The 8.8's are the same way...some people say to notch the cross pin, but that will only weaken it. Grind the gears with a dremel or a die grinder with a sanding roll until they pin slides in. You may also want to try rotating the crown gear on the locker as this may position the teeth in a better position and allow the cross pin to slide between teeth.
Just be sure to keep everything covered up really well and clean all the crap up after grinding...