[JohnnyTSi]

Hoping someone that has done this install before can answer my question!

There were no new axle retaining circlips in the box when I received my DSS Axles - When UPS delivered my new toys, the boxes were pretty banged up with several openings It's possible that a small package could have fallen out of the box! At the time I unboxed the new toys, I though it strange that the kit didn't include new circlips, but decided if needed, I could re-use the OEM parts.

Today (Sunday) I tried to add the OEM circlips onto the new DSS stub shafts and discovered that they won't fit as the receiving groove is WAY to shallow! With the clip in the groove, it won't compress far enough to allow the axle to pop into location.

Does the DSS kit use a retaining clip on the axle stubs? I guess worst case, I call DSS tomorrow

John-

 

[JohnnyTSi]

I just spent 30 mins on the phone with DSS support - apparently I have a differential that either

1. Is a 2015+ transmission
2. Has a wavetrac installed!

As this core was originally an eBay acquisition I don't know the history, only that it was advertised as a good working unit from a totaled 2013 model year.

Awesome support from DSS after sending the above picture to DSS Matthew immediately recognized my challenge and stepped up to help me get the correct shafts. After a few questions and measurements, I now have the correct stub shafts on their way from DSS.

John-

 

[gtrbillet]

Diff stubs for diff years?

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Diff stubs for diff years?

Apparently yes - with the cutoff year being 2015. (Which is reflected in the description when ordering a set of their axles)

AND with the added complication of a wavetrac using the newer style stub, no matter which year transmission it is installed in.

In the above picture, the stub on the right is what came out of my rear diff, supposedly the newer 2015/wavetrac style. I sure didn't expect my car to be down for a week on this project! Murphy strikes again!

John-

 

[droptopp]

Thanks for sharing and good luck.

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Follow up for the next guy/gal/they/them/he/she/inny/outy/whoever trying to sort this out. I wanted to make absolutely sure I have the right part on order so decided to pull the stub shaft from my original unmodified (now a spare) transmission. Here they are all laid out and labeled for comparison:

Now I'm trying to decide if I should keep the existing DSS stub shafts in case I need to use my spare transmission.

John-

 

[Wicked]

Same happened to me!!

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Same happened to me!!

Ouch! - Well I hope I left enough information so the next guy can figure out the puzzle!

Fortunately DSS Support is on point and immediately knew what happened. I now have a UPS tracking# the correct stub shafts will be here a week from today.

John-

 

[mc173]

Ouch! - Well I hope I left enough information so the next guy can figure out the puzzle!

Fortunately DSS Support is on point and immediately knew what happened. I now have a UPS tracking# the correct stub shafts will be here a week from today.

John-

This happened to me too when I had a wavetrac put in.

 

[JohnnyTSi]

This happened to me too when I had a wavetrac put in.

This definitely put a full stop to my plans, I even paid for expedited shipping on the initial order so I could get them installed before a local event.

Is there a way to identify if I actually have a wavetrac installed? I still don't really know if the core transmission I bought to have built was from a 2015+ or is/was a DBA trans that had a wavetrac installed. There was no external indication that the transmission cases had been cracked open when I received it.

John-

 

[mc173]

This definitely put a full stop to my plans, I even paid for expedited shipping on the initial order so I could get them installed before a local event.

Is there a way to identify if I actually have a wavetrac installed? I still don't really know if the core transmission I bought to have built was from a 2015+ or is/was a DBA trans that had a wavetrac installed. There was no external indication that the transmission cases had been cracked open when I received it.

John-

Does it chatter going in reverse with the wheel turned? If so, then not a wavetrac. As of last summer the 15+ wavetracs were still in development per Shep. But maybe you got lucky and they are released now!

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Aaand - the drama continues - Apparently there have been some revisions of the DSS Pro axles and I was sent another set of the wrong axle stubs! In the pictures below the larger diameter stub flange is from the newest revision of the Pro Axle kit. The stubs with the smaller diameter flange is from my axle kit. DSS has sent me the last remaining choice for stub shafts (3rd times a charm)

Mismatched components:

The newest revision:

My axle stub diameter:

My Axle Diameter:

The newest revision (top) is noticeably beefier:

My growing collection of parts and I still don't have a combination that works for my car!

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Followup - I 'finally' have my axles installed! This had to be the most frustrating project on the whole build - no one's fault, just an unexpected combination of parts on my car, and a series of almost comical coincidences.

I did have one more unexpected issue, it seems the DSS wheel hubs supplied with the Pro kit are a bit shorter than the OEM wheel hubs! Everything fit as expected with my daily 20" wheels, but when I swapped over to my 17" rear wheels, this happened:

They have always been an extremely tight fit, however this time hard braking expanded the caliper enough to rub against the wheel. 🤣

Fortunately I had a set of 5mm spacers laying around from my EVO days that perfectly solved the problem.

John-

 

[Wicked]

Glad to hear it all finally woked out.

What did you do for the bolts?

 

[JohnnyTSi]

Glad to hear it all finally woked out.

What did you do for the bolts?

Drowned in red locktite and torqued to recommended spec

I just inspected the install and all looks good. I will order a safety wire drilling fixture and drill my bolts the next time I have to take the transmission out.

John-

 

[droptopp]

This is intense with the different revisions, glad you got things sorted.

 

[Wicked]

Drowned in red locktite and torqued to recommended spec

I just inspected the install and all looks good. I will order a safety wire drilling fixture and drill my bolts the next time I have to take the transmission out.

John-

There was so many different opinions on what to do with those bolts from so many different people including the trans shops. Eventually I took the advice of a smart member from this forum and cleaned (tooth brush) the shit out of the bolts with brake cleaner and the holes with a qtip and brake cleaner. I did this for on one side of the car only. I then torqued both sides to spec with loctite and did not over tighten like suggested by some shops and then marked the bolts with yellow paint.

Fast forward months later, none of the bolts from the cleaned side moved but a bunch from the other side had. I eventually backed them out one by one and cleaned the shit out of the bolt and hole and re did the yellow paint markings. Three years later they have not moved and i check them on the regular since the car is always going up and down on my lift at home.

 

[JohnnyTSi]

There was so many different opinions on what to do with those bolts from so many different people including the trans shops. Eventually I took the advice of a smart member from this forum and cleaned (tooth brush) the shit out of the bolts with brake cleaner and the holes with a qtip and brake cleaner. I did this for on one side of the car only. I then torqued both sides to spec with loctite and did not over tighten like suggested by some shops and then marked the bolts with yellow paint.

Fast forward months later, none of the bolts from the cleaned side moved but a bunch from the other side had. I eventually backed them out one by one and cleaned the shit out of the bolt and hole and re did the yellow paint markings. Three years later they have not moved and i check them on the regular since the car is always going up and down on my lift at home.

Excellent - This is exactly what I did inner and outer both sides, the only difference is I used one of my oil galley brushes for cleaning:

John-

 

[Wicked]

Excellent - This is exactly what I did inner and outer both sides, the only difference is I used one of my oil galley brushes for cleaning:

View attachment 404353

John-

Perfect, Next time the car is up on the lift, mark the bolts so in the future you can easily visualize if they have moved.