Half shaft removal
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 27
Likes: 5
From: Marietta Ohio
Half shaft removal
I've read every post on this forum. I've looked at every YouTube video yet I cannot get a half shaft out of my 91. I'm struggling to break it free at the differential. Hesitant to beat the hell out of it but I'm about there. What is the best way to break it free?
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,952
Likes: 239
From: Venice Cali.
I have done it 2x and I cannot ever get it out without removing shock and spring just for starters. I watched a YT video the guy just pulled them out.
Did not work for me. If you loosen other stuff it will be much easier.
Good Luck
Did not work for me. If you loosen other stuff it will be much easier.
Good Luck
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 592
From: New Port Richey FL
It's been years but I removed the spring, pop the Tie Rods remove the bolts that hold the dog bone to Diff. Remove all the U Joint straps. Pull the dog down and around until it hits Tire give a pull and Shaft falls out
Just take care not to pull car of lift or stands
Just take care not to pull car of lift or stands
Last edited by s carter; Apr 7, 2020 at 07:01 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,091
Likes: 1,972
From: St. Charles MO
Are the bearing caps on the inner u-joint stuck in the yoke, perhaps by rust? That's the only thing that I can imagine that would make this difficult. I can't recall offhand if I had to undo any suspension linkages or the shocks. At the very most, I took the shock off the lower mount and removed the toe link at the knuckle. The halfshafts have not been very hard to remove IME. If your bearing caps are corroded in, and especially if you're planning to replace the u-joints anyway, you could tap on the ends of those caps and/or try to tap a small flat-blade screwdriver between them and the yoke to break them loose.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,324
Likes: 18
From: St. Peters MO
If the caps are rusted to the yoke at the diff. that is one problem. Otherwise, unbolt the rear camber rods and pull them down, and on the rear toe rods, either unbolt the 3 bolts that hold the center piece to the rear end, or unbolt and pop off both rear tie rods at the knuckle (I'd recommend the 3 bolts on center piece to diff housing)
Get underneath, get your foot on the knuckle by shock mount and push out (hard, don't be a wimp) while prying with huge flat screwdriver between yoke at diff. and U-joint.
Installation is the exact same but in reverse.
All this assumes you took off the U-straps at Diff and removed the spindle nut at the wheel bearing
Get underneath, get your foot on the knuckle by shock mount and push out (hard, don't be a wimp) while prying with huge flat screwdriver between yoke at diff. and U-joint.
Installation is the exact same but in reverse.
All this assumes you took off the U-straps at Diff and removed the spindle nut at the wheel bearing
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,361
Likes: 400
From: DFW TX
Are the bearing caps on the inner u-joint stuck in the yoke, perhaps by rust? That's the only thing that I can imagine that would make this difficult. I can't recall offhand if I had to undo any suspension linkages or the shocks. At the very most, I took the shock off the lower mount and removed the toe link at the knuckle. The halfshafts have not been very hard to remove IME. If your bearing caps are corroded in, and especially if you're planning to replace the u-joints anyway, you could tap on the ends of those caps and/or try to tap a small flat-blade screwdriver between them and the yoke to break them loose.
The last time I pulled the halfshafts I think it took about an hour and half total to drop the exhaust, pull the halfshafts, inspect the u-joints and then reinstall everything. To help speed things up I used a small cordless 1/4" impact driver with and some long extensions.
If the caps are stuck, a nice sized blunt punch and a hammer whacking at the stuck caps should free them up.
