Need some help removing rear axle
 

Well, I managed to find 2 low mileage axles for my 81 380sl, and I began removing the passenger side axle using the technique dmorrison wrote up for the 123: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/220000-w123-how-replacing-rear-axles.html

However, there apparently wasn't enough room between the diff and the hub to get the axle fully out, even after I removed the bushing that secures the diff to the floor, and I raised the diff as far as it would go.

I was therefore thinking that I needed to remove the back seat and side panels, so I could loosen the top shock nut, and drop the axle carrier slightly. But the manual says this:

"Do not loosen shock absorbers since they are required to hold axle."

"If the rear axle shaft cannot be removed in spite of being fully telescoped, loosen rubber bearing from frame floor and rear center piece from rear axle
carrier. Lower center piece and swivel to one side. Then remove rear axle shaft from rear axle shaft flange."

I'm assuming that "rear center piece" is MB-speak for "differential," and the rubber bearing is the one that secures the diff to the floor, which I already removed. But I don't understand what " loosen . . . rear center piece from rear axle carrier means."

So I was hoping that someone with a lot more knowledge than I have could tell me, hopefully tonight, the best way to get this axle out of the hub.

Thanks very much in advance for the help.

Well they can be a little difficult, no doubt about that. Last month I removed two pretty good looking axles from a W123 at the Pick and Pull. First of all, let ,e ask you, did you mark them as coming from the right or left side. You should do that, then install them to the opposite side and I think you will have axles that are now rotating in the opposite direction and they will last a lot longer.
Anyway, I did have a problem getting them out. Now we have replaced at least two sets here in my garage and never had that problem. What I would suggest is that you have a helper and place a bar or a piece of pipe in that hub center and force the hub down more. You have the differential mount removed and the differential is free. Do you have a jack available now that you can lift that differential right up to the floor of the car. I kind of think as I remember, that is what I did. And that got the shaft out of the back of the hub. At the pick and pull I was on gravel, (arghhhhh) and it was difficult and I did undo the top of the shock to get them out. Now it is more difficult to get that shock back in then out, but it can be done - takes two guys.

Here is really a good write up on the job on a W123. If you are not familiar with it, you will like it.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/220000-w123-how-replacing-rear-axles.html

Thanks very much for the advice, junqueyardjim. I did manage to get the old axles out and the new ones in with difficulty by removing the shocks, and lifting the diff up as far as it would go. I would therefore suggest that anybody that's going to attack this job knows that it's not as easy to do on a 107 as it is in the article for the 123.

Similar trouble has been reported on the W114 / W115 chassis too