GMC CHEVROLET Silverado 6500HD 2019 Owner's Manual page 351

350 Vehicle Care
against the axle shaft center
and hitting it with a 2 3 kg (5
6 lb) hammer.
4. Remove the tapered dowels
and both axle shafts from the
axle assembly.
5. Assemble a cover over the
openings of both wheel ends to
prevent the loss of lubricant
and keep dirt from the wheel
bearing cavities.
Installing Axle Shafts
1. Remove the covers from the
wheel ends.
2. Shift the differential lock to the
locked (engaged) position.
3. Install the driver and passenger
side axle shafts as follows:
3.1. Place the gaskets on the
wheel hub studs.
3.2. Push the passenger side
axle shaft into the wheel
end and housing until the
shaft stops against the
differential shift collar.
3.3. Push the axle shaft
farther into the housing
until the shaft stops
against the differential
side gear.
3.4. Push down on the axle
shaft flange and rotate
the shaft until the splines
of the shaft and side gear
are engaged.
3.5. Push the axle shaft
completely into the
housing until the axle
shaft flange and gasket
are flush against the
wheel hub.
3.6. Install the driver side axle
shaft and gasket into the
wheel end.
4. If tapered dowels are required,
install them at each stud and
into the flange of the axle shaft.
Use a punch or drift and
hammer if needed.
5. Install the fasteners and tighten
to the correct torque value.
Refer to the appropriate
service manual section.
Towing Vehicle with Rear
Wheels Suspended
Caution
To prevent damage to the cab
roof or air deflector when towing
the vehicle backwards (rear
wheels suspended), the air
deflector must be removed.
Failure to heed this caution may
result in vehicle and/or engine
component damage.
Caution
To avoid severe transmission
damage, when lifting and towing
the vehicle from the rear, be sure
to disconnect the driveshaft at the
front axle location.