Trick to removing front intermediate axle shaft?
 

Have to replace the front diff on my wife's TB after it ripped itself apart. I'm yanking on the intermediate shaft but it doesn't seem to want to let go and come out through the oil pan. Seems to me that I'm already using more effort than would be possible with the GM tool. How much effort is normally required?

I was able to disengage it by punching it out from the diff end.

I always snap a vise grip on the splines, pry against it and the pan, and pry it out!

Yeah I found prying worked better for the outer axles too.

What a PIA having to take half the truck apart just to get this out!

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I've had a ton of these apart and I've never seen that! What happen to this one? Wow!!

From what she described something was binding when she went to start up from a light and bang! Not sure if they were checking the fluid level at the place she takes it for lube service.

Wow spun the bearing too... I would think if it was a low oil issue you see problems with the other bearings. I have a feeling you were just unlucky and got a unit with a bad case or bearing.

Is there any pitting on the spider gears in the center section???

Haven't had a chance to look at it that closely. Here's a couple of zoomed images from the photos I took previously. The case is full of rollers from this bearing.

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Hard to say for sure, but I don't think it was an oil or lack there of issue. I would lean more towards a bad bearing or a case flaw issue.

Although Lack of oil is always a possibility.

IMO if it was lack of oil you would see more wear on the parts in there.

It could be the crush sleeve didn't hold causing the pinion to walk,

It could be an issue with the case that led to part failure.

It's also possible the bearings weren't manufactured properly, I.e. the heat treating or surface grinding.


IMO, The fact that the bearing closest to the ring gear spun the race and has the most damage tells me something else was going on there. Even it it was low on oil, it should still be getting splash lube from the ring gear. I would expect the front bearing, near the yoke, to spin first from a lack of lubrication. I know that rear one would get tore up if the pinion was moving back and forth. That's obviously why she felt the binding effect when trying to take off from a start.


It's to late now obviously, but I always try to learn something from part failures.

Scooter