The outboard axleshaft halves ride in a bushing in each spindle. End play in the axleshaft joint is controlled by one of two methods. Later production axles used a flanged bushing that controlled end play in addition to supporting the outboard axleshaft half. If your axleshafts didn't originally have a threaded section at the end, they are designed for flanged spindle bushings. Regardless of what type of bushings are used, remember that Bendix Joints require thrust washers in the ends of the axle tubes.

On early axleshafts like mine, a threaded section on the end secured the axleshaft half to the stock driving flange or locking hub. Shims under the flange or locking hub controlled the end play. Since the bushing won't control end play, it is a plain sleeve without a flange. The shimming procedure will be explained in the next section.

Some people have cut off the threaded ends to work with newer locking hubs. The same shimming procedures must be followed even if the ends are cut off.

The service manual says later style axleshafts can easily be retrofitted as long as the correct flanged bushings are also installed. The flanged bushings are the only style available anymore, and I probably could have used them with my early style axleshafts. However, I cut off the flanges to keep the original configuration. I cut them on the lathe after installation. As long as there are no burrs, the end does not need to be perfect. If you decide to cut off the flange before installation, put that end in first so you are pressing from the square factory-made end.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here is how I removed the old bushing. It is a thin sleeve that fits against a shoulder inside, with no room for a puller to grip. The bushing has a lengthwise slit in it for easy removal. With a special chisel, carefully curl the bushing free along the slit:

Here is a close-up of the special chisel. This chisel is specially made for jobs like this. The V-shape on the end is angled to push the bushing free from the wall of the bore. The cutting edge never touches the wall:

If you are removing the flanged type of bushings, they don't have the slit in them for easy removal. However, they don't fit quite as close to the shoulder inside the spindle so there should be room for the jaws on a slide hammer.

Here you can see the bushing being pressed in place. If you look closely, you can see the flange. Incidentally, that is the arbor press I broke in two as my entry in the Stupid Willys Trick Contest on the WillysTech Mailing List:

Should you need to keep the flanges, here is a potential problem. There is a fairly sharp corner at the bushing flange. It will hit the relief radius of the axleshaft half. This interference will make the axleshaft half stick out approximately 1/8". If you have the interference like this, you will have to cut a chamfer on the bushing:

Now is the moment we've all been waiting for, installing the axleshafts. Grease the bushings and axleshaft bearing surfaces well. Don't twist the axleshafts until the inner splines have passed the seals next to the differential. The sharp edges of the splines can cut the seals. The next image shows the front axleshaft installed part way. Note how the Bendix joint barely clears the hole in the knuckle. The brake hose guard has also been installed on the upper kingpin bearing cap:

The next image shows the axleshaft fully seated and the spindle being guided in place. While not specified in the manual, to prevent leaks I've added a smidgeon of sealer between the knuckle and spindle. Note how the Bendix joint is flush with the knuckle:

The spindle is all the way against the knuckle in this shot, but the brake backing plate is not installed yet for clarity. Note the area where the seal inside the wheel hub will ride:

The axle shaft seals, way down inside the axle tubes, can be knocked loose during installation. This view from below (with the Powr-Lok installed) shows the oil return passages inboard of the seals. Just outboard of the bearing caps, there is a passage through which you can check if the seals are still in place after the axleshafts have been installed:

With the axleshafts installed, secure the spindles and brake backing plates to the knuckles. (The backing plate is outboard of the spindle.) You may find it easier to preassemble the brake components on the backing plate, as explained in the brake section. This next view is a close-up of the brake hose guard which is secured by the four studs and nuts on the upper kingpin bearing cap. The hose has a lay line printed on it. This is used to ensure the hose isn't twisted when installed. If twisted, the hose will try to straighten when brake line pressure is applied and could unthread from the rigid lines:

An S-shaped brake line runs between the brake hose guard and the wheel cylinder. It is quite a pain to get this piece to fit. New ones are available but don't always fit well. I ended up making my own, which took several attempts To get the threads started, it can be helpful to loosen either the wheel cylinder or the entire backing plate. That gives a little bit of play to engage the threads. The red X's show where poorly fitting lines can hit the knuckle and brake backing plate. Note the clip which secures the flexible brake hose to the hose guard:

To doublecheck internal clearances before installing the hubs and drums, make sure the axle shafts can be rotated freely while the steering is turned from lock to lock. (Slip a locking hub or driving flange on the end for a grip.) This will ensure that no binding is occuring within the axleshaft joints inside the knuckles.