11 replies to this topic

[Kyle Burkhardt]

Trying to reinstall the axles into the diff in my 99 after replacing the diff housing. Pic shows as far as I can get it in. I've tried hammer and prybar, but no luck. I have new clips on them. How can I ensure I'm getting the teeth lined up and how to I get them in?



Thanks,

[SCCA_Racer]

On my car the hubs were rusty inside the splines, so I took a Pippin file and cleaned them all out. Yes, time consuming but very worth it. Second I put a soft wire brush on my buffer/angle grinder and cleaned the spline on the axles. After all of that a quick spray of Lithium grease and they slid together all the way without even having to use the axle nut to pull them together.
In the end cleaning the the splines is the key. Harbor freight usually has a deal on files but they do not hold their edge like a good file. My hubs were from a 1991 and the axles were from a torsen.
Good Luck.

[Kyle Burkhardt]

If I have it this far in, does that mean I have the splines properly engaged?

[Keith Novak]

I've had that happen. Sometimes it's a pain to get in. Sometimes it's getting it out that's a pain. I think it's the sharp corners of the clip hanging up.

Pull it out, look how deep the splines are in the diff compared to the axle and you'll be able to tell for yourself "If I got it this far in, the splines are engaged." You might try rotating it so that the gap in the clip is pointed up, that way gravity will make the gap sit as low as possible in the groove. I've had it hang up and just pulling it back out and trying to insert it in other orientations finally did the trick.

[Kyle Burkhardt]

Just went back out and wrestled with them for another hour. No luck. I think another set of hands would help. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[Keith Novak]

Just went back out and wrestled with them for another hour. No luck. I think another set of hands would help. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

You could try taking the clips off, and touch up the sharp edges at the gap on a bench grinder, or if you didn't throw the old ones out, put those back on.

I replaced mine because the 1st time I removed the axles, I had to fight one side the entire way out. The new ones were no issue. That's the only thing I can think of that's preventing it from going in.

[Kyle Burkhardt]

I was thinking of just reusing the old ones. They came out easy. Gotta find them--they shot around the garage when I took them off!

Could I use a dab of grease to hold the new ones in place?

[HoneyBadger - BrianW]

If you want to verify it is in fact the clips keeping the shafts from going back in, just remove the clips and test fit the shafts. That will help insure that there is no issue with the splines. I had to do that when putting mine back in to give me the confidence to smack the end of the drive shaft with a dead blow to get them to seat correctly.

As to the comments regarding cleaning up the splines, I believe they are referring to the hub side. I cleaned up my hub side splines with a wire brush on a drill, but the ones going into the diff were not gummed up at all.

[Kyle Burkhardt]

Lemme ask this: where/how should I be applying the BFH? I've been trying to get some purchas on the end of the stub (basically the end of the green part), but that's not going well. My shaft is still connected to the hub and suspension. Can I just line the shaft up straight and smack the end of the shaft at the nut? I know I dont want to hit the hub, but I could but a socket on the nut to focus the blow.

[HoneyBadger - BrianW]

I would think that a MFH - MediumFH (dead blow not a sledge) on a socket would be fine. For me it was just some mild influence, I certainly did not have to whale on the thing to get it to seat. Again, if you take the clips off, you will have some reassurance that there is not something wrong with the pumpkin side splines or the diff itself. Without the clips, the shafts should just slide right in.

[SCCA_Racer]

Yep, my bad as I was talking about getting the axle back into the hub. Now what diff is that, Torsen? I know the VLSD axle stubs are different length but I am not sure if that is even an issue here. I agree, remove the axle clips and they should slide right in. Did you try turning the driveline yoke as you inserted the axles?

[Kyle Burkhardt]

Its a Torsen diff. I can turn the yolk and get the axles to turn. If I hold the axle (to prevent spinning), I can still turn the yolk (although there seems to be alittle resistance.

I'm gonna remove the clips and insert them. Assuming they go right in, then I can do what I should have done when I removed them--mark the axle and diff so I have a reference. Then I'll know I have them lined up and will be comfortable giving it a good whack on the hub end of the axle.