ZF Updates

I haven't posted in a while.  I finally sent the half shafts to the plating company.  I saw a set of Spicer half shafts in a yellow chromate and loved them.  However, I chose to plate my half shafts in silver cad plating.  The plating is a true cad plating, which is much more durable (and toxic) than a comparible zinc plating.  I also sent the U-joints, ZF drain plugs, shift detent cover, and the shifter shaft detent part to be cad plated with the half shafts.  I'll post pictures when I get all of it back.  It should be fabulous.

I really didn't like the rust product on the end cover.  What a mess it made!  At each bolt, the product was flexible and didn't crush well.  It just ended up coming off.  It looks nice, though.  I'll spray it with a satin clear paint to protect the small area of bare metal where the coating came off.  I installed the rear cover by using a tiny amount of grease on each shaft shim to hold them in place.  I used the gasket and sparingly but carefully applied some Ford Motorcraft TA-31 gray sealant.

The side covers were a different story.  I primed them with a 2K epoxy primer and sprayed them with an industrial coating in gloss black.

Here's the epoxy primer.  I think the epoxy primer was 10 times better than the rust coating.

Here's the painted final product without bearings. 

The first bearing to go in is the axle ball bearing.  Dennis warned me to press this bearing in by the outer race or risk damaging the bearing.  I have an aluminum jack wheel that fits perfectly.

On the backside, the ball bearing fit snug without much effort on the press.  A washer and large snap-ring hold it in place.  Dennis said the bearings aren't much of a press fit but also that it wasn't a problem.  You can also see the next part- the carrier bearing outer race, installed.  The carrier bearing race requires a press.  Don't forget the shims.  It is crucial to the ring position to put the shims on the correct sides.

Once the axle bearing and outer carrier bearing race is installed, a new stub axle seal can be installed.  It is important not to distort this and to drive it flush.  

Again, I used my aluminum jack wheel.

Here's the seal being pressed in.  Make sure it flushes out with the side cover lip to ensure that the seal rides in a concentric manner on the stub axle.