Front Diff Disassembly Question

[Brandenburg]

I just bought an 02 2500HD on ebay, brought it home from Salt Lake City, and then while changing the oil today, I noticed some oil leaking out of the front differential. Upon closer examination, I found that the plastic breather is just dangling and thus there is a big open hole in the side of the diff. I then tested the 4x4 and what do you know, it makes all kinds of wretched noises and the drivers side tire barely turns! :mad: (I know, I should have tested the 4x4 before I left the lot!)

Anyway, I think I'm going to fix this myself so I took the axle out and split it down the middle, but I can't get the carrier to slide off the drivers side axle shaft. I don't have a manual but the only thing I see that could be holding it at this point is the spline on the drivers side axle shaft, which the carrier should just slide off from like the passenger side axle shaft did. I have tried bolting a slide hammer to the carrier, but I can't get it to budge.

Another assumption I am making is that the notched thing the drivers side axle goes through adjusts the clearance for the bearings holding the carrier. I found this partially unscrewed with the tab that is supposed to hold it in place bent out of the way. I think that happened because the axle shaft bearing seized.

So my question is, am I assuming correctly, or am I overlooking something. :confused: Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated! smile.gif

[Stoner]

Took my 01 in a couple of weeks ago...leaking front axle seal - drivers side. Dropped it off at 8 A.M., went back at 5 P.M. Truck's on the hoist...lots of parts on the bench!! What the F---?
Service manager says we couldn't get the axle out...there's a retaining ring that was deformed or out of place that had it jammed tight! :eek: It should pull out easily with a couple of pry bars, but some of them don't....claims they've had this trouble before. Needless to say, they damaged a few parts during the dis-assembly process.......

1 12471592 Seal
1 26058806 Shaft
1 26031703 Ring-fwd
1 15562346 Spacer
1 12337979 Bolt/Screw
3 80w90 Gearlube
1 1052943 Sealant
1 155212878 Ring


Mechanic was already gone for the day when I got there.....I think he needed a beer :D :D

[Turbo Al]

Thankyou Stoner I will be doing this job in the future and it is REALLY nice to know what is NOT in the service manual.

[dmaxalliTech]

Brandon, Load it all up in a box and head over to Grand Rapids, We will fix it up right, You and I. Where in samhill is Vermontville??

[Brandenburg]

Thanks for the offer but we dropped it off at a shop in Lansing today. They said they could do it for $214 labor plus parts which I thought was pretty reasonable, so I decided to let them have at it.

Vermontville is about 15 miles due East of Hastings.

[ 05-28-2003: Message edited by: Brandenburg ]</p>

[Brandenburg]

Well, I had to pick the axle back up today because when they looked at it, they said that since the bearing holder had backed partially out of the case, it could not be fixed.

In the meantime, I located a used one with 14,000 miles on it in Wisconsin that I can get delivered for $800 exchange. My question to anyone who may know is, are these guys correct in saying this axle is not salvageable? If it could be fixed, would I save much money fixing it as opposed to getting the used one?
I took some pictures of it and posted them here.
http://www.mudbogg.com/misc/frontaxle.html
It looks like the axle shaft got pretty hot since it turned blue, do you think it is weakened?

Thanks,
Aaron

[dmaxalliTech]

same response, throw it in the truck and bring it up to GR, lets have a look...

[mtomac]

Brandenburg

now is the perfect time to put an Elocker in up front.

[blakmax]

My fellow Chevy owners!!!Pay attention to this!!If you are removing driver side axle flange, be very gentle removing it!!If forcing the flange out with pry bars,you will distort the c-clip on the stub end that splines to the side gear in the diff.It is almost impossible to remove that flange once the clip is bent over. In my shop i have had the Plasma Cutter out to save the unit from scrap! The best method i have found is a slide hammer with very light force while rotating and bumping the hammer, it does not require force!