Remove axle without damaging?
 

Is there a way to remove the driver side axle without damaging? Can't pry it evenly due to no clearance. Prying one side don't work. This is my 2nd time replacing a axle on the drive side of a volvo and its impossible to remove without damaging the half shaft

Are you prying between the transmission and the CV joint? It may be difficult sometimes when a previous owner put a circlip that wasn't the right side. Sometimes even the Volvo dealer can't undo it. Usually I can slide in the the spare wheel lug wrench on the flat side. Try rotating the shaft a little then pry again at the same place, then rotate and so on. As a last chance, may just undo the clamp at the gaiter, and slide the shaft out of the CV joint (will need a new clamp+tool).

Yea I tried prying between axle and tranny but I know that to successfully get it out you have to pry evenly on both sides for it to come straight out. I bought a axle remover with slide hammer but the piece that goes behind the axle is too thick to fit behind the axle.

Generally, I used to jam in a screwdriver on one side, just to take up the slack and then leave it there, and then use a pry bar on the other side.
I’ve never tried to get the volvo shafts out, but that’s what I would attempt to do.

Generally, the more violent you are, the easier it is. If you are too gentle, you end up chewing the edges of the transmission or CVJ up. One solid application of leverage and they usually come out.

I tried jamming a screw driver on on side and prying the other side. Didn't work for me but thanks. There in there tight

I cannot think of another occasion where I’d say this but I would seriously consider upping the violence.
Where the diff bearings are worn (and anyone who has ever touched a Ford BC box will know all about knackered diff bearings) you can get a lot of slop that needs to taken up. In extreme cases it’s a matter of forcing in a chisel on one side then the other such that it is driven out in a straight line, but almost always, a gert big lever bar and an utterance of rude words will normally suffice....

There is a YouTube video of a guy having to resort to using an air chisel on one side and a prybar on the other to get that sucker off. What a royal pain. I hope you got/get the job done.

I used an old large snap on flat blade screwdriver with a hexagonal shape at the handle slid it up in between the gearbox and cv joint and used a spanner on the shaft and got a good twist on the blade and pop out it came

I have rocked my car in gear then back to neutral and the joint then almost fell out.

Similarly, they either fall in OR you need to THUMP them with a sliding motion. Its more about linig the splines, your either bruising them or meshing them.


Plus, dont stretch the inner cv boot. Reason, the inner joint dislocates within the strech range of the boot.

The dog in the joint is 3 rollers ... 120degree spaced this can be slid back 120 degrees rotated (either way) .

Sounds ok - BUT as you attempt to drive off you will hear a bang as the ball cage shatters in the joint!


To see if you have it right, try to articulate the joint in your hands. this is where my memory is failing.. If good obviously it will flex and rotate flexed.

If 120deg out in the joint, it wont.

On a related note, I’m trying to replace the inner cv boot on the rhs but can’t seem to figure out how the triple roller bearing assy is supposed to come out so that I can slide boot on. Do I just pull hard until the rollers come out or is there another trickery required?