ARB RD158 - Manual (Page 8)

2 Removing the Existing Differential
6
2.3 Disconnecting the Axles
IMPORTANT :
Collision damage or heavy off-road use of your vehicle in the past may
have resulted in some degree of bending in the axle. Any misalignment
of the axle tubes may result in excessive wear and/or failure of your
differential and axle shafts. ARB strongly recommends that you have
your axle assembly inspected for concentricity and straightness before
installing your Air Locker.
 Remove the wheels, and brakes according to your vehicle
manufacturer’s service manual.
 Disconnect the drive shaft from the differential drive flange.
 Remove both axle shafts according to your vehicle manufacturer’s
service manual.
NOTE : The axle oil seals are delicate and can be easily
damaged. Support the weight of the axle shaft when
drawing them out of their sockets in the housing.
2.4 Marking the Bearing Caps
 Using a pointed center punch, gently mark the bearing caps in a
way that will enable you to know which cap is ‘LEFT’ and which cap
is ‘RIGHT’, which way is ‘UP’ and which way is ‘DOWN’. (Fig.1.)
HINT : Many installers choose to make one punch mark on
the left hand side of the left hand bearing cap and one
similar punch mark on the housing at close proximity to
the cap mark. The right hand side is then designated
with two punch marks on the right hand side of the cap
and two similar punch marks on the housing.
Figure 1.