Front Diff/Drive Axles, Remove and still Drive?

[04_tahoe_912]

Update, I've taken both sides out along with the front drive shaft, drives perfectly fine. Cut the boot, loosened the lock ring and the cv axle shaft slide right out. Reattached and driving like normal with no differential noise.

 

[Wcata]

Jack the front up and check out the front wheels, if they seem fine, then start by taking the front drive shaft out and try driving, they check everything again, before you head home. I would doubt that you would want to drive with the diff out for 250 miles.

Did this. Hub fell apart, wheel fell off and now I have to replace brake caliper, caliper bracket, brake line, hub. Cv axle has to be attached!!

 

[swathdiver]

Did this. Hub fell apart, wheel fell off and now I have to replace brake caliper, caliper bracket, brake line, hub. Cv axle has to be attached!!

Make, Model and Year?

 

[Thauber]

Did this. Hub fell apart, wheel fell off and now I have to replace brake caliper, caliper bracket, brake line, hub. Cv axle has to be attached!!

Sounds like you had a bad wheel hub. In this year range, on the 4wd trucks, you can take out your CV axles and your wheels won't fall off. Look at the design, the CV axle nut and washer just pull the CV axle in snug so there isn't any slip on the splines, and no room for moisture in there either to help prevent rust. There is ZERO happening with the CV axle or it's washer and nut that hold the hub to the steering knuckle. Roughly put, the 3 bolts on the back of the steering knuckle is what holds the wheel hub assembly to the knuckle, and the knuckle is held by ball joints pressed into the upper and lower control arms, and those are bolted to the frame.

Pretty sure I've read about many members here removing theirs in some of the build threads.

 

[mikeyss]

The hub WILL fail if it's a 4WD hub with the CV shaft removed. I personally know because I was in a vehicle that it happened to. At the dealership, I worked on a 05 Silverado with front end noise. Thought it was a hub and replaced it. Noise persisted, so I removed the CV shaft and drive it out to see if the noise went away. As I was driving back into the shop, the wheel fell off and the hub was destroyed. DO NOT DRIVE WITHOUT CV AXLES WITH 4X4 HUBS!!!!!! I believe the 2014+ trucks made a hub change where it doesn't matter if it's 2WD or 4WD, but those are made different. Don't risk your life or the life of others!! This has been proven MANY times, the GMT800 4WD hubs NEED the CV shaft there for support.