Differential teardown - no go

[rustytracks]

Hello,

I have 1997 Suburban K1500. It needs axle needle bearings/seals and I can not get the left axle out of the front housing. The right one was no problem with a gear puller after splitting the housing. How in the world do you get to the pin to get the spider gears apart so I can get the other axle out? It looks like i have to pull the left axle out first before I can get to the spider's. They could have designed this more like the 'ol days when they were easy to rebuild. This is my first late model "independent" 4wd system to have to go into. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks

[rustytracks]

Well, it still will not come out. I rigged up a system and put a puller on it with 1/2" plate and it was bending the plate. Used a slide hammer - no good. So I chained the housing to the back of the truck and brought the other truck around with the 12,000 lb winch. Hooked the winch to the left axle with serious pressure, smacked it with a hammer several times and it still won't come out. I figured I better quit before I don't even have a core to use. I have never seen such a stupid way to assemble a differential when you have to get the axles out before you can get to the Gears. They should have kept the Dana's in them and engineered a better spring system for a smoother ride. This is just down right stupid engineering, thats one reason why I got out of the mechanic field in '94 when they started dreaming up this stuff and made nothing logical and with common sense anymore.

I know some won't agree with me, but I'm about ready to go back owning the older trucks when they built them right the first time and you could work on them without cussing at it all day. I'm done venting....

 

Does any one know where you can get a remanufactured front housing for a 1997 Suburban or a Z71? I have looked all over the net and so far no luck. It would do no good to get a used one, it seems most of the left sides seem to start to go bad or the seal leaks around 100,000 miles.

[ChevyTech007]

If you can not knock it out you can try the bulletin below. I have had to replace the front diff because some will not come out.

 

1998 Chevrolet Chevy K Pickup - 4WD

 

 

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Subject: 8.25 and 9.25 Left Front Axle Shaft Difficult to Remove - keywords axle differential leak seal shaft #PIP3340B - (05/26/2006)

 

 

 

Models: 1999-2007 Cadillac Escalade

 

2002-2007 Chevrolet Avalanche

 

1996-2000 Chevrolet K Pickup

 

1999-2006 Chevrolet Silverado

 

1996-2007 Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe

 

1996-2000 GMC K Pickup

 

1999-2005 GMC Sierra

 

1996-1999 GMC Suburban

 

1996-2007 GMC Yukon

 

2000-2007 GMC Yukon XL

 

2003-2006 Hummer H2

 

 

 

 

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The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.

 

Condition/Concern:

Unable to remove the left front axle shaft.

 

Recommendation/Instructions:

Remove the front axle assembly from the vehicle. Refer to published service procedures.

Position the front axle assembly straight up and down so the left stub shaft is facing upward.

Using a ball peen hammer, tap the left stub shaft flange down and up repeatedly until the stub shaft separates from the axle assembly. This step centers the c-clip in the retaining groove of the stub shaft.

Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.

[rustytracks]

Yep, that is what I thought about doing - knocking the axle out with a hammer by the flange. But I wanted to make sure before I did that to be sure I was not over looking something I worse I broke something smacking it with a hammer. Those internal clips can be hard to get parts seperated sometimes. Thanks for the help.