Spicer axle type 27 - shims rh or lh side

[simonvolvo]

Here is a good explanation of how things work:

http://www.volvokv.nl/forum/aandrijf...tart=10#145406

You don’t really have to understand the Dutch. The diagrams say it all.

Regardless of which side your shims are, I think you are OK if, once you have tightened both the backing plates:

1. the axial play you measure is within the specified range; and

2. if you carry out the measurement of axial play on one side and repeat it on the other, you get the identical value. If you do, it means that the distance piece (yellow in the diagrams) at the centre of the diff remains floating at all times, as it should. If you get different values left and right you have a problem in that the distance piece reaches the end of its free travel.

[SwallownAmazon]

When Rob Henchoz set up the clearances after re-biluding my axle earlier in the year, he checked the axial play both sides and adjusted both sides with suitable shims. Without asking him now, I can only surmise that it is best to keep things as central as possible in the diff to reduce any wear due to imbalance to a minimum.
Measurement was done by listening and feeling - if you can hear some play but not actually see it using the Mk 1 eyeball at the end of shaft, that's about right.
Experience and success talking!

[Derek UK]

A good idea to put the clearance spec in here. It is 0.07 - 0.20mm. This is very small and at the 0.07mm end of the range unlikely to be reliably seen or felt, hence use of the clock gauge.
Regarding the 1mm clearance mentioned, if that is the exact measured play you will need to add shims to the value of at least 0.80mm to meet the max allowed clearance. 2 x 0.35mm an 2 x 0.1mm will get you up close to the minimum clearance at 0.10mm but I think I would prefer to use only one 0.1mm shim to keep it at 0.20mm. Obviously you can use 1 x 0.35mm + 5 x 0.1mm to get it below 0.20mm if you want to get it inside the limits.

The clock gauge set-up on the Nl link looks as if it uses a dummy plate to replace the brake back plate, which is a very good idea even if you are doing this task with the axle on the car.

[Volvorama]

Working on this with Ciderman right now. His Amazon estate has too much end float and we'll fix that by removal/replacement of shims. While we're at it we've decided to remove the axle as there are various worn out suspension bushes but we'll store it after the fix. Replacement axle is a modified one I had built for me over 20 years ago with a saloon diff. Should be nice if it's still ok after all that time....

[ciderman]

Originally Posted by Volvorama

Working on this with Ciderman right now. His Amazon estate has too much end float and we'll fix that by removal/replacement of shims. While we're at it we've decided to remove the axle as there are various worn out suspension bushes but we'll store it after the fix. Replacement axle is a modified one I had built for me over 20 years ago with a saloon diff. Should be nice if it's still ok after all that time....

The axle proved to howl like a banshee and rendered the car almost undrivable for 5 years.......