Aarrg...passenger driveaxle redux

[bobnorth]

I succeeded in removing the passenger drivelaxle from my '95 2.2/4 cyl, no abs...relatively easy. I sprayed everything beforehand and the sucker just pulled right out. BUT.............I suspect NAPA sold me a bum reman driveaxle. What happens is when seating the driveaxle, the bearing seats normally into the bearing housing...and stops as expected. The bearing is flush into the housing and yet there is still a half-inch left for the inner axle flange to seat over the differential oil seal. I turned the shaft to different positions and still the shaft isn't fully seating. I put the original back in and it seats fully against the oil seal and diff housing, and the bearing is normally seated. So I pulled the original back out and compared the two. Using the inner edge of the bearing as a guide, every measurement of all metal pieces on the new reman axle are a half-inch off to the outside. Meaning where the bearing is pressed on the new axle is likely preventing full seating, although the end of the shaft is thunking against something inside the diff housing. So the axle is going in as far as it will go because the bearing is fully in the housing, and yet the inner oil seal flange is not mating with the oil seal by a good half-inch. Now I don't suppose I should be pounding the inner shaft any further, should I? Am I supposed to further pound to further seat the bearing? The bearing is solid on the shaft and I don't think it's going to budge. I'd also be afraid to damage something inside the tranny. I'm going back to NAPA in the morning. Any input from you experts that might assist? Thanks.