TimZ Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 Okay, I'm at my wit's end, here... I KNOW this must have been posted before, but I couldn't find an answer for this specific problem. I need to pull my diff, and I'm down to the point where I need to get the halfshafts out. With the u-jointed shafts, I knew how to do this, but the only place that I can see to pry on the cv shafts is made of SHEET METAL . I already bent the crap out of one of them, thinking that Nissan couldn't have been that dumb, and must have made that surface so that it could be pryed on. NOT. How do you guys go about removing these things? I'm down to pulling the a-arms, and dropping the whole assembly. But even then, I don't see how to get these things out without messing them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 Grab the shaft, brace yourself, and yank like hell. There's a cir-clip holding it in place. It rides in a slot radiused around the input part of the enner CV. When installed, it compresses a bit until it finds its home in the diff where it snaps back to its full radius, locking the shaft in place. So, to get it out, you have to yank hard enough so that clip gets compressed again. It does sometimes seem to require a ridiculous amount of force. You want lots of A though, and not much of the M in that f=ma equation. I have had success in prying in just the right way against that dust shield (that sheet metal you commented on) with a wide, flat pry bar. You have to be very careful though - I don't know how one would replace a damaged dust seal. And that's provided you could even find one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stony Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 if you can get a rubber mallet on any part of the shaft in the direction it needs to go ... this will usually get it out. if your taking the diff out you may want to get the entire assembly out on the ground much easier to work on that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsil Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 I did exactly that with a large screwdriver, put it between the diff and the end of the half shaft, and levered it out. Not easy, but it came right out once I got it through. Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimZ Posted September 7, 2001 Author Share Posted September 7, 2001 Thanks, guys. It looks like that's what I'll do. I was hoping to be able to remove the halfshafts before dropping the diff, but I don't see any way to get any tools in with the proper leverage to do this. Looks like I'm stuck with removing the a-arms and then dropping the whole assembly. Then I can get to it to remove the shafts properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 Naw, insert the blades of the screwdrivers in from the bottom (under the diff). They will pop out (after you have removed them from the axle stubs. Done it lots of times in my garage and in the junk yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted September 7, 2001 Share Posted September 7, 2001 I'd be leary of yanking on the ends of the shafts - I've heard this is hard on the joints - they're not designed for loads in that direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 8, 2001 Share Posted September 8, 2001 I've replaced the boots on these shafts (cv jointed ones that is) and the ends of the grooves that the sperical bearings ride in are as tough as the sides of the grooves. The only concern with yanking on them would be the shaft coming loose at the point where it is peened at the splines, and even then it was a tight fit even for a press to push out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 8, 2001 Share Posted September 8, 2001 I've also found it quite a bit easier if you use two screwdrivers to symetrically pry the shafts out (screwdriver blades on opposite sides of the shaft and then tapped in together allowing the blade ramps to force, or "cam" the shaft out. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno74Z Posted September 8, 2001 Share Posted September 8, 2001 I used a tie rod removal tool to pop out the shafts - very easy job for a change. At that time I did not have a big screwdriver so I improvised with the tie rod tool, and it might be a better choice if you own one. I did exactly what everyone else has by using the case to pop them out. With the TR tool because its flared along its edge it fit very snug between the two pieces and you have a lot of leverage. I was careful not to crush the dust cover on the diff and I rotated the shaft so that I was resting on one of the studs of the half shaft. With a quick push on the wedged bar one side popped (You've Got POP - too much TNN). The other side came out much easier for some reason. Danno74Z [ September 08, 2001: Message edited by: Danno74Z ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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