Inner axle shaft fixin

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Posts
207
Reaction score
293
Trying this again today and I'm back to where I was struggling last weekend. I picked up a new cir clip last night. The now 3 that I have (the original, the one I was using last weekend and the new one) all seem to measure the same. I did try the suggestion from @George B to engage four wheel drive. Right now the shaft doesn't even seem to be in far enough to be touching the splines. I'm kind of thinking about removing the spindle so I can get in there with a better swing on the deadblow. But I'm also not sure how well I'm holding the shaft centered either.

And the shaft does go in completely without the cir clip.

My dad was wondering if it could be pushed in with a porta power jack as long as there's something solid for it to sit against.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Posts
207
Reaction score
293
I noticed before that with putting the shaft in without the cir clip that it seems to be a fairly tight fit and not much radial play. It makes me think that there isn't room for the cir clip to compress to fit through there. I'm really starting to wonder if I should have left the old clip in the axle housing and if I'll have to drop the housing now and split it.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Posts
7,124
Reaction score
14,364
Location
St. Louis
Could there still be part of the old one in there?

With the new one on the axle shaft, does it look like there's room in the groove it sits in and a gap where the ends meet for it to be squeezed together more during the install?

Also, are you lubricating/greasing it when installing, so it'll slide through easier?
 
OP
OP
Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Posts
207
Reaction score
293
@gooffeyguy the cir clip on the shaft really doesn't seem to have much room at all to compress around the shaft. I did put grease on the shaft before putting it in the housing. I do have the old cir clip and it looks to be complete.
 

Rocket Man

Mark
Supporting Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Posts
26,004
Reaction score
50,860
Location
Oregon
I’m thinking what you said about the circlip needing to be installed first might be correct. I’ve never done what you’re trying to do though so keep that in mind. But it seems that if that circlip can’t compress to the diameter of the shaft, then maybe it’s supposed to be in place before the shaft is inserted and then the circlip expands in its groove in the housing to allow the axle through. Can you install it on the axle and then compress it with a clamp and then take some pictures so we can see if it protrudes past the surface of the axle?
 
OP
OP
Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Posts
207
Reaction score
293
@Rocket Man I can't get any pictures of the shaft without pulling it back out of the housing which would likely damage the seal again. But with the clip on the shaft there really isn't any room for it to compress and the diameter does protrude past the splines.
 
OP
OP
Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Jobi-Wan Kenobi

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2022
Posts
207
Reaction score
293
@RAMurphy I just bought a pdf set last weekend. I'd did look through it a bit and found the install process for this was reverse of removal. No word of removing the cir clip.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
132,232
Posts
1,864,437
Members
96,778
Latest member
swt_wxw
Top