Inner axle shaft fixin

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

I'm stuck here guys. Any advice would be appreciated. I feel like I'm going crazy trying to get this back together.

 

[randeez]

how far in do you think it is?
tip of the stub shaft into the splines? clip past the roller bearing? clip at the splines?

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

If I remember correctly there is a smooth area between the splines and the bearing. I think I have the cir clip past the bearing but now there's something else I'm fighting to collapse cir clip.

 

[OR VietVet]

You are saying you cannot pull back out? Pic please of the location now. Get more than one pic. How close to the housing is the flange?

 

[MassHoe04]

I guess the only dumb question is the one not asked, so here I go...
How did it come out? Do you just yank it out and the circle clips compress on the way out and supposed to go back in the same way (in theory)?

Never did one of these. Please forgive my ignorance on how this is done on front axle shafts!

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@OR VietVet holding the shaft in the end of the flange is about 3" from the side of the housing. I've probably got about a 1/2" of both radial and axial play so I don't think it's engage with splines yet. I can't just give it a tug like I could before to pull the cir clip through the seal. But to pound it in the rest of the way now it seems like it bottoms against something and I feel like I'm doing something wrong and going to wreck it.

@MassHoe04 i used a deadblow and a pry bar to get it out. The cir clips have a tendency to break but in my case I got lucky since it came off the shaft and stayed in the groove. I was able to just pull it out with a pick and put on a new one. But yea should be able to just knock it back in.

 

[OR VietVet]

At this point, I am guessing that you do not have the shaft with splines centered and that is what is keeping it from continuing to go in. If you want to pull out and inspect, then put a couple of 2x4 against the housing and and use a couple of pry bars and op it on each side at same time and pop it out.

 

[George B]

It is probably turning the gear inside when you try to turn it to align it. Can you put the truck in 4x4 mode and hold the passenger side from turning? That will help hold the gear and align the splines.

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

I got the shaft out. Wrecked the seal in the process though. It seems to look ok in there. I was thinking that the cir clip was stuck in the chamfered area past the bearing.

 

[Fless]

@OR VietVet holding the shaft in the end of the flange is about 3" from the side of the housing. I've probably got about a 1/2" of both radial and axial play so I don't think it's engage with splines yet. I can't just give it a tug like I could before to pull the cir clip through the seal. But to pound it in the rest of the way now it seems like it bottoms against something and I feel like I'm doing something wrong and going to wreck it.

@MassHoe04 i used a deadblow and a pry bar to get it out. The cir clips have a tendency to break but in my case I got lucky since it came off the shaft and stayed in the groove. I was able to just pull it out with a pick and put on a new one. But yea should be able to just knock it back in.

I'm not sure if that first pic is indicative of the working approach angle, but it's clearly not aligned to go straight in.

Have you compared the dimensions of the new clip with the old?