Passenger Side Axle - $&#!@

[Dan D]

I have never had trouble popping out the axle. Well, first time I've done so since replacing it with a new axle from advance auto. It will not come out. Screwdriver, pry bar, pickle fork, different pry bar, screwdriver rotated with a wrench...nothing will free it.

There is now a sizable gap between the axle cup and transmission which leads me to believe the retaining ring is giving way and is now mangled and stuck. With a long pry bar and both feet on the subframe giving it everything I could, I could not get it to let go. 3 hours toward pulling the motor down the drain. I'm so frickin pissed off right now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Any ideas? What are my options at this point. Any other tools that will help get this out without damaging the tranny (the oils seal's trashed by now so I don't care about that).

 

I've had so many problems with the pass side axle on my cars. i couldnt get the axle out when i pulled my motor a few weeks ago so i actually ended up using a pair of dics and tin snips to cut the ring on the boot and left the cup in, when i put it back together ill just add some grease and get a new ring for the boot. And other then what you said you did i dont know of anything else, best of luck.

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Well, you can drop the tranny with the axle still in it and do the engine separately, then deal with the axle later. Same thing happened to me, and I read somewhere on here that you can push something through the other side to get it out, but there is some weird bar there that prevents it. So I would just get a new tranny. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif But seriously, what a pita /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif

 

[Terry Posten]

^^^ Use a long flat head screwdriver and go from the other side of the center diff. Tap on the screw driver with a hammer and it will pop out. ^^^

 

[SmoothCustomer]

I have a huge flat head and I'm pretty sure it still doesn't fit between that thing that separates the two axles and the walls of the diff. Do you know specifically of a screwdriver that does?

 

[2of9]

i got mine out quite easy. just had a long and thick flathead and went to work with it for about 5 minutes and it popped out. maybe i got lucky....very lucky.

 

[PJGross]

mine was tough, too, but between a bit regular screwdriver and a little teenie pry-bar I was able to get it to pop out eventually. Good news is the new one goes in much easier! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

-PJ

 

[Dan D]

I always was able to take my second biggest flat head screwdriver, shove it up there, give it a quick yank and pop. I really think the retaining ring on this aftermarket axle was the wrong size becuase this is just ridiculous.

I went to autozone last night because I found out they loan-a-tool these:
Click

It goes on a slide hammer and fits around the axle cup. I'll try it today. I'm not sure it will fit properly but I might be able to make it work. Besides I don't think autozone minds if you modify loan-a-tools before you return them right /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Dan D]

Got It! Not because of the autozone tool though. Thanks to Terry for the long skinny screwdriver idea. I popped my head up to look into the driverside hole and saw the retaining ring hanging there half mangled like I thought. I tapped away until I felt the retaining ring pop off. I'll have to fish it out of the transmission. Hopefully none of the splines on the output shaft are damaged.

For future reference, the screwdriver I used that fits is the long slotted one with a skinny round shaft seen in this set from sears:
Sears Set

 

[vr4play]

I have always used this click otc part# 7140 when my prybar doesn't work.

 

an airhammer strategically placed is always fun too
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif

 

[SmoothCustomer]

Yeah I got mine out with a screw driver too. Does anyone know if you can just grab one at advanced or autozone?
Thanks

 

Big f'ing prybar assisted me pretty well. I just gave the axle a pep talk first.

 

[Dan D]

I would recommend anyone with a parts store axle to measure and replace if needed the retaining ring. I did some measuring this weekend. Turns out it was not sized properly. The wire size was a little big and the diameter was too. That allowed it to get caught and pull itself halfway off the shaft, wedging the itself inbetween the shaft and the tranny splines. The axle didn't come out until the ring finally broke which did do some damage to the splines on the axle and the tranny.