Ideas for removing (REAL) tight half-axle? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Ross Davis · #1 08-31-2008, 06:14 PM

Good afternoon: I have spent the better part of the day today trying to remove my rear axles on 82 300cd. I followed along with dmorrison's diy article, which has been great. Both sides came out of the wheel hubs without too much trouble. The passenger side was a little tight coming out of the differential, but I was able to work it out eventually. However, I cannot get the drivers' side out of the differential. I have spent several hours this afternoon on it, and barely have it moved laterally enough that I can no longer see the groove for the C-clip. I raised and lowered the differential with my bottle jack, I have snatched on it from the driver's side, and I have tapped on the differential end with a punch via the passenger-side opening in the differential. I have given up for the day, and will search through old threads tonight to see if I can find any relevant ones. If anybody has any ideas, I sure need some help. Thank you.

Ross Davis · #2 08-31-2008, 06:19 PM

I did think of trying to get the wheel hub out of the way and closer to the ground by lowering the trailing arm (I think that's the right term) by un-bolting the shock absorber. If I wanted to do that, with the tire already off and car on jack stands, should I unbolt the top of the shock absorber from inside or the bottom of the shock right near where I'm working?

charmalu · #3 08-31-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ross Davis

I did think of trying to get the wheel hub out of the way and closer to the ground by lowering the trailing arm (I think that's the right term) by un-bolting the shock absorber. If I wanted to do that, with the tire already off and car on jack stands, should I unbolt the top of the shock absorber from inside or the bottom of the shock right near where I'm working?

As far as the shock, having the wheel removed is like being at PNP where I have been for 2 days. all their cars are sitting on wheel stands.

I worked at removing three differentials so Iam getting into the expert catagory

sort of. one was a 85 300SD, but metal pieces and nicks on some gears. I removed the shocks to get the trailing arm lower, and removed the top nut first. but when the last nut came off, Wham it shot down. No damage tho. then removed the bottom nuts.

the second car a 91 SEL I removed the bottom first then the top, much better, no problems it just fell out.

Now with the shocks out, and the Differential mount disconnected, by lowering the Diff. with your jack, don`t be surprised if the springs just fall out. but you are talking about one shock only.

as far as not getting the axle out, something has to be binding to hold it.
I have pulled a total of 7 axles at PNP, some come right out and some gave me problems. I would get one side out and the other I couldn`t get it to clear the hub splines. so just dropped the diff and axle.

Iam just a little expert, so some of the super experts will chime in

.

Charlie

JimmyL · #4 09-01-2008, 12:22 AM

This isn't real technical, but I was having problems removing the CV from the car at PNP, and I simply had to grab the shaft in between the two boots and jerk and shake out away from the differential. Time was ticking down and I was stressed and desperate and it wouldn't budge. I just grabbed, pulled, wiggled and shook and out it finally came.
Go figure.....

Ross Davis · #5 09-01-2008, 06:41 AM

I definately tried that, for several hours yesterday afternoon. I had to do that on the passenger side that came out, but it ultimately came out. The drivers side just will not move (and I definately have the C-clip off).

In a few minutes, I am going to go back out there. I think my next approach will be to lower the semi-trailing arm, and attached wheel hub, by removing the lower 2 shock absorber bolts. With the hub completely out of the way, I hope to be able to pull on the axle with as horizontal a force as I can. I will put a bottle jack under the semi-trailing arm before removing the shock absorber bolts, and hopefully be able to lower it under some control, and then get it back up into position when done.

Thanks for your replies. Any other throughts out there are welcome.

Ross Davis · #6 09-01-2008, 08:37 AM

I still can't get the axle out of the differential. I even resorted to trying to lever the can away from the differential with a long pry bar, but then stopped. I shouldn't have to force it that way; there are to many write-ups on here where the thing sounds to just fall out in people's hands. I've got to do some other work this week; this project is just dead in the water.

If there is anyone in central NC/southern VA who would be willing to come over and take a look, I be willing to buy gas/lunch/beer/etc. I just don't see myself making any more progress.

Thank you.

Whiskeydan · #7 09-01-2008, 09:19 AM

Ross, There must be something in the clip groove binding on its way thru the diff spines. The axle should slide out easy once it is started by a gentle pry between the cv and diff housing.

If the spider gear shaft is not in the way maybe you could go in thru the other side and have a straight shot at driving it out. I'm thinking the spider gear shaft may not allow anything large enough in there to do any good.

Drive it back in and have a good look at the groove for trouble.

Be carefull of damaging the seal unless you are replacing it.

Good luck.

Ross Davis · #8 09-01-2008, 09:50 AM

Dan: I finally thought of that idea (driving drivers side out from passenger side of diff) late yesterday afternoon, and even went BACK to Sears to get a sturdy punch. You're right, that spider gear gets in the way, but I was able to bang on it a while with the right sized punch. Unfortunately, it only moved a couple of millimeters. When I started, I could still see the groove for the C-clip; now I can't see the groove. That's as far as I could move it.

I (briefly) tried driving it back in yesterday, but not with much enthusiam. I will try that again, and see if I can identify some point of binding.

Ross Davis · #9 09-10-2008, 08:18 PM

As I shared in my thread about driveshaft/flex disc troubles, I now have the differential out/off of the car. However, that driver's side 1/2 shaft is still stuck. So, I'm trying to figure out what to do next. I tried to call CVJ in Denver tonight to ask them about it, but they were closed. My plan all along has been to remove my own axles and, in an effort to minimize the chances of rebuilds not mating with my diff, send my own axles that I removed and have them rebuild them and send them back to me. Now, it doesn't look like the driver's 1/2 shaft will be going anywhere ( except maybe to the bottom of a lake somewhere).

I wonder if CVJ deals with differentials? If they could procure a differential for me where they are and go ahead and make sure that the reman axles mate with the new diff, that would be really nice. I'm sure it would cost an arm-and-2 legs to ship a differential and two 1/2 shafts from Denver to NC, but I am to that point in this project where I would (almost) walk to Denver to pick it up if this would work out.

After all of this trouble, I just would hate to get a diff off a parts car somewhere, only to find out that the reman axles they send me won't align with it.

Any thoughts?

Ross.

JimmyL · #10 09-10-2008, 08:29 PM

The alignment of the axles to the diff isn't "that" difficult or even precise. I put 2 from PNP onto one of my wagons, and even though they measured slightly different from groove to other end I used the same thickness spacers and they worked fine.
At the very least all you would need to do is go to Mercedes and buy several spacers. And if you measure first you would know the thickness. If not, buy several in varying thicknesses.
If I may be so nauseating, there is some "wiggle room" with this.......

Just sorry you are having this kind of trouble!

Ross Davis · #11 09-10-2008, 09:46 PM

Jimmy: Thanks for the thoughts. There usually is wiggle room to life, I just seem to have run out lately! But seriously, I had just encountered several threads on here with folks struggling to get different axles back on ("I can see the groove for the C-clip, but just can't push it in far enough to get the clip on", etc.). I just want to get this one done!

The other concern I had was finding a differential with the original spacers still attached. My understanding so far is that spacers match the differential, not the axle. In your reply above, you mention taking a measurement and then going to MB and buying the appropriate spacer. What were you measuring; an old spacer, a distance on the axle, or a distance in the differential? What you said makes perfect sense, I just want to make sure I'm understanding all of it.

Thanks. Ross.

JimmyL · #12 09-11-2008, 12:25 AM

You might just insert the new half shaft, install one of the clips, then use a feeler gauge to measure the gap and buy a spacer just a bit smaller. You could either measure between the clip and the edge inside the diff or maybe even the gap on the outside of diff between seal surface and half shaft edge.
Below is the gap that seems to vary from one shaft to another.

Ross Davis · #13 09-11-2008, 06:37 AM

O.k., I think I get it. You're suggesting slide the "new" axle into diff without any spacers, place C-clip on, and then estimate the space that any spacer would need to take up.

I can see that working.

Unfortunately, I'm concerned that I "traumatized" my old diff in the attempts to punch out the stuck axle from the open side. I'll try to post some pictures and see what ya'll think.

Ross.

Ross Davis · #14 09-11-2008, 10:27 AM

Well, I took the diff with the attached/stuck 1/2 axle to a local independent shop this morning. They seemed to think I had been doing something wrong, as there is no good reason that axle shouldn't come out! Oh well, if they can get it out, good for them.

So, the plan is to let them try various "machine shop" methods to get it out. Hopefully, the differential won't be totaled in the process. If the diff is still good (I wonder how I will tell), I will get remans from CVJ and try to plug them in.

I'll keep updating as things go along.

Ross