Help with rear axle removal with ARB RD08 locker - spider block catching on piston legs. (1 Viewer)

[LCMoneyPit]

Hoping someone has some advice. I'm trying to get the axles out of my rear semi-float axle. I have the center pin out of the locker and am trying to remove the spider block. It's catching on the top and bottom of the legs of the piston (see red circled area - same leg is across the top of the opening just out of view in this pic). From everything I can find on the forums, I shouldn't be having this problem and the spider block should come right out after removing the center pin. Should I just try to get something through the spider block and pull really hard and try to force it past the piston legs? Any advice appreciated!

 

[Green Bean]

Did you remove the little Allen head retaining pins?

 

[LCMoneyPit]

Yes. All that’s out and the spider block is loose in there. It won’t come out because it catches on the top and bottom of the opening on the plastic legs of the piston.

 

[peesalot]

Thats odd, that actuator carriage should not be blocking the block removal ? IIRC there is only 1 window or I'd say take it out the other side.

 

[LCMoneyPit]

Yeas, it’s odd. There is only the one window. It’s part 9 in this diagram that’s causing me the problems.

 

[peesalot]

It looks like the block was possibly forced in, may have to get creative, never come across this, possible the cage is broken ?

 

[65swb45]

Does the block have four flats on it? Because it definitely looks like there's at least one in your pic. And the block would be naturally thinner on the flats, and easier to pass through a window with the flats lined up, like a birfield.

 

[LCMoneyPit]

The block does have 4 flats on it, but it's symmetrical. I couldn't get enough of a grip on it to pull it out past the piston legs, but managed to get a big screwdriver down the cross pin hold from the top and pry the block forward through the legs enough that I could get pliers on it and pull it the rest of the way out. So it's out!

 

[llanini]

question that’s somewhat in the neighborhood of your problem. I have that same locker, a RD80. Trying to get my axles out but having trouble getting the retaining pin out. The schematic shows one pin but the item list says there’s 2. Guessing one for the long pin, one for the short pin.
Problem is, I can’t get the retaining pin out for the long pin and have no idea where the retaining pin is for the small pin. Forums say there’s supposed to be some threads on the end of the retaining pin in order to pull it out, mine appears to be a flat ended pin and I don’t know how to get it out. It was already installed when I bought the FJ so a little clueless.

 

[LCMoneyPit]

There was only one cross shaft retaining pin in mine, which was holding in the long cross shaft. The short cross shaft is held in by the long cross shaft. The retaining pin for my long cross shaft did have threads into it. Supposedly there's a special tool to thread in to remove it (which of course I didn't have), but I tried a few different small screws from my parts bin and found one that would screw in far enough that I could pull out the retaining pin, but it still took some careful fiddling to get it to come out. I don't know why the parts list has 2 retaining pins listed but I only had to remove 1 to get my axles out and didn't see where a 2nd one would have gone.

I checked the little screw I used to get out the retaining pin, and it was 6-32 size. Here are some pics of the parts so you can see what they really look like.

Note that the pin in mine is only threaded on one end.

 

[llanini]

Thanks for the reply, I think your pictures show my problem. I can see in the hole that my pin was probably installed threads first.

Going to have to get creative in this one. Thanks again

 

[charliemeyer007]

"Its always something" Roseanne Roseannadanna. I'm sure that pin is hardened to some extent. On Amoron you can get small carbide drill bits cheap enough. #43 is like $16 and then the 4-40 tap Bosch tap is $5. Do a good job with the center punch and use some anchor lube you should be able to get a deep enough hole so the tap can get a bite in the pin so you can pull it out by the tap.

Maybe a stick welder stuck to pin, have someone on the off switch.

 

[llanini]

You must've heard me over state lines, that's the exact quote that came out of my mouth. Previous owner had a 50/50 chance of getting it right but of course...

Was thinking the same with the tap. I forsee the welding technique adding to my problem. It'll probably involve a small round file and some curse words.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[LCMoneyPit]

Ugh, good luck. Let us know how you solve it.

 

[llanini]

Will do, thanks!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks for the reply, I think your pictures show my problem. I can see in the hole that my pin was probably installed threads first.

Going to have to get creative in this one. Thanks again

I suspect you are right, backwards install.

The removal tool ( ARB 1201T as I recall ) is NLA but can be replaced by a screw as others have found. I still pack a 1201T in my tools as I’ve installed and run across enough of them