Left Half Axle removal tricks?

[itsagaas]

Well, the front differential is out of my 1996 Tahoe 4WD. This is an 8.25" IFS (GM) unit 3.42 ration option code GU6 and is original. Took it out to replace the seals. Pinion and right output seal were no issue. The left half axle will not come out. I have the adapter plate and slide hammer attached to the axle flange. Pulled on the slide hammer well over 100 times rotating the axle a bit between each pull and it will not pop loose. Any recommendation on what worked for you?
Thanks,
Ken

 

[itsagaas]

Well, the front differential is out of my 1996 Tahoe 4WD. This is an 8.25" IFS (GM) unit 3.42 ration option code GU6 and is original. Took it out to replace the seals. Pinion and right output seal were no issue. The left half axle will not come out. I have the adapter plate and slide hammer attached to the axle flange. Pulled on the slide hammer well over 100 times rotating the axle a bit between each pull and it will not pop loose. Any recommendation on what worked for you?
Thanks,
Ken

This is an update now that I have the left side half axle (stub axle) out of my 8.25" IFS front differential on the '96 Tahoe 4WD. After many attempts at getting the left axle out (prybar, axle "popper", adapter plate and slide hammer, etc.) I ended up cutting off the axle flange as close to the differential case as possible. This was done after separating the case halves (10 bolts). The axle could then be driven into the case. With the differential carrier now in hand, I removed the ring gear, roll pin and cross pin then removed the spider gears and right side gear. The next attempt was to drive the axle out of the left side gear and differential carrier from the inside. This was not successful. I went to a 4WD shop and asked them to press out the axle shaft from the inside of the diff carrier. They took the press up to 10 tons and the axle circlip would still not release.
Back at my bench with a little more grinder and cut-off wheel time, the axle shaft (smooth end not splined end) was cut down as far as possible close to the side gear. The axle and side gear could then be driven into the differential carrier and removed. As a last resort, with the side gear in my vise, I heated the gear with a torch (did not measure temperature of the gear but it was not heated to red) and sprayed Kroil around the axle splined shaft inside the gear. After about 5 or so whacks with a 2.5Lb. engineer's hammer, the circlip finally compressed enough to release. I am keeping that axle shaft as a memento in my shop! If it did not release when it did I was getting set to go buy a new matched gear set for the differential.
If I knew it was going to be this much time and $$ when I started, probably would have just bought a rebuilt front diff. Sure is a lot of work in this rebuild just to keep the front axle from leaking fluid!
Oh, by the way, the 10 Grade 8 Ring Gear bolts (7/16-20) are left-hand thread. Figured that out after breaking one off. The good news is it was easy to drill it out of the ring gear. Standard right hand drill bit spun it out of the threaded hole.
Have a picture or two if anyone wants to see those.

 

[itsagaas]

This is an update now that I have the left side half axle (stub axle) out of my 8.25" IFS front differential on the '96 Tahoe 4WD. After many attempts at getting the left axle out (prybar, axle "popper", adapter plate and slide hammer, etc.) I ended up cutting off the axle flange as close to the differential case as possible. This was done after separating the case halves (10 bolts). The axle could then be driven into the case. With the differential carrier now in hand, I removed the ring gear, roll pin and cross pin then removed the spider gears and right side gear. The next attempt was to drive the axle out of the left side gear and differential carrier from the inside. This was not successful. I went to a 4WD shop and asked them to press out the axle shaft from the inside of the diff carrier. They took the press up to 10 tons and the axle circlip would still not release.
Back at my bench with a little more grinder and cut-off wheel time, the axle shaft (smooth end not splined end) was cut down as far as possible close to the side gear. The axle and side gear could then be driven into the differential carrier and removed. As a last resort, with the side gear in my vise, I heated the gear with a torch (did not measure temperature of the gear but it was not heated to red) and sprayed Kroil around the axle splined shaft inside the gear. After about 5 or so whacks with a 2.5Lb. engineer's hammer, the circlip finally compressed enough to release. I am keeping that axle shaft as a memento in my shop! If it did not release when it did I was getting set to go buy a new matched gear set for the differential.
If I knew it was going to be this much time and $$ when I started, probably would have just bought a rebuilt front diff. Sure is a lot of work in this rebuild just to keep the front axle from leaking fluid!
Oh, by the way, the 10 Grade 8 Ring Gear bolts (7/16-20) are left-hand thread. Figured that out after breaking one off. The good news is it was easy to drill it out of the ring gear. Standard right hand drill bit spun it out of the threaded hole.
Have a picture or two if anyone wants to see those.

The left half axle part number is 26006824 and the circlip is 15588354.