Chevrolet Malibu: Rear Axle/Diff problem

[MalibuHacon]

Last week I had my car through inspection and the car got one fault "right rear, wheel bearing". And so I was happy to know I only had this one thing to fix. I read up on how to replace a wheel bearing of course, however upon getting to pull out my rear right axle part (the one you mount the wheel to) I was not able to remove the pinion shaft inside of the diff , I did of course remove the retainer bolt, and it seemed hole (maybe slightly bent?)

We tried to hit the pinion shaft with a socket and regular hammer several times in either direction but it will only move about a 0,5 inch. Can someone please shine some light on this problem, do I need a bigger hammer, or is there some other way of getting the pinion shaft out (consider that I am a beginner at this)? (will a big hammer ruin my spider gears!?).
Or is there possibly some other solution to temporarily grease the bearing or somehow make it stop making sound while turning the wheel while the car is at a lift, long enough to get my car through inspection..?

(I provided a pic, and yes I am aware that in the picture the retainer bolt is not yet removed)

Any help is appreciated! 🙂

 

[Texas82GP]

With the lock bolt out the pinion shaft should slide right out. You should not have to drive it with a hammer at all. I've never experienced that before. Try pulling both axle flanges outboard and see if that helps any.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Texas82GP is correct, it should slip right out. Here's the thing- those retainer bolts are notorious for breaking. I'll bet a broken piece is still in there. Take the bolt and compare it to a new one. If it is not the same length, then there's some still in there. It will be a b*tch getting it out, too. Best way is a tiny magnet and if you are lucky it will come out. You should replace that bolt anyway, so go get one and compare. If it is the same length, then something else is wrong and I'm unsure what it could be. Even if the bolt is not broken, but the shaft is stuck, a little tap on it is all it should take. If it absolutely won't come out I have taken a big drift and POUNDED the shaft out shearing off the offending piece. I don't recommend that, but hey, sh*t happens.

 

[ldr]

If your trying to to drive it out in the position it is setting in the pics, you are driving it into the pinion.

 

[pontiacgp]

Just remember when your driving it out do not push it out to much or it will jamb on the housing. The pin needs to slide out from the open side of the differential.

 

[Bonnewagon]

You know what? I just did this job. There are flats on the side of the shaft that the ends of the axles ride against and they might be holding it in. Try pulling the axles all the way out so the shaft will clear the axles. Also, once that shaft is out- don't turn the carrier or the spider gears shims will rotate out of position.

 

[MalibuHacon]

Thank you so much for the help that you guys provide here on this site, life saving! I know someone who has an unbroken bolt, and i will compare it with mine. I'll update this thread once i get a chance to lift up the car and continue this annoying work... 😛 - Thank you for the tips.

 

[MalibuHacon]

Bonnewagon, when you say "don't turn the carrier" do you mean, don't turn the driveshaft when one axle is out? because you have to turn one to get access to the C-clip right?

 

[Bonnewagon]

No, I mean position the carrier so the side with the best access to the "C" clips is facing you. Then you can turn the carrier slightly and remove the shaft, push the axles inward slightly, and remove the "C" clips with a magnet. The shaft holds the spider gears in place- so if you turn anything haphazardly without the shaft in place- the spider gears and their shims will rotate out of position and be a royal pain to get them back in place. I realize that it is impossible to remove the shaft unless it is pointing at an angle so it can clear the case. But once the shaft is out you must CAREFULLY rotate the carrier so the "C" clips can be removed. What causes the spiders to rotate is the differential action, so be sure to rotate the carrier in such a way that both axles turn in concert. If one axle turns against the other- the differential action causes the spiders to turn- and without the shaft to hold them in place- they twist out of position. If you start to turn the carrier- and see the spiders sliding out- stop and correct before you go any further. Then once the "C" clips are out you can remove the axle and carry on.

 

[MalibuHacon]

What is the "Carrier", and would that be a problem if i'm only taking one axle out, not both? And should i attempt to have friend pull both axles outwards while I'm hitting the pinion shaft with a hammer?