Rear axle C-clip removal guidance?

[5StarCustmSolutns]

Hello, My foot and my G80 got into a fight this morning at the bottom of my driveway. G80 Carrier Case is pretty much shattered in place. A chunk of it along with one spider gear came out with the big chrome pin. I've spent about 3hrs now trying to get the C-clips off the axles.

For some reason I can't get the axles on either side to move inward the short distance needed to pull them off?? It looks like they're tight against the block in the middle already? But I can't see any splines on the outside of the clips. Could the tension from shattered carrier and spiders be preventing them from moving inward? Am I being to gentle?

Any guidance be much appreciated

 

[Doubeleive]

presuming you took the calipers off and the pin out? I would try rotating it a little while pushing on the axle

 

[5StarCustmSolutns]

presuming you took the calipers off and the pin out? I would try rotating it a little while pushing on the axle

Watched that one earlier, I hope I feel all happy go skippy like that music by the end of the weekend. Also hope I'm able to spin mine around by hand on the ring by end of weekend, currently requires bar through lugs

Yes sir, brakes off. Pin is out. Gonna try ratchet strap and smaller(size) magnet in the morn. Too cold out there now

 

[Doubeleive]

Watched that one earlier, I hope I feel all happy go skippy like that music by the end of the weekend. Also hope I'm able to spin mine around by hand on the ring by end of weekend, currently requires bar through lugs

Yes sir, brakes off. Pin is out. Gonna try ratchet strap and smaller(size) magnet in the morn. Too cold out there now

if worse comes to worse, might try a stick of wood and a dead blow or mallet on the axle ends
use the wood so nothing gets damaged on the axle, may end up having to do axle seals though, not sure
I would get a helper, kid, wife, gf, neighbor, bf lol never know these days
maybe start easy with that process, axles are about $150-200 each don't need to add fuel to the fire

 

[Doubeleive]

do yourself a favor and put a eaton detroit trutrac in there and you won't have this problem again. ya they cost a little extra but they are worth it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Looks to me like the carrier has squished together ever so slightly and is not allowing access to the clips. I would try to get a pry bar in the crack of the carrier and see if can pry outward from the crack and then push/bang the axle in to remove clips. Again, IMO.

 

[5StarCustmSolutns]

do yourself a favor and put a eaton detroit trutrac in there and you won't have this problem again. ya they cost a little extra but they are worth it.

Thanks for the reminder! and it's only 16 degrees here. Once I get carrier out I can front axle drive it into heated garage but....
Not sure if the word "habitual" applies because I've tamed myself down to about a one-per-month or so average, but I have (let's call it) a history of breaking bolts, tools and parts by way of too much force/not enough patience. Dozens...smh

The plan for now is either helical gear carrier(Eaton, PowerTrax, AAM, etc) -or- for about the same cost I could upgrade to a 14 bolt 9.5" 3.42 G80? There's one with only 25k mi a couple hours away for $603

I would love to hear thoughts on that choice? Both are better options for the towing(3 trailers) and mild off roading I regularly do than my current 10 bolt 8.6 3.08 (which was handling it just fine though)
Heli-carrier is probably a little less work? But both are gonna require me to re-set and pattern gears, one in front one in rear... Best case would be Truetrac(or comparable) IN a 14 bolt w/25k miles, but I have to prioritize right now; Im in serious need of a Torque Converter or I'm going to be replacing a 6L80 sooner than later.

Bought appliances, cabinets, and everything else for our kitchen over the last 10 days or it wouldn't be am issue, literally paid $2700 Thurs night for the last of it... Could be worse I guess, sorry for venting

 

[5StarCustmSolutns]

Looks to me like the carrier has squished together ever so slightly and is not allowing access to the clips. I would try to get a pry bar in the crack of the carrier and see if can pry outward from the crack and then push/bang the axle in to remove clips. Again, IMO.

IMO, that sounds like an excellent opinion. Thanks, I was trying to be as gentle as possible to avoid axle button and/or R&P damage. Temps are skyrocketing to the upper 20's over next hour so I'm about to go back at it

 

[Geotrash]

Thanks for the reminder! and it's only 16 degrees here. Once I get carrier out I can front axle drive it into heated garage but....
Not sure if the word "habitual" applies because I've tamed myself down to about a one-per-month or so average, but I have (let's call it) a history of breaking bolts, tools and parts by way of too much force/not enough patience. Dozens...smh

The plan for now is either helical gear carrier(Eaton, PowerTrax, AAM, etc) -or- for about the same cost I could upgrade to a 14 bolt 9.5" 3.42 G80? There's one with only 25k mi a couple hours away for $603

I would love to hear thoughts on that choice? Both are better options for the towing(3 trailers) and mild off roading I regularly do than my current 10 bolt 8.6 3.08 (which was handling it just fine though)
Heli-carrier is probably a little less work? But both are gonna require me to re-set and pattern gears, one in front one in rear... Best case would be Truetrac(or comparable) IN a 14 bolt w/25k miles, but I have to prioritize right now; Im in serious need of a Torque Converter or I'm going to be replacing a 6L80 sooner than later.

Bought appliances, cabinets, and everything else for our kitchen over the last 10 days or it wouldn't be am issue, literally paid $2700 Thurs night for the last of it... Could be worse I guess, sorry for venting

The 14-bolt axle assembly will bolt right in, assuming the mounting points on an avalanche are the same as a suburban, which they should be. But those are all 3.42 so maybe you can find a 3.42 front diff at the same yard?

Bummer about the cold snap coinciding with the need to do this initial part of the work outdoors. Should be a sunny day today there but still cold.

 

[OR VietVet]

Yea, it was cold here yesterday at 2 pm, at 52 degrees.

I do like the 14 bolt axle option though, as well.