axle won't go into new hub

[MikePA]

Help! I've worked all day to day Sat. on a simple job that has turned into a major problem. The Axle will not go into the new passenger side hub that I installed today. No big deal normally, I did have to give the axle a tap to get it out of the old hub, but now I'm stuck.

It just barely engages the splines and won't go any further. I finally got paranoid about the bearing, even though it's part of a pair I bought and the other worked, and checked the old hub too. It won't go back in the old hub either.

I've cleaned the splines with a wire wheel, and thought (or imagined) I felt a small burr on the ends of the axle splines, so I did what I could to take care of that, but still no luck. It's my only car, so I'm down to the wire now.

Any hints, tricks or crackpot ideas that may help?

 

[Seatman]

Grease the splines first but mostly it's getting it spot on straight, often it'll go at a very slight angle and jam, really doesn't take much.

 

[MikePA]

Turns out the splines on the axle were damaged. I don't know how they got it in before, but after being more aggressive with the dremel on the ends of the splines it went in.