Thanks for the post! If it had fallen off and was still in there, it must have been ground to teenie bits. I didn't see any trace of it. I think I read that you (and maybe a few others) had done the "new groove" with a dremel or hacksaw blade, but I don't think I have enough spline exposed to do that. On my "good" axle, I only have a few mm of axle spline sticking out of the installed hub. On my bad one, there is next to none (even when I push from the back). I don't think I can "get my groove on" and then be able to snap ring it. Is there a way to put a snap ring between the outer and inner hubs? plenty of spline there!!

EDIT!!! Did you mean that you simply put a smaller snap ring where the old one would have gone?? Will the actual "ring" portion still extend out to a diameter greater than the splines and enough to prevent the withdrawal of the axle from the hub? If that is what you are saying, I might go that route!! Thanks.

JD