Front axle.....success at last.....

[Grant Bowker]

MB-F1 describes the process for dis-assembly as (paraphrased):

1. remove the 3 tiddly retainer screws and the axle shaft
2. the axle shaft pilot pin, your "central nipple", (let's not get into whatever happened to left and right niples) "can usually be removed by merely tapping the bell of the joint on on a wooden block. Grease can cause suction that makes removal difficult without cleaning the entire joint". They don't say whether the pilot is removed inboard or outboard. And they don't tell the poor working stiff what to do if "merely tapping" fails to dislodge the pilot.
3. after removing the pilot pin, the inner race is pushed down so a ball can be removed, repeat until all balls have been removed
4. turn the inner race upside down and remove the race pilot (half round cover to the race)
5. turn the cage so that the elongated holes are positioned to permit cage and race to be lifted from the outer race
6. a little more fiddling should separate cage and inner race

I haven't yet figured out how to post their diagrams, but hard copy will follow (Saturday ?).

It is interesting that the GM book only describes dis-assembly of the Bendix joint and that the Ford book only gives the process for Rzeppa. This is, by coincidence or otherwise, the same thing that occurs in the AEDB Design Record where all Fords are listed as having Rzeppa joints and all GM Bendix joints.