rear axle service issues: can't get axle back in.

[ForealBoreal]

I am at the end of my rear bearing repack and I cannot get the last 4 inches of my axle in.
I have factory lockers but I did not engage them.
Is this going to be an issue? Am I able to safely engage the locker without having the axle in to put it back in easier?

 

[OGBeno]

Sure is going to be an issue. You needed to lock the rears when doing the rear axle job.

It is going to be a serious *bear* to get that last 4 inches. You will need to have someone go in from the other wise with a long thin implement, push up the little fork/clutch thing-a-ma-jig, and then you can slide the other shaft in.

Good luck Karter.
-o-

 

[Eicca]

Just duct-tape it.

 

[ForealBoreal]

So take the locker mechanism apart or?

 

[OGBeno]

So take the locker mechanism apart or?

No. You will need to pull the shaft from the otherside out completely.

Use a flashlight and you should see the fork that has dropped and is blocking your view all the way through the axle housing. That is what you need to push up.

CDan and I did this in the field and we used a long CB antenna. Took a bit of wiggling and the like, but with one person doing that, the other person can engage the splines on the shaft with the clutch inside.

That's about the long and the short of it, all pun intended.

 

[ForealBoreal]

Roger that
Thanks

 

[landtank]

I've had this happen and I removed the indicator switch assembly from the diff housing. From there I used a hook tool to pull the collar back into position so I could slide the shaft back in.

 

[Stylo07]

I have what's potentially a dumb question. How do I get my diffs locked in my driveway/garage without the risk of damaging something. I have no gravel/dirt anywhere near my garage to engage the lockers.

 

[OGBeno]

I have what's potentially a dumb question. How do I get my diffs locked in my driveway/garage without the risk of damaging something. I have no gravel/dirt anywhere near my garage to engage the lockers.

Your diffs will be fine rolling back and forth for the ten or so feet it take to engage the elockers.

 

[rove_mcanus]

Your diffs will be fine rolling back and forth for the ten or so feet it take to engage the elockers.

The centre and rear should engage easily with the rear jacked up and the wheels off. If they don't go in at first just turn the hubs till they lock.

After you've done the job, unlock both before putting the wheels back on.

 

[ForealBoreal]

So I fixed it earlier.

I had to take the other side of because I was doing a wheelbearing repack.

The way I ended up fixing it was by taking the whole locker cover and actuator apart and moving the part over with a wrench. Axle slid in no problem.

To anyone doing this or taking the locker apart don't button the 4 screws up on the actuator before you put the 10mm bolt through the actuator shaft. You may have to turn the locker on and put in, and turn it off and it will suck the actuator in place.

Cheers guys.

 

[Stevesnj]

I did the same thing, never locked my rear. Both ides of the rear are jacked up and on jackstands. One axle shaft is out and the other side in with tire on. Can I just turn on my locker switch and turn the one rear tire and shaft that is still on to lock the diff? In the FSM it doesn't say to lock the locker. Did i miss it?

 

[Stevesnj]

I was able to lock the rear, FSM has a procedure to lock them. Anyway I still cannot get the shaft back in, does the other shaft have to be removed also? I can see down the axle tube to the center of the diff and there is a silver pin going across the middle and two more pins coming to the center pin making a cross or 'T'

 

[mod5csi]

Will I have the same problem if I dont have a locking axle?

 

[OGBeno]

Will I have the same problem if I dont have a locking axle?

No, you will not.

 

[badmuthatrucka]

I was able to lock the rear, FSM has a procedure to lock them. Anyway I still cannot get the shaft back in, does the other shaft have to be removed also? I can see down the axle tube to the center of the diff and there is a silver pin going across the middle and two more pins coming to the center pin making a cross or 'T'

I think you might be better off unlocking the rear, and then following the same steps Forealboreal did. Locking the rear with one shaft out doesn't seem to work. I ended up in your position when I did my rear axle, and I had to undo that and then do what Boreal did to get the shaft back in the rest of the way.

 

[Stevesnj]

Okay, I got it in, I did the drivers side first pulling the axle shaft without locking the diff. Turns out that with the passenger side still in I turned on the lock and click the rear locked. I put in the driver side after I locked it and had to use a mallet for it to go the rest of the way. I was trying to push it in by hand but those spline tolerances are tight so thats what was holding it up, just persuasion. When I pulled the passenger side out it came in and out fine but when I went to put it back it it was like 7-8 inches then it stopped. The lock fork was sopping it so I took a broom handle and lifted in into position and boom, done!!

thanks everyone for your help!

 

[ghbyram]

I went through this yesterday. Based on MUD input, I locked my rear early in the process - after I had it on jack stands with the tires still on. On reassembly the DS axle went in fine until the last 1/2" which just needed to be tapped in. The PS axle stopped with about 2" left sticking out - which pissed me off because at one point, I had slid it all the way back in to make sure there wasn't going to be an issue getting it back in. Looking into the tube, I saw the X as pictured above and was doubting I locked the rear correctly based on reading this thread (I had not looked in until I had the issue sliding the PS axle in).

After futzing around trying to move the X up as this thread seems to indicate is necessary, it became clear it wasn't moving and I really questioned that it should/needed to. Ultimately, I was pretty confident I locked up the rear correctly before pulling anything out.

After a bit more searching I found this post ... went back and rotated the DS a bit at a time and eventually the PS slid home (at least close enough to pull it the rest of the way by tightening down the axle flange nuts.

I didn't make any index marks when removing axles. Perhaps that would have helped getting it all back aligned for install.

 

[parkeyjack]

I just wanted to chime in. Had my 95 triple locked cruiser in the garage. Nowhere was it mentioned to me on any of the YouTube videos about triple locked needing to lock before pulling out the axle. Was planning on doing passenger rear wheel bearings and all of that. Well, come time to button it all up axle would not slide in. I was left with about 2 inches as above.
I did not have any room on my driver side to pull out the axle.
What I did… I have no idea how I got it or if it is going to run properly but I was able to get the axle back in.
Had both wheels off ground.
Put in 4 lo.
Turned rear lock on… it never clicked or engaged I don’t believe, the light was still flashing.
Spun the driver side tire forward and backwards about ten times.
Turned off truck and stuck a broom handle in the axle shaft. Kinda jimmied it around in there. Then slid the axle back in!
Again. I am not sure if this will have any effect on me being able to lock up the rear in the future or what but thought I would share as I absolutely had no room to pull out drivers side axle.

 

[landtank]

I just wanted to chime in. Had my 95 triple locked cruiser in the garage. Nowhere was it mentioned to me on any of the YouTube videos about triple locked needing to lock before pulling out the axle. Was planning on doing passenger rear wheel bearings and all of that. Well, come time to button it all up axle would not slide in. I was left with about 2 inches as above.
I did not have any room on my driver side to pull out the axle.
What I did… I have no idea how I got it or if it is going to run properly but I was able to get the axle back in.
Had both wheels off ground.
Put in 4 lo.
Turned rear lock on… it never clicked or engaged I don’t believe, the light was still flashing.
Spun the driver side tire forward and backwards about ten times.
Turned off truck and stuck a broom handle in the axle shaft. Kinda jimmied it around in there. Then slid the axle back in!
Again. I am not sure if this will have any effect on me being able to lock up the rear in the future or what but thought I would share as I absolutely had no room to pull out drivers side axle.

It's a Christmas Miracle !