front disconnect problems

by **87chevy** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 12:59 am

So while driving the other day i noticed a grinding/banging noise from the front passenger side so i checked it out. Everything looked fine so i spun the hub around and noticed the drive axle had alot of play at the disconnect and was makeing the noise i was hearing it has a good amount of play. Not sure what the problem is i dont have time to tear it apart as work is really busy right now and will be for the next few months. I dont want to keep driving it like this bc i dont want to make it worse is there any way i can remove the drive axle for now and still drive it until i have time to take the disconnect apart. And if it is the disconnect is it better to rebuild or go with a new unit which is kinda pricey.

by **v7guy** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 2:15 am

That's an awful lot of variables. You can pull the axle on that side and drive if necessary, but by the time you do that you're almost halfway to fixing it.

by **The Roadie** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 3:01 am

The ATP unit on Amazon is typically $500 complete. You can take it apart, then order just the parts you need from GM and maybe get away for $200-400 but your downtime is going to be longer.

by **dvanbramer88** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:12 am

We rebuilt Josh's for $75 in bearings and seals. BUT his wasn't that bad at all. From how bad yours seems, I'd guess that the bearing surfaces on your gears are worn and need replacing as well. But like V7guy said, pulling the CV shaft is half way there to pulling the disconnect. Now you can pull the CV and drive like that, but you cannot drive the truck with the inner housing of the disconnect removed, because the intermediate shaft will be unsupported and will flop around.

by **87chevy** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 9:01 pm

So if i pull just the cv shaft will i be able to drive it like that?

by **dvanbramer88** » Mon Nov 05, 2012 11:45 pm

87chevy wrote:So if i pull just the cv shaft will i be able to drive it like that?

YES.

by **87chevy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:34 am

Ok thanks for the help. When i get to tear into it ill post some pics.

by **dvanbramer88** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 10:57 am

Because the bearings are likely in terrible condition, prepare for the CV to be a huge PITA to remove. The clip likes to get hung up in the crushed and disintegrated bearings. Remember: Big pry bar and even bigger hammer. Don't be shy. On the LCA there is a hole right below the CV, you can put your pry bar up through it and get behind the CV that way, the hole also makes a nice fulcrum.

by **v7guy** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 11:28 am

I always put a 18-24" piece of rebar on the tripot housing and then smacked the shit out of it with a small 5lbs sledge.

by **The Roadie** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:18 pm

v7guy wrote:...smacked the shit out of it with a small 5lbs sledge.

When you get older, it's a bit tougher to one-hand a long-handle 5-pounder. When I started delivering blows that could only kill a small rat, I changed to a 3-pounder. :wallbash:

by **Moots1288** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:43 pm

v7guy wrote:I always put a 18-24" piece of rebar on the tripot housing and then smacked the shit out of it with a small 5lbs sledge.

Just yank on it like a man.

by **navigator** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 1:55 pm

I had to drop my oil pan plastic skid and come in from that direction with about a 24" 2X2 with an angle cut in it.
I hit it with a 3lb drilling hammer a few times and it popped right off.
I couldn't make it budge with a pry-bar.

YouTube Videos · by **Trail X** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:12 pm

dvanbramer88 wrote:Because the bearings are likely in terrible condition, prepare for the CV to be a huge PITA to remove. The clip likes to get hung up in the crushed and disintegrated bearings. Remember: Big pry bar and even bigger hammer. Don't be shy. On the LCA there is a hole right below the CV, you can put your pry bar up through it and get behind the CV that way, the hole also makes a nice fulcrum.

I don't think it so much hangs up on the bearings - but because wear leads to play in the outer gear, the hammer blows are just making the outer gear rattle around, not making progress against the clip.

So the key is to make sure you "preload" the system to take up the play in the gear so your hammer blows go straight into the clip. That's why I like the slide hammer attachment. Pull on the slide hammer handle to take up the play, then the slide blows work properly.

by **navigator** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 3:18 pm

good info on the pre-load. If I remember right I left my axle nut on and just disconnected at the UBJ so that they weight would help kind of keep the axle tight. I saw the tip from a fellow poster here somewhere.

YouTube Videos · by **Trail X** » Tue Nov 06, 2012 5:30 pm

That kinda works, I would worry about it ripping or damaging the tripod boot, because that's all that is transferring the pulling force into the tripod housing if you do that. Maybe it's not a valid concern, but I don't like it.

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