Tips on removing driveshaft yoke/flange bolts?

[Philbert]

Hi All,

I'm replacing my rear diff gasket due to a leak (and to save $400 and learn a few things while I'm at it - DIY with photos coming when I'm done!).

I got as far as removing the wheels/axles, loosening the bolts on the diff cover, and draining the diff.

All I need to do now is disconnect the driveshaft from the rear diff, pull the diff cover, clean, and install new gasket, then put it all back together (with gear oil and a brake flush!).

I got the first two 14mm bolts off the rear diff/driveshaft hookup (using 2 crescent wrenches and a LOT of patience!). Now I am stuck - the last 2 bolts don't want to move. I've come close to stripping a little and decided to stop. I've banged on them several times, and sprayed some liquid wrench on for overnight to see if that helps.

Does anyone else have a suggestion on how to get these bolts out without stripping them/sawing them off? They are too cramped to use a socket, so I used crescent wrenches. I tried a vice grip to counter the nut on the other end of the bolt...no dice.


PLEASE HELP ME GET THESE BOLTS OFF SO I CAN FINISH AND POST UP A DIY WITH PICS

Thanks in advance!

Phil

 

[drmorbius]

Hi All,

I'm replacing my rear diff gasket due to a leak (and to save $400 and learn a few things while I'm at it - DIY with photos coming when I'm done!).

I got as far as removing the wheels/axles, loosening the bolts on the diff cover, and draining the diff.

All I need to do now is disconnect the driveshaft from the rear diff, pull the diff cover, clean, and install new gasket, then put it all back together (with gear oil and a brake flush!).

I got the first two 14mm bolts off the rear diff/driveshaft hookup (using 2 crescent wrenches and a LOT of patience!). Now I am stuck - the last 2 bolts don't want to move. I've come close to stripping a little and decided to stop. I've banged on them several times, and sprayed some liquid wrench on for overnight to see if that helps.

Does anyone else have a suggestion on how to get these bolts out without stripping them/sawing them off? They are too cramped to use a socket, so I used crescent wrenches. I tried a vice grip to counter the nut on the other end of the bolt...no dice.


PLEASE HELP ME GET THESE BOLTS OFF SO I CAN FINISH AND POST UP A DIY WITH PICS

Thanks in advance!

Phil

If you are talking about the rear yoke seal you need to reassemble everything you took apart including the tires. Once the car is back on the ground put on the emergency brake, remove the driveshaft get a long breaker bar with the proper size socket and remove the large nut in the center of the rear yoke. Be sure you are using metric tools.

 

[Philbert]

Thanks - nope I'm not replacing the seal - just need to disconnect the driveshaft (4 bolts/nuts) from the differental - so I can then remove the diff cover and replcace the gasket.

 

[drmorbius]

Thanks - nope I'm not replacing the seal - just need to disconnect the driveshaft (4 bolts/nuts) from the differental - so I can then remove the diff cover and replcace the gasket.

Got it. You are trying to remove what is called the third member. Have you tried penetrating oil like WD40 on the nuts? Just spray 'em and let it sit for awhile. If this doesn't help you could get someone to hold the bolt end while you use a hammer and chisel to turn the nuts.

 

[Philbert]

I coated them liberally last night in "liquid wrench" and will attack it again tomorrow. I also found some "crow's feet" in metric in my garage....will try using that instead of a crescent wrench tonight....

 

[drmorbius]

I coated them liberally last night in "liquid wrench" and will attack it again tomorrow. I also found some "crow's feet" in metric in my garage....will try using that instead of a crescent wrench tonight....

Sounds good. Keep us posted.

 

[fourwd1]

First off, you should be using box wrenches, not an open end wrench, or (shudder) a crescent wrench.
You can get more leverage on the box wrench by connecting the box end of another combination wrench to the open end of the wrench on the nut. (ie, 2 combination wrenches end-to-end).

I know how bad those DS flange nuts can be, and the 2 wrench trick works every time. As an alternative, sometimes you can get a socket on them if you rotate the DS just right, and a socket with breaker bar or small impact gun works great too.

 

[Philbert]

Thanks - yes, the crescent wrench and stripping danger is very real to me and I'll look for a pair of box end 14mm wrenches....will report back!

 

[Philbert]

Soooooo close

Hey guys - have an update and a question for you.

I made some great progress last night:
- Got driveshaft off (using the 2 14mm wrench method - thanks!)
- Got the axles out
- Removed the 10 nuts on the diff cover (they attach to studs that are screwed into the axle housing/diff carrier)
- Removed the 3rd member/differential (that sucker is HEAVY as hell!!)
- Cleaned old gasket off diff/diff cover/diff housing
- Prepped new gasket with silicon gasket sealer - both sides coated - placed gasket on axle housing/diff carrier
- mounted diff back into carrier (even heavier putting it back in!)
- cleaned nuts/lock washers with brake cleaner, hand tightened all 10 onto studs on diff carrier

--NOW COMES THE BAAAAD PART--

- used torque wrench to tighten the 10 nuts to 34 ft/lbs (per my Haynes manual)
- the 2 nuts in the 10:00 & 11:00 position (as you look toward the rear of the truck), were tightening with the torque wrench ok, but before I got to 34 ft/lbs, both started to feel looser. They won't tighten any more- they just turn (not finger loose though). I can't back them out with the socket wrench either....they just spin when I try that. So they tightened to less than 34 ft/lbs but won't tighten UP TO THAT tightness now - and appear to have stripped somehow?

Everything else is great - it's just these last 2 nuts/studs that presented a last-stage headache...do you think it's going to be an issue if I just leave them "as tight as they are" since the other 8 are properly torqued at 34 ft/lbs? I have the gasket creator in there - not much I can do, short of pulling it all down, and trying to tap new holes and get new studs/nuts for those 2 locations.....right?

If that's the case, I don't think I'm ready for that - I'm not THAT savvy

 

[drmorbius]

Re: Soooooo close

Hey guys - have an update and a question for you.

I made some great progress last night:
- Got driveshaft off (using the 2 14mm wrench method - thanks!)
- Got the axles out
- Removed the 10 nuts on the diff cover (they attach to studs that are screwed into the axle housing/diff carrier)
- Removed the 3rd member/differential (that sucker is HEAVY as hell!!)
- Cleaned old gasket off diff/diff cover/diff housing
- Prepped new gasket with silicon gasket sealer - both sides coated - placed gasket on axle housing/diff carrier
- mounted diff back into carrier (even heavier putting it back in!)
- cleaned nuts/lock washers with brake cleaner, hand tightened all 10 onto studs on diff carrier

--NOW COMES THE BAAAAD PART--

- used torque wrench to tighten the 10 nuts to 34 ft/lbs (per my Haynes manual)
- the 2 nuts in the 10:00 & 11:00 position (as you look toward the rear of the truck), were tightening with the torque wrench ok, but before I got to 34 ft/lbs, both started to feel looser. They won't tighten any more- they just turn (not finger loose though). I can't back them out with the socket wrench either....they just spin when I try that. So they tightened to less than 34 ft/lbs but won't tighten UP TO THAT tightness now - and appear to have stripped somehow?

Everything else is great - it's just these last 2 nuts/studs that presented a last-stage headache...do you think it's going to be an issue if I just leave them "as tight as they are" since the other 8 are properly torqued at 34 ft/lbs? I have the gasket creator in there - not much I can do, short of pulling it all down, and trying to tap new holes and get new studs/nuts for those 2 locations.....right?

If that's the case, I don't think I'm ready for that - I'm not THAT savvy

When you were taking it apart did any of the studs come out with with the nut? Not that it matters, I don't think it will leak, and it for sure won't fall out.

 

[Philbert]

Nope-no studs came out when i took nuts off-i simply loosened them all, then hand-untightened each.

I think it will be fine...crossing fingers.

Putting it all back together tonight.

Thanks everyone for chiming in on this thread

 

[Kmvreter]

I'm not a mechanic but just thinking out loud...

Is it a pressed in straight stud (straight flutes) unlike a flanged bottom (like a wheel stud that is pressed into a through hole from the backside)? If the stud is loose then can you pull it out even with the 3rd member in place? Is the diameter of the base of the stud that is pressed into the axle housing small enough that it will fit through the bolt hole in the 3rd member flange? If so, pull them and loctite new ones back in.

 

[Alabama4Runner]

I'm not a mechanic but just thinking out loud...

Is it a pressed in straight stud (straight flutes) unlike a flanged bottom (like a wheel stud that is pressed into a through hole from the backside)? If the stud is loose then can you pull it out even with the 3rd member in place? Is the diameter of the base of the stud that is pressed into the axle housing small enough that it will fit through the bolt hole in the 3rd member flange? If so, pull them and loctite new ones back in.

They are not pressed in studs. They are screwed in with locktite.

Can you put another nut onto the studs and then tighten the two nuts together? If you could do that then you could probably remove the stud and replace them. You probably won't get a leak but I would want all the studs and nuts working.

You can always use a stud remover. It's a tool that looks like a socket but it removes studs. It has a set of left hand threads on the inside of the socket that tighten down on the stud as you screw the socket on (turning the socket counter-clockwise).

Good luck.

 

[fourwd1]

When you try to tighten those nuts, is the nut just turning on the stud or is the nut and stud turning ?
ie, is the nut stripped or the stud stripped?

Either way, you should be able to get a pair of small needle nose vice grips (yeah, they make them) on the stud or nut and pull on it while unscrewing. It should come out.

Once out, if the threads in the housing are good, you can use grade 5 or better bolts in place of the studs, 8mm x 1.5 thread IIRC. You can get grade 5 equivalent metric bolts at Lowes.

 

[Philbert]

Thanks guys for all the ideas about the studs.

The nut and the stud seem to turn together - but there is a certain tightness it gets to (don't know the exact torque rating) but then it starts to turn more loosley all of a sudden - then slowly gets tight again, before becoming loose once more - it's a circle cycle of this. So, I just tightened it as much as I could before it got loose again and left it that way.

I'm going to let it be since so many other nuts worked great - and the 2 problem ones are up top (leaks will likely be in the bottom).

I'm just now done and in need of the brake flush (going to do front brakes while I'm at it. Full DIY to come for the DIFF seal change soon - with pics!

Thanks again for all your help - if it leaks again, I'll come back and try these stud replacement ideas...

 

[Philbert]

Thanks everyone - I completed this over the past week after work each night. hasn't leaked yet (knowck on wood!).

I wrote up a DIY guide with photos I took along the way but both times I tried to post it the forum told me that I had "too many images" - even though i was linking TO them and not attaching them....I really want to post this....any idea how to get around it? I have a word doc with the HTML coding for all the photos....could email to a moderator to post if they were willing....

 

[Philbert]

So because this forum can't seem to handle posting more than one photo at a time, I posted the DIY with embedded photos on my favorite Datsun Z forum.

If you want to see it (as it was intended to be viewed here), check it out:

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthrea...7579#post947579