Inner axle shaft fixin

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@Fless in that first picture the shaft definitely isn't centered. I can hold it up and push in and feel it touching something and kind of eyeball it to where it seems to be centered. But when I took the picture it was in a spot where it really has a quite of play (the radial and axial play inwas referring to).

I did not compare the new cir clip to the old one. On observation I made though was that the new cir clip fit fairly snug around the shaft. There was no squish to it where it would compress to go through a bore. Could the wire diameter of the cir clip be a little big and causing issues? I don't have the new cir clip with me to compare to the old one, but I'm thinking going and picking up another new one. I can compare those. But I got the first one from the local GM dealer. The guy looked up the part from my VIN.

@George B I wish I had seen your comment before I pulled the shaft. I had already left though and gone back home for the week.

Couple questions though. Does the orientation of the needle bearing matter for the shaft and cir clip to fit through? The cir clip that I have now has gotten a bit beat up from me trying to knock the shaft in so I'm figuring getting a new one. Should I be at all concerned with the needle bearing?

 

[George B]

@Fless in that first picture the shaft definitely isn't centered. I can hold it up and push in and feel it touching something and kind of eyeball it to where it seems to be centered. But when I took the picture it was in a spot where it really has a quite of play (the radial and axial play inwas referring to).

I did not compare the new cir clip to the old one. On observation I made though was that the new cir clip fit fairly snug around the shaft. There was no squish to it where it would compress to go through a bore. I don't have the new cir clip with me to compare to the old one, but I'm thinking going and picking up another new one. I can compare those. But I got the first one from the local GM dealer. The guy looked up the part from my VIN.

@George B I wish I had seen your comment before I pulled the shaft. I had already left though and gone back home for the week.

Couple questions though. Does the orientation of the needle bearing matter for the shaft and cir clip to fit through? The cir clip that I have now has gotten a bit beat up from me trying to knock the shaft in so I'm figuring getting a new one. Should I be at all concerned with the needle bearing?

Just roll that needle bearing around with your finger and make sure it is smooth.

 

[MassHoe04]

Can you go back to using the old circle clip? If it fit before, maybe it is what you need to make what you have fit now...
I always hang onto stuff until I know I am all set. I have dug too many things out of the bottom of a smelly trash barrel, so now I just keep the old things in the box until I am done!

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@MassHoe04 i still have the old one. I don't trust trying to reuse it though.

 

[George B]

@915_Tahoe what is the part number for the left stub shaft retainer ring?

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@George B the part number i got was 26056600.

 

[OR VietVet]

I see that part number at RA but in a pack of 10. Is the new lock ring the EXACT diameter of the old lock ring?

When you lay the old on the new, is the old "all still there"? If so, make sure the sprung position is the same and try the old lock ring.

 

[Fless]

@George B the part number i got was 26056600.

That should be the one. It's what GMPartsGiant shows for my '04.

 

[915_Tahoe]

@915_Tahoe what is the part number for the left stub shaft retainer ring?

Whats the vin#

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

1GNEK13Z43R255502

 

[George B]

Whats the vin#

1GNEK13Z43R255502

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

Trying this again today and I'm back to where I was struggling last weekend. I picked up a new cir clip last night. The now 3 that I have (the original, the one I was using last weekend and the new one) all seem to measure the same. I did try the suggestion from @George B to engage four wheel drive. Right now the shaft doesn't even seem to be in far enough to be touching the splines. I'm kind of thinking about removing the spindle so I can get in there with a better swing on the deadblow. But I'm also not sure how well I'm holding the shaft centered either.

And the shaft does go in completely without the cir clip.

My dad was wondering if it could be pushed in with a porta power jack as long as there's something solid for it to sit against.

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

I noticed before that with putting the shaft in without the cir clip that it seems to be a fairly tight fit and not much radial play. It makes me think that there isn't room for the cir clip to compress to fit through there. I'm really starting to wonder if I should have left the old clip in the axle housing and if I'll have to drop the housing now and split it.

 

[gooffeyguy]

Could there still be part of the old one in there?

With the new one on the axle shaft, does it look like there's room in the groove it sits in and a gap where the ends meet for it to be squeezed together more during the install?

Also, are you lubricating/greasing it when installing, so it'll slide through easier?

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@gooffeyguy the cir clip on the shaft really doesn't seem to have much room at all to compress around the shaft. I did put grease on the shaft before putting it in the housing. I do have the old cir clip and it looks to be complete.

 

[Rocket Man]

I’m thinking what you said about the circlip needing to be installed first might be correct. I’ve never done what you’re trying to do though so keep that in mind. But it seems that if that circlip can’t compress to the diameter of the shaft, then maybe it’s supposed to be in place before the shaft is inserted and then the circlip expands in its groove in the housing to allow the axle through. Can you install it on the axle and then compress it with a clamp and then take some pictures so we can see if it protrudes past the surface of the axle?

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@Rocket Man I can't get any pictures of the shaft without pulling it back out of the housing which would likely damage the seal again. But with the clip on the shaft there really isn't any room for it to compress and the diameter does protrude past the splines.

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

The OD of the cir clip measures 1.258".

 

[RAMurphy]

I happen to agree with @Rocket Man . Do you have a manual or the install step by step procedures.

 

[Jobi-Wan Kenobi]

@RAMurphy I just bought a pdf set last weekend. I'd did look through it a bit and found the install process for this was reverse of removal. No word of removing the cir clip.