64 Sport Fury B Body rear axle play

[Willard Edison <waedison1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have a couple of questions about the rear end in a 64 Sport Fury I'm
restoring as a driver. I've replaced the rear springs, shocks, brakes, brake
lines, seals, and axle bearings, just trying to button the rear end up so I
can drive it some this summer before doing more to it. I have a couple of
problems. One will probably bring some snickers, I mean how could a guy be
so dumb, but here we go anyway:

1. The end play specs for the axles are different, depending on whether you
have a sure-grip rear end or a standard rear end. How to tell? I had my
trusty wife-assistant watch the left axle while I turned the right one
frontwards, as in driving. The left axle turns to the rear. That says to me
it's a standard rear end, BUT I know that some of these
sure-grips/posi-tracs/limited slip rear ends actually don't grab unless
there is significant torque applied first against a solid surface. In other
words, a limited slip rear end can still have one wheel spin in snow, mud,
etc. Without taking the rear end apart, can I tell what rear end is in for
sure while it's still on jack stands?

2 These old axles adjust with .005" shims if the axles are too long, but my
axles seem to be too short. If I drive the bearing cups in till they stop,
there is no end play between the axles, which is as it should be. Then, I
take a rubber hammer and drive the right axle out as far as I can by hitting
the end of the left axle. Per the service manual, I'm supposed to use shims
to take up the space (to specs) that the bearing cup is pushed out of the
axle housing on the right side. Problem is, the bearing cup on the right
side is not pushed out of the axle housing and I have too much end play on
the axles. That says to me that whoever put a replacement pumpkin in the
car, did something a little off-spec. So, do you think that if I adjust the
end play just using the bearing cups as the adjusters, that the bearing cups
will hold the axles to spec, or will the bearing cups eventually push out
beyond specs, which would result in seal and bearing failure? In other
words, do I need to manufacture some shims that would fit inside the axle
housing rather than outside the axle housing?

I know there's not a lot of interest out there in this type of axle and rear
end, but would like to stay as true to the car as I can, so hopefully my
questions are clear and someone has some advice they can share.

Thanks,
/Butch/ Ferndale, WA


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