And some days, the bear eats you

I went out with a flashlight and looked at old one, sure enough, the part
holding the curbside gear has a interlocking ridge machined
to be a press fit in back of housing. so front part with the bolt holes
is important, but the hang up is that small piece machined to fit housing.

 

This was a new unit from Cammerota and it was just fine,
I finally pulled it back out enough to get in there with a 4" grinder
and put a lead-in on the four points of contact inside the housing.

And with the suggestion from @JB7 to tighten 1/4 turn on opposing bolts,
prying, and hammering, and much bad language I was able to get it to seat.
What is wrong with manufacturers? You know THIS has to go into THAT;
what would you leave a sharp square edge? no chamfer, no angle cut.

My son, John@anytimetruck in Altoona said he had one, flat on the floor,
facing straight up, with a shop crane holding gear section,
and he had a hard time lining it up. What?
So what chance does some guy out in a gravel driveway have?

Anyway, on to the newest problem. I went to put the axles in,
and they seem to be hitting something? I lift, I turn the driveshaft 180 deg,
I put a alum. pipe over top studs and push down to raise spline end, and nothing?
What could the axle possibly be hitting? I can't even get to the splines?
Anyone ever run into that, and what is the cure???

 

Be blessed.
That Windshield looks scary.
I had a friend hit a 30 lb. turkey - looked just like that.
The rest is nuts and bolts. We can do that.

 

So, final update, I got it back together and it runs great.
I took it back out and took a 4" disc grinder and added the lead-in
necessary to get this big pig in there. THANKS FREIGHTLINER!
I jammed towels in the housing axle tubes first,
to keep grinding grit contamination to a minimum.
Much cleaning and magnet fishing later, clean as can be.
Besides me trying to put the axles in the wrong side,
(One is longer than the other,) It went great.
Thanks all for the suggestions and moral support.

 

Operator error, I was putting them in wrong side,
flipped them to opposite side and they went right in.
I somehow thought they were same length? IDK?