W124 removing half shafts?
 

So I have the 30mm nut off and the 6 triple square bolts from half shaft to diff...

I've knocked out the half shaft 75% out of the hub and it sort of just stopped. I thought I've read here you just pull it out of the hub and remove it?
Is this correct or did I miss a step here?

If you push the splined shaft back into the hub and then pull down on the differential connection (now that the bolts are gone) you should get some joy. The joint at the differential only has to come out of a small dish on the flanges fitted to the differential. The splined shaft has to go much further.

It is best to use a three legged puller (with deep sockets as spacers if necessary) to remove the splined shaft from the hub. Bashing with a hammer and a punch can cause trouble.

Oh yeah - sometimes the hand brake cable gets in the way...

...well it can on a W201...

Thanks -- Got it!

I had to knock it back in the hub, raise the suspension to ride height, then I could pry it away from the diff. Glad I read your post to know there was nothing else on the diff side, just the small dish.

http://w124-zone.com/downloads/photo..._passenger.jpg

Well scratch the boot replacement...

The axle joints are bad...Tested them from Kent's mercedes source videos and they bind badly on both ends. Might explain the popping noise from the rear when I turn over bumps which I thought was (and I will be replacing throughout this work since I have the parts) the carrier arm bushing.

Heres a video of the binding:
https://youtu.be/liRLcNWQ-fE (once it finished uploading).

EDIT: Also explains why I couldn't get it out of the hub before -- It probably binded up without the car being at ride height and wouldn't allow the spider joint to move in/out.

Whats the best action from here? The prices look steep...

I bought a new axle from the dealership a few months back. This was the cheapest place I could find. Way cheaper than GKN at the time because of a special offer Mercedes was doing...

...the special offer might not be on for W124 parts though. Still worth a check.

If you don't want to pay new prices (avoid the cheapest offerings out there as there has been lots of trouble recorded with those options in the past) do a WTB ad on the forum. There are a few people here who sell used parts.

If you're gonna look for used, you might as well go to the junk yard and find a good one for cheap. Then you can inspect it and add the boots.....or if that is not an option because of the work required to remove the part then consider it a worthwhile investment if the part will last another 25+ years. I did just see one axle on pelican for $95 for a w124

My buddy put a Chinese axle in his 124 wagon. It broke in less than a week. I had a spare used one with high mileage to loan him and its been going strong for years.

FWIW when the suspension is at full droop the axle comes out easiest when you go up and slightly forward with it on the diff side.

I don't want to do this greasy oily job twice so ordered two new GKN axles. Found a good deal for both shipped $645.

To clarify too -- it should be plug and play right? Nothing to reuse off the old axle?

In lots of ways it should be plug and play as you put it. Look out for an awkwardly placed clamp for the boot though - they can be positioned in such a way that you can't fit one bolt into the differential.

Also be aware that the bolts supplied should have that thread locker tape already on the bolts. It has been reported that GKN have been skipping this step and that people have been installing these bolts with out any loctite so they come loose...

...if you had ordinary hex head Allen bolts before you might find that the new ones turn up with T12(?) male torx heads.

I had triple square. It would be great if they are Torx as the last bolt stripped my triple square and I had to hammer it in...

I have thread locker so if nothing is applied, it'll smear a little on each bolt.

EDIT: Question -- Any ideas whether GKN provides a new 30mm axle nut?
--

Got under and removed the driver side axle today, and it too, binds.

The inner joint actually doesn't bind and it allowed me to rotate it 360 degree's both when pushed in and pushed out, but the outer was awful and binded even worse than the other side. So 3/4 joints were bad. I guess 166k isn't too bad and I am glad I caught it now rather than having horrible noises, which I guess, wouldn't be too far off from now.

Here's the collapsed differential mount I'll be replacing too. Be glad to get rid of the clunk on reverse, shifting, throttle LOL

http://w124-zone.com/downloads/photo...ddiffmount.JPG