Make sure you use the good softer copper washers. Some guys are selling harder washers, but you need them to form a seal.

Bob

devovino wrote:

Hey Ultrastang, nice work! Did you paint your axle shaft? I thought about doing so, but I was afraid eventually in time it would degrade and leave a bunch of paint residue in the diff housing? 

One last question, I was about to put my case back together and was told by a friend that I would be better off getting new nuts>? He said they were tapered nuts, and that re-using the old ones might not have as good as a grip, he also thought I might want to use some flat washers and some lock tight....

Yes, I painted the axles after I bead blasted them. I masked off the splines and the polished journals where the axle bearings/retainers are pressed on, so that those surfaces wouldn't get etched. --you could just blast the wheel flanges of the axles.

I sprayed the axles with gray primer and then a top coat of Dupli-Color Cast Coat Iron p/n DE1651. It's resistant to 500° and also oil and gas resistant. The axles get splashed with gear oil but, they don't stay constantly submerged in oil.

There are various sources to get new 3/8" I.D. copper crush washers but, here's just one such supplier.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=3241

The (10) 3/8"-24 3rd member-to-housing nuts are prevailing torque lock nuts. Prevailing torque lock nuts are typically good for (5) cycles before you should discard them. I have used nylock nuts before with absolutely zero problems. If you feel better replacing the stock lock nuts with the equivalent new ones, then do so.

If the crush washers were not there, it means someone has had the 3rd member out of the housing, since the time the rear end was assembled at the factory.