Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Ok so i broke my rear axle in the hilux and now have the 4340 chromoly replacements (cheers Chris from lockedup4x4); getting the bearings pressed today (stupid toyota fuk'd up).
However there is still the broken peice in the housing.

Does anyone have any magic way of getting it out
I am thinking a broom from the other end but don't want to end up with wood splinters in my diff. Maybe a length of rio?
I don't really want to drop the whole axle and pull the diff out; if it even will come out with the peice still in it

Does it have an ARB locker? If it does you will struggle to get it out. This comes from experiance. If you are going to pull the other axle you may as well pull the centre its only another 14 nuts. The only thing i have tried that works to some extent without pulling anything more than the broken axle is a magnet taped to the end of a broom handle. If the spline of the axle is not twisted at all where it broke then this usually works. If its twisted then you usually need to pull the centre.

Trying to push it out from the other side is very dificult as there is a cross pin in the way between both axles and on the ARB centre there is no room around this crosspin at all.

Otherwise you can turn the car on its side and shake it

depending on how stuck it is (ie. twisted splines in locker etc), you can use a stick welder, joint 2 sticks (should be enuff - maybe 3?), earth to the diff close to the centre, hold the stick so it only touches the piece of broken axel, arc it up and have someone pull the earth so the stick welds to the broken piece... then pull it out.

I have seen someone do this with a few batteries and a coat hanger before too, but a stick welder will work better.

S.

RUFF wrote:Otherwise you can turn the car on its side and shake it

Think I'll go this option; just need to eat a can of spinach

Yeah it has an ARB in the it so i guess it is pull the centre out as i don't have a magnet. Would a bolt pickup magnet work? good excuse to buy another tool

Pulling the centre is also the best way to find the other bits of the axle sitting in the bottom of the housing, just waiting to go for a run through your crown wheel and pinion.
Peter.

Ok I'll do it the right way spoil sport
Thanks guys

Mate pull the centre as there will be heaps of filings and bits of metal floating around in there. Need to give it a real good clean, including both axle tubes.

When I first bought my rx7 that used to have a welded diff and would break at least one axle a month. Had it down to about an hour to pull both axles, centre, clean and put back together. The worst part was the smell of gear oil, F$#k i hate that stuff!!!!!

RUFF wrote:Otherwise you can turn the car on its side and shake it

Seen this done on a old FJ drag car. They broke an axle, pulled the wheels,brakes and unbroken, rolled the old girl on its side and pushed the broken axle half out with the aerial they just broke off their Falcon tow car.

All took less thin 20min to replace the axle, so i guess they had done it many times before

Is it ok to clean the axle housing and diff centre down with petrol if it has an ARB in it

LuxyBoy wrote:Is it ok to clean the axle housing and diff centre down with petrol if it has an ARB in it

I think using something less volatile would be preferred
The seals might not take kindly to contact with petrol.

LuxyBoy wrote:Is it ok to clean the axle housing and diff centre down with petrol if it has an ARB in it

Use deisel. It wont harm the seals in the ARB. Did the axle snap clean or all jagged?

Clean but when i removed the diff drain plug there was alot of metal shavings on it.
Man i hate the smell of gear oil (the only smily that looks sick)