Front TTB lunchbox lockers & C-Clip | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Front TTB lunchbox lockers & C-Clip

sirhk100

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'91
Random question but... If you have a powertrax noslip, does it allow for installation of the c-clip or is it normal to not run them? Only asking cause I pulled the front 3rd out of mine and the axle just slid right out. I know from my other expo that there was a c-clip holding that pass side stub in. Is that normal or did whoever installed the locker not put it together right leaving the clip out?





Also, by chance... Does anyone know the wheel base of the Gen 1 four door explorers? I forgot to measure mine before I tore it down and I need that info for reassembly cause of the changes I'm making.


Thanks!!!!

Khris
 



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Even with the locker you should've had a c clip, unless, the prior owner did the c clip eliminator. Check on the passenger side axle where the slip splines are and see if there is a spring under the rubber boot. If so, you have the c clip eliminator. The wheelbase is 111.9 on a 1 gen 4 door ex. Hope this helps.
 






Yes, there was a spring under that boot. Interesting! Is that basically all there is to the c-clip eliminator because I'm having the locker pulled out and put in another 3rd member that is already geared correctly. I guess I need to do some reading. I didn't even know a c-clip eliminator even existed for the front end.
 






..There are actually a couple variations of the C-clip (aka E-clip) Eliminator...:D

..There is the external c-clip eliminator which sounds like the one you have and there is also an internal c-clip eliminator..This one requires a spring at the end of the splined shaft inside the pumpkin...

..The internal commonly fails unless you weld up the dust cap at the yokes..

..Here is some reading of the c-clip eliminator you have which includes also info and links on the other internal c-clip eliminator..It is a sticky at the top of this section, (sub-forum)..;)

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256302

..This eliminator can be done whether you have and open diff, limited slip, or any type of locker installed..

..It makes for a lot easier job of swapping out the front shafts on trail due to a failed u-joint or broken shaft in a fraction of the time it takes to drop the diff and pull the c-clip without the mess..:hammer:
 






Man, this red explorer just keeps getting cooler and cooler with the parts I'm finding as I tear it down! LOL

Will read up on that thread ASAP. I've got a fairly busy morning today at work but should be able to get around to it this afternoon for sure. But... Just by quickly opening and scrolling down thru the pictures I understand something else that I found on the axles as I pulled them apart. There was a nasty booger weld on one of them and it happened to be right where that clamp on collar is. I see the concept and now understand what the purpose of that booger weld done by somebody was for! Interesting!!!!

Thanks for the link!
 






Yeah you don't want to have welds on your axle shafts at all.
One of the articles over on TRS shows that kind of crap. I told the author that wasn't a good idea but the article got put up anyway.

I have nothing more than hose clamps holding my boot in place with the spring inside it. Never have had any issues with it.
 






I have nothing more than hose clamps holding my boot in place with the spring inside it. Never have had any issues with it.

Just saw this... You don't have any clamp or anything in there? Just simply the boot with a hose clamp around each end and the spring inside and that's it? No issues with something as simple as that?

I'm going to put the spring and boot on tonight before I do the install but tomorrow after work will run and pickup the 1-3/8" clamp tbars used in his write up. I know of a store here that should have them in stock. That just seems like the sure fire way to knock it out. I'm just hoping it all works the same with my new machined axles.
 
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Just saw this... You don't have any clamp or anything in there? Just simply the boot with a hose clamp around each end and the spring inside and that's it? No issues with something as simple as that?

I'm going to put the spring and boot on tonight before I do the install but tomorrow after work will run and pickup the 1-3/8" clamp tbars used in his write up. I know of a store here that should have them in stock. That just seems like the sure fire way to knock it out. I'm just hoping it all works the same with my new machined axles.

One side uses the split collar and on the other side the spring presses against the shorter shaft. Ours has never jumped over the shorter shaft and I've flexed the heck out of it (compressed and extended). So far, no pulling the splines out or pushing the spring over the short shaft or movement in the split collar.

Its been in there 3 years and wheeled hard this way.. The split collar alone method is holding up (the boot has ripped apart since I did the eliminator).

~Mark
 






Good info! thanks for the reply! I just picked up a 1-3/8" clamp and am going to give that a shot but from what I saw last night it looks like the spring that the previous owner used will stay on just by the natural shape of the axles. I'm going to toss the clamp on anyways though.



Since I'm the OP though and some are actually reading this... Let's change topic but still drive line related.

Cycling my front suspension last night.

Both sides at full bump, I'm fine...
Both sides at full droop, I'm fine... (once I massaged the center u-joint where the spring is for the extra angle I needed)
Driver side at full bump, pass side full droop, I'm fine...

Driver side at full droop, I start compressing the pass side and about halfway thru the travel the driver side starts lifting. It was a bit late last night when I got to this point and I called it a night shortly after without putting much effort into it but quick glance. I looked like my pass side axle was plunging too deep into the short shaft coming out of the diff at the spring we've been discussing. The yoke on the short shaft still has the dust cap in it and I think it's bottoming out into that and causing it to bind and therefore lift the drivers side.

Have people had success popping that dust cap out and just running it open letting the axle plunge thru it assuming it doesn't contact the ujoint itself?

Maniak just posted having the boot ripped up anyways so his is exposed and trouble free...

It's been 10+ years since I built my last expo but I for some reason vaguely remember having the same issue with it and having to pop out that dust seal. I'm not 100% though as that was a long time ago...

Any thoughts??? Would love a semi quick reply as this is tonight's project. If I can get it cycling good I'll probably get started on the engine cage tomorrow night so I can get my shocks mounted up...
 






Have people had success popping that dust cap out and just running it open letting the axle plunge thru it assuming it doesn't contact the ujoint itself?

No, after awhile dust gets in there, congeals the grease and it'll start binding (compressing the spring, but then the spring won't have enough force to push it back out = shaft walking out of the diff and destroying the axle seal at best, destroying the axle splines at worst).

I doubt its your cap anyway (if it was, you'd see the issue with both sides at droop, not as you're trying to articulate it like you say).

My guess is the axle is either hitting up against the edge of the window on the passengerside beam where it goes thru, and/or it's hitting against the ends of the radius arm attachment bolts inside the passenger beam. Either way, time to get out the grinder.

And nope, just the spring, boot & hose clamps.
The boot sits in the factory grooves on the axle. it can't slip out unless maybe you don't tighten the clamp up well.
 






After spending A LOT more time on it last night it actually was a combo of two issues. One was the dust cap. The shaft was definitely bottoming out into it and I needed about another 1/4" of plunge. The 2nd issue was the window on the passenger beam. I took pictures to post up today and then proceeded to leave the camera at home. I've trimmed the window till it's actually flush on the bottom and still actually need more clearance to pull the amount of droop that I'm hoping for out of it. You mention that attachment bolt inside the beam. Have people been able to cut that down a little bit too? If so, what tool are people using to reach in there and cut it? I know my grinder won't physically fit in there and doing it with a dremel, while possible, would be a friggen nightmare!
 






How about remove the bolt from the axle so you can cut or grind it shorter? :)
Both bolts need to be about 3/8" - 1/2" shorter.

Also, you can trim the spline on the passengerside mainshaft that 1/4" no problem. Leave the dust cap in place though. Make sure the u-joint doesn't bind at droop either.
 






Already checked the ujoint at full droop and fishmouthed it just a tiny bit.

Cut the bolt shorter but actually went in with a dremel and had to actually grind that inner threaded bung about a 1/4" shorter as well. Also cut the beam so that the axle actually passes thru the bottom of it just a little bit. I'll pull the beam out now and plate it up and build structure back into it to regain what I cut out.

I've thought about cutting the axle shorter but not sure what to use to not totally end up trashing the splines. It feels a bit strange to take a chop saw to a brand new custom machined axle you know... I may go talk to a friend that runs a machine shop and see if he's got time to possibly turn it for me. Only bummer is I'll have to press the ujoints back out again but I guess that's not the end of the world. They were just out last week so they should be fairly easy this time.
 






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