Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Drive Axles - DANA/SPICER Semi-Floating Axles: Overhaul: Disassembly
- Remove axles and housing cover. Be sure that side bearing caps are marked so that they can later be installed in their original positions. Remove bolts and side bearing caps. Use a housing spreader to spread differential housing 0.015 - 0.020". Use a dial indicator to measure spread.CAUTION: Do not spread housing more than 0.020". Permanent damage to housing could result.
Carefully pry differential case out of housing. Be careful not to damage machined surface of housing. Remove spreader immediately to prevent possibility of carrier taking a set.
- Remove bolts holding ring gear to differential case. With a small punch drive out lock pin. Remove differential shaft and thrust block. Remove differential pinion gears and thrust washers.
- Remove pinion nut. With suitable puller, remove pinion flange. Using soft-faced hammer, drive pinion shaft out of housing.NOTE: Pinion bearing adjusting shims may remain on pinion shaft, stick to bearing, or fall loose. Collect them and save them for reassembly.
From pinion shaft bore, remove oil seal and bearing cone. A baffle or an oil slinger may also be present; record the order in which they were removed so that they may be installed correctly. Discard seal. Remove inner bearing cone and press pinion bearing off pinion shaft.
- Using a suitable puller, remove side bearings from differential case. Often during removal of side bearings, shims between bearings and differential case are mutilated. If so, shims must be individually measured and their thicknesses recorded, so that new shim packs can be secured.
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.