camper.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Took a shot of the passenger's side splines, below, and I count 30. Talked to the guy that runs the shop where the locker was installed and he checked his records - he ordered a 35 spline unit. So OX supplied the wrong part.

He's gone back to them to get this sorted. But I'm NOT a happy camper.

If they had to do the whole job they would have figured it out by now.

[Gary Lewis]

If they had to do the whole job they would have figured it out by now.

Which "whole job" do you mean? Installing the new 460, EFI, ZF5, SORD kit, as well as installing the new gears in the D60 along with the OX, then the u-joints, ball joints, tie rods, etc? Or just the SORD kit, as well as installing the new gears in the D60 along with the OX, then the u-joints, ball joints, tie rods, etc? Which "whole job"? Where do we/you draw the line?

I'll submit that if they didn't check that the part OX sent was the right one then I don't think I want them to install anything else. For instance, they'd have bolted in the SORD kit and found that the springs wouldn't fit. Not sure that's a good plan, Stan.

Yes, I may be in a sarcastic, frustrated mood. I just took off the tie rods I'd installed yesterday so I can get to the front cover of the diff and pull it so I can read the part # on the OX. But the cover is seriously glued on and doesn't want to come. And I know when I get it off it'll confirm what I already know - it is the wrong part. Then I'll have to put the cover back on and take the whole axle off and take it back to them to be done, again.

So, what I thought was light at the end of the tunnel is actually another locomotive.

[Gary Lewis]

Which "whole job" do you mean? Installing the new 460, EFI, ZF5, SORD kit, as well as installing the new gears in the D60 along with the OX, then the u-joints, ball joints, tie rods, etc? Or just the SORD kit, as well as installing the new gears in the D60 along with the OX, then the u-joints, ball joints, tie rods, etc? Which "whole job"? Where do we/you draw the line?

I'll submit that if they didn't check that the part OX sent was the right one then I don't think I want them to install anything else. For instance, they'd have bolted in the SORD kit and found that the springs wouldn't fit. Not sure that's a good plan, Stan.

Yes, I may be in a sarcastic, frustrated mood. I just took off the tie rods I'd installed yesterday so I can get to the front cover of the diff and pull it so I can read the part # on the OX. But the cover is seriously glued on and doesn't want to come. And I know when I get it off it'll confirm what I already know - it is the wrong part. Then I'll have to put the cover back on and take the whole axle off and take it back to them to be done, again.

So, what I thought was light at the end of the tunnel is actually another locomotive.

Well, the cover was well and truly ON and didn't want to come off. But I got lucky and found the part #'s by looking through the fill plug hole and rotating the diff. And sure enough, what I already knew was confirmed - they sent a 30-spline setup.

And "they" is Transamerican Wholesale, which is owned by 4Wheel Parts, and not OX. They've admitted their mistake and are going to send the right parts. But, the question is what parts. The guy running the shop was thinking the whole locker setup. But I think they can just swap out the side gears, which appears to be what the axles spline into. (I have no clue how hard it is to swap out the side gears though.) Anyway, they are to get the parts to him next week.

Meanwhile I have a logistics problem I need to solve. I've been using Blue's bed as the holding spot for the short-block. But now I need to put the D60 in there again. So I need to move the short-block to the engine stand and the D60 into the bed.

Fortunately tomorrow is to be "the" nice weather day here for the next several. So all that moving around needs to be done tomorrow. And toward that end I dropped the D60 out and put it on the skates, again. Sure seems to be the wrong direction. But, as previously said, there's a silver lining in that now the axle tubes can be properly cleaned. I explained that while I wasn't going to mention the crud in the axle tubes that wasn't cleaned out, while he has the diff out I want the tubes to be cleaned thoroughly. And he fully agreed.

So the plan is to take the axle in next Friday, which is Janey's birthday. I think I can sneak a trip to the shop in between two movies (The Good Liar and, of course, Ford V Ferrari) and dinner.

And while it is being worked on I'll turn to the engine.