The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Tips on removing axle shafts from 1932 1.5ton??

parting out '32 chevy 1.5 ton. trying to break down the rearend. I think the axle shafts must be press fit with the bearings? Is that correct? I don't have a puller. Tried the brake drum on a chain yanking method without success. Anybody have any advice? Thanks.

Hy trump, I don't have a maintenance manual that goes back that far, but if it is a full floating rear axle (series of bolts holding the axle flange to the hub) then once you remove those bolts the axle should be able to be removed. If there are no bolts holding the axle to the hub then you are looking at a semi-floating rear axle, that means you'll have to drain the diff. oil remove the housing rear cover, remove the differential shaft lock screw, remove the differential shaft and spacer block, rotate the ring gear and remove the pinion gears. Push the axle shafts in toward the center of the housing and remove the "C" washer from its groove in the end of the axle. You should be able to remove the axles now, they may need to be persuaded to leave the housing, hope that helps.

I think that it is different with this rear. There is no room in the ring carrier to access the inside of the axles or c-clips (if they were there). I can definitely tell that the axles just sit inside the carrier and that the end that is keeping them there is the outside hub areas. I'm fairly convinced that they are the style that requires the special slide hammer axle remover tool. So I think I am S.O.L. .....

Thanks.

Hy trump, did your rear axle have removable covers on the center of the hubs? Did you find an axle under those covers, did the axle have external teeth on it which engaged internal teeth on the hub? If that is the way your rear axle is setup then there should be a tapped hole in the center of the axle I think it is a fine thread probably 7/16", you can put a bolt through the end link of a length of chain and screw it into the axle, then if you whip the chain the axle the should come out. Be careful there shouldn't be a lot holding it in there, good luck

3B,

1936 was the first year for the Full Floating axles. Trump has a Semi-Floating axle.

Remove the Hub Assembly and Bearing Grease retainer Screws. The axle shaft can then be pulled out of the housing without dismantling the differential assembly.

Mike B

Mike- Sounds like what I have.... I still have to use a puller though right? I tried to make a hillbilly one with a spacer under the castle nut that I welded a chain to with a old brake drum beaded on it and swang on the drum and yanked all I could. wouldn't budge. I'm guessing the puller is a must. If so, I'm skunked. Thanks.

Trump,

Just so we are on the same page...you have the wheel/wheels off, you have the Hub off and you have the Bearing Retainer Screws out and it still won't slide out?

Mike B

Yes, that is correct.

I took off the support straps (name?) toward the inside of the axle near the carrier. As soon as I did that The carrier got loose and acts like it would pop out if the axles were out of the way.

I removed the entire hub assembly, brake assembly, and backing plate assembly. What was left is what I believe you are calling the "retainer", which was essentially a sheetmetal cup with grease seal. I pulled the 6 bolts out and removed that, I can clearly see the ball-bearings of the outer axle bearings. As I mentioned before I tried using a chain and a brake drum as a puller, but the axles wouldn't budge. I tried heating up around the outer bearing and then tried the chain and drum again to no avail. It acts as though the bearings are press fit to the axle and then press fit to the housing....

Here's a picture before I removed everything. You can see the 6 bolts I was talking about right around the tapered axle shaft.
[IMG]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b117/hotrodderguy/big%20roadster/IMG_1958_zpsgiyllngk.jpg[/IMG]

Those 6 bolts are the bearing retainer bolts. After they are removed the alxe should slide out bringing the bearing with it. Have you tried a slide hammer attached to the axle nut threads...that just might pop it out.

There shouldn't be anything on the third member end holding it in unless the axle splines are all twisted up.

I'm out of ideas at this point...

Mike B

Hy Mike B, do you think the fact that trump removed the carrier bearing caps allowing the carrier to drop back until the axles stopped it has anything to do with the axle not wanting to come out?

3B,

You might be on to something...the axles might just be in a bind at the carrier.

Mike B

They wiggle around fine and don't bind against anything. I actually did try to remove the axles before removing the carrier caps.... which lead to trying to remove the caps to see if that was the issue. As far as I can tell from everything I have tried, the issue is that the outer axle shaft bearings are press-fit into the axle housing.

slide hammer would be nice and would probably work, but as I mentioned earlier, I don't have one...

We gave it a good try. They will just have to be turned into a Chinese car like the rest of it.

Thanks again for the help.