Boot kits vs. remanufactured axles

#21

Ah, yes!

#22

I’m looking for more insight on axle diameters. I bought a remanufactured axle a few years ago as a spare, and it looks like it’s finally time to install it. However, it’s a larger diameter than the old axle. Length seems to be the same, but the axle shaft itself is larger, as well as the outboard flange and the inboard dust cap. With some fiddling around, I was able to get the axle in the hub and all looks ok there. On the inboard end, I started running the bolts in and realized I was meeting resistance before the axle flange had seated against the diff output flange. After removing the axle, I could see an indentation around the circumference of the dust cap where it was being forced into the recess in the output flange. Any suggestions? I’m willing to buy an OEM axle, but would like some confidence I won’t see the same problem. Is there a different diff output I should look for? The car is an ‘88, although I can’t guarantee the diff is original.
Thanks,
Cliff