I was double-checking the specs on the 26 and 28 spline rear axles. I was sure they were identical - this based on a side-by-side comparison of the axle shafts and cross-referencing the axle bearings. Turns out I was wrong - I was cross-referencing the front axle bearings. The bearings for the 26 spline axle are slightly smaller in diameter than the 28 spline shaft (#A9 bearing with 2.5591 in OD on the 26 spline, vs #A10 bearing with 2.875 in OD on the 28 spline). So it looks like I will need to pick up a complete rear axle from a '98 or newer Sporty. As embarrassing as it is, the price of a complete axle (with brake drums) is just over $100 at the local pull-your-own-parts yard. That's not too bad. And I can rebuild the axle prior to installing it (less downtime).

That said, if you want to put a Track Finder locker in a '94-'97 Sporty, you will need to swap the entire axle. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />