[First Chevelle]

I am trying to assemble my 9 inch that I purchased from Moser. It has the Torino style big ends on the axle tubes that need 1/2" t-bolts. These bolts go in fine and axles, brake backing plate and the axle retainer slip on just fine. The problem is that the nut that goes onto the t-bolts is 3/4" diameter, and the hole in the axle flange to access the t-bolts is 1" nominal diameter (actually measured at 0.995"). The thinnest wall socket I can get is 1.02" diameter, which is obviously too large.

A call to Moser about this was made. They told me they only drill one hole size for either the 3/8" or 1/2" t-bolts, and their sockets fit just fine.

Perhaps I just got an axle with the access hole drilled too small. Anyone else have this problem? Should I take the axle to a machine shop and have them ream out the hole to a slightly larger size?

 

[onovakind67]

If I was in this predicament, I'd put my 0.998" o.d. Craftsman 19mm socket on the impact gun and run it by the grinding wheel a few times until I had removed a few thousandths.

 

[First Chevelle]

Problem solved: Cleaned up the access hole on the flange with a flap wheel and then used a thin wall 3/8 drive 3/4" socket that I ran on the impact wrench with some 100 grit emery cloth for a few minutes to turn it down to slightly less than 1.00". Everything is snug but it fits and the assembly can continue.

 

[big gear head]

Can't you use a short socket, put it on the nut and then run the extention through the hole and into the socket? I've done that many times.

 

[First Chevelle]

The socket wouldn't even fit through the hole to put the nut on. There is nowhere to slip the socket in from the side since I'm putting on Wilwood disk brakes with an integral drum for the emergency brake. The shoe linings get in the way of any access to the t-bolt.

I think that there would be no problem if 3/8" t-bolts were used instead of the 1/2' that came with the rear end. A 3/8 t-bolt only needs a 5/8 nut which would easily fit through the access hole. The socket for the 3/4" nut is a much tighter fit.

 

[big gear head]

I under stand now.