Disassembly Of Axle; Inspection; Disassembly - Chevrolet 1988 Light Duty Truck Repair Manual

4C3-2 T TRUCK FRONT AXLE

INSPECTION

Perform the following checks before disassem bling the
axle.
1. Remove the fill plug from the axle and drain the axle
lubricant into a suitable container.
2. Check the ring gear backlash. Refer to " Backlash
A d ju stm en t." This inform ation 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 pre-
loading the differential case.
3. Inspect the case and oil 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 dis­
assembly if possible.

DISASSEMBLY

D isassem ble (F ig u e 1 th ro u gh 15)
❖
Tools Required:
J 8614-01 Pinion Flange Remover
J 21551 Bearing Remover
J 22912-01 Pinion Bearing Cone Remover
J 29307 Slide Ham m er
J 33791 Bushing Remover
J 33792 Side Bearing Adjuster W rench
J 33837 Pinion Bearing Cup Remover Kit
J 34011 Output Shaft Pilot Bearing Remover
Bolts (6), shift cable housing (11), and spring (14).
Tube (5) and thrust w asher (7).
Spring (16) and shift shaft and fork (17).
Shaft (1) with deflector (2).
Clamp the axle tube (5) in a vise. Clamp ONLY on
the mounting flange.
Strike the inside of the shaft flange with a brass
hamm er to dislodge the shaft.
Carrier connector (9) with retaining ring (8).
Right seal (3) and bearing (4), using J 29369-2 and
J 29307 (figure 3).
S eal (15) fro m th e tu b e (5). P ry o u t w ith a
screwdriver.
8 Thrust washer (20).
.
9. Sleeve (22) and output shaft (23).
10 Differential pilot bearing (21) from the output shaft,
.
using J 34011 (figure 4).
W asher (24).
11
.
Shaft (59), and deflector (2).
12
.
• Pry w ith a scre w d rive r betw een the shaft
flange and ca rrier head w hile striking the
flange with a soft face hamm er (figure 5).
13. Bolts (58) and cover (57).
14. Left seal (3).
15. Bolts (28).
16. Separate the carrier case (29).
• Insert a screwdriver into the slots provided and
pry to separate the case (figure 6).
17.
Differential case (35).
Bolts (18) and lock tabs (19) from the side bearing
18.
adjuster sleeves (32) (figure 7).

DISASSEMBLY OF AXLE

19. Bearing cups (33) and sleeves (32) from the case.
• Turn the sleeves (32) using J 33792 until the
cups are pushed out of the case (figure 8).
20 Bearings (30) from the sleeves (32). Use J 21551
.
(figure 9).
21. P inion fla n g e nut (46) and w ash e r (45) using
J 8614-01 (figure 10).
• Mount the left carrier case half in J 33837-1
(figure 11).
2 2 Flange (44) and deflector (43) using J 33837-1 and
.
J 33837-3 (figure 11).
23. Pinion (37), with spacer (40), pinion bearing (39) and
shim (38).
24. Spacer (40) from the pinion.
25. Bearing (39) from the pinion. Use J 22912-01 and a
press (figure 12).
26. Shim (38).
27. Bearing and cup (41) and seal (42), using J 33837-1,
J 33837-3, and J 33837-6.
• Insert J 33837-6 into the pinion bore.
• T hread the forcing screw (J 33837-3) into
J 33837-6.
• Turn the forcing screw to pull the parts from
the case.
28. Inner bearing cup by pushing it out using J 33837-1,
J 33837-3, and J 33837-6 (figure 13).
29. Bolt (36) and shaft (52) from the differential case
(35).
30. Differential pinion gears (56) and thrust washers
(55).
31. Side gears (54) and thrust washers (53).
• Mark the side gears and case so they can be
installed in their original location.
32. Bolts (34).
33. Ring gear (37).
• Do not pry between the ring gear and the
case. Drive the gear off with a brass drift and
hammer.
34. Side bearings (33), using J 22912-01 (31) (figure 14).
35. Bushings (48). Use J 33791 (figure 15).