Trail fixing snapped front axles:

[Valhalla]

I wanted to start a discussion about this as I snapped my second axle not long ago. It snapped at the splines in the FDU. I limped home as nothing was binding. Last axle I snapped a CV and it should have been fixed asap. What I want this to be is a best practice to fishing things out, tearing down trail side. I am doing mine in the garage on a lift currently. I think to be prepared for this you need to be ready to do a caliper removal (possibly two).

The reason why is it is not easy to manipulate the hub and knuckle to free it from the axle.

1 soak all bolts in penetrating oil
2 lift support and pull tire (tires)
3 remove caliper
4 remove tie rod
5 loosen axle nut
6 loosen upper and lower knuckle bolt
7 remove sway bar link from sway bar
8 remove knuckle mindful of spring preload
9 remove nut and separate knuckle from axle
10 separate axle from FDU and fish out

Problem starts to be when it is sheared in the splines. I could see no way to do this outside of disassembling the FDU. I welcome all experience and armchair quarter backing on this. I need 16k in upgrades to get away from this FDU as I will change ratio and go to a 60 rear at the same time.

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[Valhalla]

Some pics

 

[vrtical]

Thats a lot of work if it busts inside the FDU, then you cant get whats left out.. I think a good telescoping magnet can get most of it, but if there is a full splined piece left, maybe a neodymium magnet, but if it twisted the spline, its not going anywhere easily without disassembly.

 

[Brian_B]

Unless you have to pull the carrier apart to get at the spider gears, opening up the diff shouldn't be a huge deal - no seal kits or bearings or anything that would need to be replaced - just the housing gasket.

Think you are gonna wanna do that anyway to make sure all the grenading shrapnel is cleared out.

Carrier should just be held in with a couple of bearing races bolted in and it'll pop out of the housing as one unit. Unbolt those races and pull it out and should be much easier to clean up and get those old bits out.

Page 14 shows the exploded view
https://dml.dana.com/assetbank-dana...token=eyJhdXRoVG9rZW4iOiIifQ==&store=original

 

[Valhalla]

Thats a lot of work if it busts inside the FDU, then you cant get whats left out.. I think a good telescoping magnet can get most of it, but if there is a full splined piece left, maybe a neodymium magnet, but if it twisted the spline, its not going anywhere easily without disassembly.

Magnet want break the spring clip hold, tried it.

 

[vrtical]

Magnet want break the spring clip hold, tried it.

use a telescope magnet that is a permanent fixture, but I get what your saying, I have a bore scope camera that has that setup.

 

[Valhalla]

Unless you have to pull the carrier apart to get at the spider gears, opening up the diff shouldn't be a huge deal - no seal kits or bearings or anything that would need to be replaced - just the housing gasket.

Think you are gonna wanna do that anyway to make sure all the grenading shrapnel is cleared out.

Carrier should just be held in with a couple of bearing races bolted in and it'll pop out of the housing as one unit. Unbolt those races and pull it out and should be much easier to clean up and get those old bits out.

Page 14 shows the exploded view
https://dml.dana.com/assetbank-dana...token=eyJhdXRoVG9rZW4iOiIifQ==&store=original

Thanks, I may have to split the carrier, going to see if I have a bit that will drill into the axle. First (length) no way to get it pushed out behind the pins for the side gears

 

[zuke]

I keep a 3/4"x40" piece of steel rod cut down on the end to squeeze past a D44 differential cross pin in my shop that I use to knock broken splines out of Jeep axles from the opposite side, but I've never looked inside the Advantek Differentials to see if you can see through the carrier or not to do that..

Is there anything blocking the way to knock out the spline from the other side?

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

I keep a 3/4"x40" piece of steel rod cut down on the end to squeeze past a D44 differential cross pin in my shop that I use to knock broken splines out of Jeep axles from the opposite side, but I've never looked inside the Advantek Differentials to see if you can see through the carrier or not to do that..

Is there anything blocking the way to knock out the spline from the other side?

this is how I would do it, any 1/4" steel shaft should do the trick

 

[Valhalla]

I could not get anything past the cross pins, mine seems to have about 1/16" of room on them. I plan on welding a bolt to the ease out I was able to get in a hole I drilled in the axle.

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

Hmm, Im guessing the 32 spline have a tiny bit more room than 29spline, around the cross. keep us updated

 

[BigMeatsBronco]

I've taken the clamshell apart, its easy just keep track of the shims , dont loose any.

 

[Valhalla]

So, I was trying to devise a way to fix this issue on the trail was the point of all this. I don't think anyone wants to pull an FDU on the trail unless absolutely necessary.

You could carry a drill a good set of bits... and a tool like I made.

So, what I did was drill a hole in a spare bolt and weld in an ease out.
I did this because the ease out tool would not clamp well enough not to slip off the bit.
So you carry a drill some bits and this tool!
Grabbed it with pliers 3 taps with the dead blow ( in vehicle I imagine you'd pry.) And it'd pop out.

 

[Snacktime]

@NORCALGXP front FDU is in my garage never got the splined section out. He spilt it down the center and it's wedged. Can't drill it, can't hit it out and to much debris inside the case to even waste the time.

I will 3 wheel it home and deal with it. I carry a plug to seal the differential housing if that is the failure.

 

[Valhalla]

@NORCALGXP front FDU is in my garage never got the splined section out. He spilt it down the center and it's wedged. Can't drill it, can't hit it out and to much debris inside the case to even waste the time.

I will 3 wheel it home and deal with it. I carry a plug to seal the differential housing if that is the failure.

Pull the bearing and the locker and you can take out 3 screws a couple of roll pins and get it out to fix it.

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