Good afternoon: As some of you might have read last week, I spent the better part of last weekend trying to do a R&R of my rear 1/2 axles. The passenger side came out o.k., but the driver's side wouldn't come out of the differential. I have tried off and on this week, and still can't get the driver's side 1/2 axle out of the diff.

I am trying to weigh my options, and one of them would be to have it towed to a shop to see if they can get the axle out. I don't know much about tow trucks; would they be able to tow it in with the rear wheels off? The car is currently in my driveway on jackstands, with the wheels off, passenger side axle out, and drivers side axle out of the wheel hub but mostly still in the diff.

Sorry for the silly question, but I haven't had to think through this before. I appreciate any ideas.

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1982 300cd, 140k miles

Your best bet would be a flat bed. You need to put the rear wheels on enough for it to roll, or your going to damage it. The flat bed can drag it up without wheels as they did to my 420SEL parts car, but its brutal and will damage the underside pretty good.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Shorter distance/lower speed tow's with the rears up is fine.

They'll clamp the steering wheel beneath the front seat. They WONT rely on the steering wheel lock.

Higher speed/distance a dolly or flat bed would be better.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Thanks for the ideas. It sounds like towing with rear wheels off is possible, but then it would probably be difficult/impossible to get it from the tow truck to a lift at the shop. I haven't decided what to do yet. I sure hate to reassemble everything, tow it to a shop, and have them charge me for diassembling what I had already done. I sure wish I could get that axle out!

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1982 300cd, 140k miles

My question is Why is the axle not coming out?

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

why won`t the wheels just bolt back on the hubs? all you did was remove the axle on the one side, right? and one won`t come out?

Button it back up enough so it can roll on the truck and be pushed into a shop. or is there something Iam missing here?

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

1) Not much power
2) Even less power
3) Not nearly enough power!! 240D w/auto

Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics. Funny how that works

Sure you could tow it backwards with a wheel lift. Sight additional strain might be applied to front end components. It still would be better if you could extract the axel yourself. What have you tried?

I am thinking that if any torque twist of splines has occured it might be an expensive repair at garages. You on the other hand could use used parts if required to repair whatever is found. In the cost equation would you be further ahead to get another rear end from a salvage yard and change it? More likely the axle spline is just stuck and needs real pressure applied somehow.

I just went back and read your posts from last week.
I think I would drop axle and diff. together and get them on a bench where
you can have a better look. It went in there, it will come out. I
would have to second the notion that there is something in
the groove for the clip

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

So far, I've tried levering with a pry bar and using a punch from the passenger side (where the axle is out) in an attempt to drive out the driver's side one.
The idea of taking out the entire differential has crossed my mind, but I can't quite figure how I would get to the 2 forward-most of the 4 bolts that attach the top side of the diff to the rear axle carrier. I should just spend some more time with any threads dealing with differential removal, and give it a try. It would definately be easier to deal with out from underneath the back of the car. I think you all are right, though; if it went in, it should come out.
I can drive it back in far enough (by banging on the hub end) to see the C-clip groove; I have "interrogated" that with a fine pick, and just can't discern that there is something in there big enough to prevent the axle from sliding out.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

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1982 300cd, 140k miles

You get to those bolts by lowering the diff/subframe slightly. The diff mount is removed with a hydraulic jack underneath the diff. Then, you lower the diff by three inches or so and you can access those bolts. IIRC, they are nuts that attach to studs that are in the diff. Removing a bolt would be difficult due to the low clearance to the body.

Thanks for your reply Brian. There is a pretty good write-up in the DIY wiki section, and last night I ran across a fairly detailed reply of yours to someone's similar scenario.

Right now, my diff is supported by a bottle jack, and the factor that prevents it from falling closer to the ground is the component of the exhaust system that tracks beneath the driver's side axle. In your experience, has disassembly or lowering of the exhaust by loosening those rubber buckles that hold it in place added much to the exposure for this diff removal? Undoing the rubber "buckles" (I can't come up with a better term right now) and lowering the muffler is not so hard, but then you have to support it with a jack or stand and it gets kind of crowded under there.

Thanks.

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1982 300cd, 140k miles

I had the benefit of doing all my diff work without the exhaust in place. You might consider the same. On the SD, there is a bolted joint where the downpipe ends. If you unbolt this joint and remove the supporting rubber washers from the tailpipe, you can probably remove the entire aft section of the exhaust system. I've not done a W-123, so, if I'm mistaken, others will surely correct me.