2009 GMC Yukon XL SLT 4WD

Trying to remove the right (passenger) side axle shaft to replace the leaky seal. For the life of me we cannot get enough clearance to remove the c-lock.

We pulled the pin and pushed the axle in as far as it will go and just do not have enough room to get the c-clip out.

Every youtube video looks different than mine. AFAIK it's a stock Eaton G80 truck differential with 3.42 gears. In the center is a thrust block but my book says nothing about removing it. The pictures show the open end of the block towards me but we see the back side. If the axle shaft were able to go in another 64th of an inch or so (either side) we'd be done by now.

Any advice?

 

Can you play with the center block in and out to get the axle to move in a little further?

 

I think that did it. Now we have the opposite problem, it appears the left axle is in too far and will not allow the pinion shaft back in. It's driving us crazy, been at this for 6 hours for a 15 minute job.

No amount of spinning the carrier assembly will align the spider gears and whatever else is in the way, sometimes the left axle cannot move in or out depending on the position of the carrier which we cannot seem to replicate. Arggghhh.

 

Had to pry the left axle outwards and the pin dropped in. At first, it was held in place by friction of the axle but moving stuff around, it became free again. I was concerned that I might have knocked something out of whack. Now I don't think so but we shall see in the next few days. Now onto the brakes...