Dana 60 Axle Shaft Installation

[special-K]

Nothing to it, right? Why start a thread about it? Well, has anybody ever had it be not so easy? I can't tell you how many axle shafts I have slid in and out of housings without a thought. If I did tell, you might think I was talking about the days when free love was the thing .

So, they go in to pretty close, then you need to raise it into the case, then at about 2" line up the splines, and slide it home. Well, I got the spline engaged and it slides to about 3/4" out and bottoms out. Never have I had this happen. What a PIA. Has this happened to anyone else? I guess the side gear has slipped down? Is this not so uncommon? Or is there something else to this? I'm about to go out to drain, pull cover, and inspect... unless I get some sort of other tip before too long.

I'm no mechanic, but I've been working on these trucks for 45 years. This is something I have never run across or heard about.