LUVTruck.com

How does one replace the seals on the front axle of a 1979 4x4 ?

I've got the axle on a bench and the pinion seal out. I've removed all the bolts and nuts from the differential but the casing seems frozen together.

Do I really need to open the differential to pull the axles? or do I just need to pry REALLY HARD to get the axles to come out?

-DK

To pull the diff third member the axle shafts have to come out first. The shafts are stuck into each side of the diff, so if they are still in there the thing won't come out. I don't have my shop manual in front of me and I don't remember how/if they are retained by something. The way I am remembering it they more or less float and are held in by the outer shafts, but I could be and probably am wrong. I'll take a look at the book today sometime and try to get back to this, or hopefully someone else will chime in with some of the dissassembly procedure.

I'd really like it if the axle shafts just get pulled out... Then I'd just put the nuts and bolts back on that hold the diff together.

-DK

The 79 shop manual is less than helpful. According to it you remove the four bolts holding the mounting flanges on each end of the axle tube, then pull out the axles. I'm assuming once you unbolt the mounts, everything slides right out.

I never tried that... I figured the flanges were not related....I'll give it a quick pull.

Thanks

-DK

thats how my 80s front end came appart. You just unbolt the mounting flanges, they also retain the CVs, from the axle tube and they come right out.

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

So far I've ended up cutting the boot open and pulling the retainer ring out of the inner CV for each side.


Did you have to pry REALLY hard to get the axles out?

-DK