HO52 Broke AGAIN!...need help.

[72CampSpecial]

So.. about a month ago my truck broke down across town.. Turned out to be a wheel bearing had ate itself. (Rear, left outer bearing). I spent about a month getting everything torn apart, new bearings ordered, new brake shoes, ect..

Finished putting it all together today.. drove it around the block and all seemed good. Took a short drive to the gas station and bam..left wheel/drive shaft walked out of the diff again! and made an awful racket in the process..hope i didn't damage the diff..



Towed home and took the left side apart.. the retaining spring that snaps inside the hub was pushed out the track it sits in which allowed the hub assembly to slide out. Ruined the new outer bearing..

when i took it apart (again) the retaining nuts and washers where still in place..

Question:
1. why would that retaining spring come out like that? it was fully seated in its track when i installed it.
2. Do i need to order a new hub? Maybe the track it sits in is worn?
3. Could this be simply because that spring is worn or damaged?
4. Anyone have a HO52 hub lying around or know a part # i can look for?

5..what else should i be looking at..am i completley missing something else??


I replaced all the bearings in both Hubs and the right side doesn't have the same problem..