Torsen Swap - Halfshafts Stuck in Diff
 

Hey all,

I'm in the middle of a Torsen swap. Finally got the PPF loose from the diff, but now I can't pop the half shafts out. I have 1 piece shafts. I don't have the stub axles seperated from the hub right now. I have the top of the knuckle disconnected. I've been trying the last 2 hours to pop the dang halfshafts, to no avail. I have a big prybar ~ 2 ft long and the thing won't budge. I believe there is enough CV plunge to at least get it started out the diff. Do you guys have any ideas on what I'm missing/doing wrong here? Some pics are attached illustrating the task at hand. Any help would be much appreciated!!

how can you joke at a time like this?!?!? (kidding of course)

if there's anyway you solved it let me know! cuz my guy couldn't get it out either! so i could only change the wheel bearing on the passenger side (still need to do driver side on my OPEN diff!)

i unbolted the bottom bolt and it gave enough room to pop the halfshaft out of the diff and drop it.
edit: I believe its a 17mm on both sides, and you can also take IIRC a 33 or 35mm socket and pop the nut off the end of the half shaft and pull the entire thing out if you want too.

The nut on the end of the half-shaft (aka axle nut) is a 29mm, I'm pretty sure.

Looks like you are prying in the right spot. With axles in general it takes a impact type force (not continual pushing force) so get the breaker bar in the right spot and give it a couple quick jolts and see if it pops out.

Use a smaller prybar like a crowbar, put it in the same spot, and whack it with a BFH, like crashncar said.

Frank

fmowry - I'll have to give that a try with a smaller bar. I was whacking with my big prybar and a 4lb hammer, but it still wouldn't budge. I also tried jabbing at it w/ my body, but that didn't work either. Maybe there was too much give to the bar? On the up side, I got a pretty good workout last night.

I'm hoping on not having to pop the axle nut (too big of a hassle and I'd have to buy more tools). I'm glad to hear that I can opt out of that w/ the lower knuckle bolt.

Remove the shock at the top. Remove the brakes. Mark your alignment bolts and remove them.

Then, when everything is free, try the prybar again. If that doesn't allow them to "pop", then a thin flat wedge between the diff housing and the axle will do it.

It will be much easier to remove the axles and reassemble this way. Just remember to mark the bolts' positions on the plates as well as which goes where on the subframe.

I've used both a pry bar as well as a wood block and hammer. use the block like a punch and apply force so you can whack them out.

2-piece axles FTW! :inout:

TO take the axles out, all you need to do is unbolt the caliper, remove the bolt and nut from the top oof the hub, remove the nut from the bottom.

Then take off the axle nut. Then have a friend pull down on the hub, and pull the axle out, then push it to the side.

Then Pry like you are while hitting the other side of the cv joint with a hammer, it will come out of the diff.

I think he wants to keep the axle nuts on the shafts and hubs and is only changing an open 1.8 to an lsd.

Man, those are a bitch to get off, I found that heavy doses of manjuice will do the job.
I used a really big flat head screw driver to get the shaft to separate from the diff and then just work it. I did this with diff out of the car though, so it could have been easier that way.

I bent that same prybar trying to get a stub shaft out, they can stick tight! With those I had a little more area to work with than a 1 piece, but after I messed with it for a while it finally popped out with only a little force :giggle:

It's all about the DBH.

air hammer/chisel will also make quick work of it.

Why don't you just be a man and yank that fucker out? I would.

By sticking one end in your ass? :giggle:

Frank

You stand the chance of pulling the CV apart doing that, ruining the CV.

Using two very large screwdrivers, drive them in gently on each side of the inner joint between it and the diff. If you drive them in evenly you will see the gap at that joint widen if you look closely. Then give both drivers a sharp push at once. That sucker will pop right out with even pressure on two sides. I never have problems with these doing it that way and I have pulled dozens. Have fun.

i say try some KY on it.