A few years back (before I was deployed for 18 months overseas), I had my wheel bearings replaced at a local shop. I just recently needed 4WD because of the snow, but NO 4WD!! Turns out the meatheads at the shop didn't replace the snap rings on the ends of the axles. I could have screamed (wait... I did!!). I ordered a set from Merlin and bought a set of snap ring pliers, but couldn't find any clear tips on pulling/pushing the axle out far enough to install the snap rings. I searched and read many hub swap/repair threads, but nothing on the axle movement. What size is the threaded hole on the end? Should I put a bolt in there and pull? Any other tips/tricks? Thanks for your help, All!!

When I did mine, I just reached around to the back side, and pushed the axle shaft out to me, and then put the snap ring on...
Hope that helps,
Matt

That is why its there... but pushing on the back of the axle (CV) as mentioned should do the trick.

Thanks, Gents. The new snap rings will be in next week sometime. I'll try to get some pics of how much movement I can get by hand and the actual installation (for future snap ring newbie searches).

JD

PUT A SMALL JACK UNDER THE FRT KNUCKLE AND LIFT THE FRT UNTILL THE SUSPENSION STARTS TO LIFT THE TRUCK, NOW USE AN 8 MM 1.25 THREAD BOLT AND PULL THE AXLE OUT AND PUT THE SNAP RING ON, WITH THE KNUCKLE UP THE AXLE IS NOW IN A MORE LEVEL CONDITION AND WILL BE EASIER TO INSTALL THE SNAP RING , TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE SNAP RING AND DON,T INSTALL IT BACKWARDS, IT MAKES IT TOO HARD TO GET IT OFF NEXT TIME ,HOLD THE SNAP RING UP TO EYE LEVEL AND LOOK STRAIGHT AT THE OPENING ON THE EDGE THE EDGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS \ /
-------- -- THIS BEING THE TIP OF THE AXLE ,, THIS WAY THE TIPS OF THE SNAP RING TIPS ARE STICKING TOWARD THE AXLE END SO THE PLIERS CAN GET A GRIP, WHEN YOU PUSH THE PLIERS INTO GET A GRIP, THEY WILL TEND TO SLIP OUT ON YOU WHEN THEY LOOK LIKE THIS / \----- THIS BEING THE AXLE END
ALLSO CHECK AND MAKE SURE THE MACHINED SIDE OF THE SNAP RING GOES TO THE OUTSIDE END OF THE AXLE , SOME OF THOSE RINGS ARE MACHINED FLAT ON BOTH SIDES SO IT DOESNT MATTER, OTHERS ARE STAMPED AND HAVE A ROUNDED EDGE ON ONE SIDE AND A FLAT SIDE ON THE OTHER, GETTING THE MACHINED EDGE ON THE OUTSIDE WILL JUST ABOUT GARAUNTEE IT WILL NOT POP OFF BY ITSELF JERRY

ok. I just got into everything to disassemble/clean prior to the new rings getting here. Good news = I found out the shop was only half worthless. They only left off one of the snap rings (drivers side). The bad news is that the splines on that axle are stripped all of the way back to the snap ring groove. Nothing to grab and a new axle from what I have read here. I was willing to do this myself (snap rings), but I am going to pitch a fit at the shop since the cost/difficulty has gone waayyyy up and it is their fault. I'm banking on difficulty due to it being about a two year old job. Wish me luck, gang. Thanks for the info above!!

It is possible the shop may have installed the ring and it fell off. I had that happen on one of my troopers, and the end of the axle was all ground up like on yours. Being as cheap as I am I just took a hacksaw blade and ground in a new snap ring groove. I then went with a slightly smaller snap ring. Not the best solution, but it has held up for about 3 years so far.

Jay <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the post! If it had fallen off and was still in there, it must have been ground to teenie bits. I didn't see any trace of it. I think I read that you (and maybe a few others) had done the "new groove" with a dremel or hacksaw blade, but I don't think I have enough spline exposed to do that. On my "good" axle, I only have a few mm of axle spline sticking out of the installed hub. On my bad one, there is next to none (even when I push from the back). I don't think I can "get my groove on" and then be able to snap ring it. Is there a way to put a snap ring between the outer and inner hubs? plenty of spline there!!

EDIT!!! Did you mean that you simply put a smaller snap ring where the old one would have gone?? Will the actual "ring" portion still extend out to a diameter greater than the splines and enough to prevent the withdrawal of the axle from the hub? If that is what you are saying, I might go that route!! Thanks.

JD

Did you clean all of the grease out of the hub's case? Mine usually is sitting right on the hub's cap in the grease...you should probably put some new grease in there too while you have it apart.

good call, Sprayed. I looked inside the dials and the snap ring and a few spacers were jammed down in there (so tight/far that I thought they were part of the dial mechanism). I think I'm going to cut a smaller groove an try the smaller snap ring with one of these spacers behind it. Thoughts/tips anyone?