This is for anyone buying custom length inner axles from Bobby Long. When you give him the diemensions be sure to subtract 1/4" from the length of each shaft. Recently I was messing around in 4low on pavement, while turning sharply in either direction I heard grinding and schrapping coming from the Birf. I decided to take the front end completely apart to investigate. (Please note this is only the second time I've ever disassembled the front end, first being when I put Bobby's 30's in.) At first I found nothing wrong with any of the components, with one exception. When pulling the Birf out (on the long side), it slide right off the axle, like there was no snap ring. At first I thought that the ring broke off, but it didn't. So I pulled the axle out and started to reassemble everything.
While putting the shafts back in I noticed that I couldn't get the inner all the way in. It seemed like it was to long or something. So I gently tapped on the stub end of the Birf with a hammer, just as I did when I first assembled it. But as I did so, I realized that this was causing the inner to slide past the sanp ring and into the center of the Birf, causing that grinding noise. So I decided to check the length of the shaft. It should read 31 7/8' but if read 32 3/16'. Thats 5/16's to long.(I did sledge with no problems but 1 month later on pavement and it sounded like a broke something.)
So I call Front Range to check to see if I wrote down the wrong number for inner lengths when he built my front end. He in formed me that form some reason Bobby was making all his inners 1/4" to long. Yes there is a simple fix, just cut 1/4" of the splines from the diff side and filler her down and now you are good to go. So if you buy custom length stuff just double check it before you put it in.
