An old axle bearing makes a great installation tool for a new axle bearing. Slip it in the bore in front of the new bearing and use a flat steel plate to distribute the load. It takes a few hammer blows to drive the new bearing in place.
ND’s axles aren’t necked down in the center like factory 12-bolt axles. They maintain at least a 1.25-inch diameter throughout, whereas the stockers neck down to 1.11-inch near the splines—that’s a 43 percent increase in strength with all else equal. We took advantage of the dual-drilled bolt circle and installed tough ARP ½-inch screw-in studs (PN 100-7704) for confidence at the strip.
Roughly a week later, we had a 3.55:1 Eaton Posi-Traction equipped brute. ARP bolts and wheel studs lend some flair to the strictly-business rear.
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