Disassembly Of Axle; Inspection; Disassembly - Chevrolet 1991 Light Duty Truck Repair Manual

4C4-2 8 1/4 AND 9 1/4-INCH RING GEAR
The axle is produced with 8 1/4-inch and 9 1/4-inch
ring gears. The 8 1/4-inch ring gear is used on K1,2
models; the 9 1 /4-inch ring gear is used on K3 models.

INSPECTION

Perform the following checks before disassembling
the axle.
Remove the drain plug from the axle and drain the
1.
axle lubricant into a suitable container.
2. Check the ring gear backlash. Refer to "Adjusting
Backlash." This information can be used to deter­
mine the cause of the axle problem. It will also
help when setting up the shim packs for locating
and preloading the differential case.
3. The case for metal chips. Determine where the
metal chips come from, such as a broken gear or
bearing cage.
4. Determine the cause of the axle problem before
disassembly if possible.
B

DISASSEMBLY

Remove or Disconnect (Figures 1 through 18)
Tools Required:
J 29369-1 Bearing Remover (K1, 2 Models)
J 29369-2 Bearing Remover (K3 Models)
J 29307 Slide Hammer
J 34011 Pilot Bearing Remover
J 36599 Adjusting Sleeve Wrench
J 36615 Adjuster Plug Wrench (K3 Models)
J 8614-01 Pinion Remover
J 36598 Holding Fixture and Pinion Service
Tool
J 8612-B Pinion Bearing Remover
(K1, 2 Models)
J 36606 Pinion Bearing Remover (K3 Models)
J 22888-D Side Bearing Puller
J 8107-2 Side Bearing Puller Pilot
(K1, 2 Models)
J 36597 Side Bearing Puller Pilot (K3 Models)
J 36616 Bushing Replacer
1. Solenoid (10).
2. Indicator switch (13).
3. Bolts (6).
4. Tube (5) with shaft (1).
5. Sleeve (22).
6. Shift shaft (18), damper spring (17), shift fork (16),
and clip (15) assembly.
7. Spring (14).
8. Shim (20).
9. Carrier connector (9) with retainer ring (8) (K1, 2
models).
• Clamp the tube (5) in a vise. Clamp only on the
mounting flange.
• Strike the inside of the shaft (1) flange with a
brass hammer to dislodge the carrier connec­
tor.

DISASSEMBLY OF AXLE

The drive axles are completely flexible assemblies
consisting of inner and outer constant velocity (CV)
joints protected by thermoplastic boots and connected
by an axle shaft.
10. Snap ring (12) and washer (11) and thrust washer
(7) (K3 models) (figure 4).
11. Shaft (1) with deflector (2).
12. Seal (3) and bearing (4). Use J 29369-1 (K1, 2
models) or J 29369-2 (K3 models) with J 29307
(figure 5).
13. Output shaft (23).
14. Differential pilot bearing (21). Use J 34011 (figure
6
).
15. Shaft (59) with deflector (2) using tool J 2619-1
(figure 7).
16. Seal (3). Pry out with seal removal tool.
17. Bearings (30). Use the tools listed in step 12.
18. Bolts (28).
19. Right side carrier half (29). Tap on the cast lugs
provided.
20. Differential assembly.
• Pry up on the locks (51) (right side only on K3).
21. Bolt (64) and lock (63) (K3 models).
22. Sleeve(s) (32) and side bearing (33) cups (right
side only on K3).
• Turn the sleeve(s) to push the bearing cup(s)
out of the bore(s). Use J 36599 (figure 8).
23. Adjuster plug (61) with side bearing cup (33) and
O-ring (62) (K3 models). Use J 36615 (figure 9).
24. Nut (46). Use J 8614-01 to hold the pinion flange
(figure 10).
25. Flat washer (45).
26. Flange (44) with deflector (43). Use J 8614-01 (fig­
ure 11).
• Mount the left carrier case in J 36598. Be sure to
use the adapter plate (J 36598-6) for K1, 2 models.
27. Pinion (37) with shim (38), bearing cone (39), and
spacer (40). Use J 36598 (figure 12).
28. Spacer (40) from the pinion.
29. Pinion bearing (39). Use J 8612-B (K1, 2 models)
or J 36606 (K3 models) and a press (figure 13).
30. Shim (38).
31. Seal (42), and bearing cup and cone (41). Use
J 36598 (figure 14).
32. Bearing cup (39). Use J 36598 (figure 15).
33. Side bearings (33). Use J 22888-D and J 8107-2
(K1, 2 models) or J 36597 (K3 models) (figure 16).
34. Ring gear bolts (34).
• Ring gear bolts have left-handed threads.
NOTICE: Do not p ry the ring gear from the
case. This w ill damage the ring gear and the
differential case.
35. Ring gear (37) from the differential case.
• Drive the ring gear off with a brass drift.
36. Roll pin (36) (K1, 2 models). Drive out with a drift
and hammer (figure 17).
37. Bolt (24) (K3 models).
38. Shaft (52).