I'm currently reassembling the front axle after the driver side output shaft loosened and was slopping around. I picked up a new deflector shield, and seal for the diff housing, and the retaining clip for the output shaft. The shaft is not cooperating on the reinstall into the carrier now though. Aside from getting a bigger hammer is there an easier way to get the shaft installed with the clip on there now?

When I disassembled the axle there was no sign of a retaining clip anywhere, and the fluid was relatively clean for the age of the truck. No shavings or bits and pieces of anything I could see.

The attached picture is the housing opening for the shaft with the seal removed. The tab at about 3'oclock on it had me a little worried as it seems bent out of place, but nothing would move on there when I tried to persuade it a little. It looks as if the tab should be between the teeth though.

The only other issue of note is there were two single needle bearing rollers near the old seal when I pulled it out.

Any thoughts or input would be appreciated on this before I try to slap this together and reinstall the axle in the truck.

Slip a magnet through the bearing and see if maybe the clip fell off during shaft removal. Sometimes these shafts are a real pain to re-install. I usually just start the shaft in the splines, the grab the outer stub and push in on the shaft as hard as i can. You can cycle the shaft in and out on itself so if you do this right you can basically hammer it in under its own weight.