98 IFS axle shaft replacement

[77'cj7]

Well, decided to test out my front locker for the first time in the rocks today. Worked great, amazing difference in capability, until my driver side axle shaft decided it preferred to be unlocked.
Appears that the upper joint grenaded inside the boot.

Is there a way to replace the joint, or do i need a new shaft? How hard is it to swap out a shaft, i assume the pumpkin has to be dropped. Is there a writeup somewhere on it?
Thanks
Chris

 

[Woods-Rider]

You have to but a whole new CV shaft assembly. I did this a few months ago after doing exactly what you described trying to pull a suburban out of the snow. its pretty simple to replace and the pumpkin can stay in place. just take off the tire, brake assembly, big nut on the end of the shaft, disconnect tie rod and lower ball joint and you should be able to pop the shaft out of the diff. (may have forgotten a few things but its pretty straight forward).

so you locked the front? what size tires are you running? I have always been afraid to lock the front with our chincy CV shafted piece of sh** IFS.

 

[77'cj7]

Mkay, that sounds easy enough. Conveniently, i'll have the knuckle completely off soon, swapping them out for a big brake conversion.

I thought the axles were held into the pumpkin by c-clips?

I'm running 31" tires, and it seems to be very easy to pop the shafts. Still worth it for the locker though, it was absolutely amazing in the rocks up until the bang.

 

[Woods-Rider]

there are some C-clips but i doubt you would be able to get to them without removing the diff and gears. I just pried mine out with a flathead screwdriver, didn't take much force and didn't seem to hurt anything and took about 15 sec compared to the hours it would have taken to remove the diff and gears.

 

[TireIron]

Yea, the CV shafts are actually designed to be just pried out of the diff. If they are really stuck they actually make a puller that attaches to a slide hammer to really give it a good whack.

 

[77'cj7]

Mkay, thanks guys. Can't wait to get it back together, though I'm sure I'll pop it again soon.

 

[77'cj7]

Was under my truck swapping out the t-case and examined the broken axle. It is loose in the housing, as in wiggles. Did i destroy a bearing, or the whole housing or what? O, looks like the seal is gone on the passenger side too, o what fun.

 

[77'cj7]

O joy.
Swapped out the shaft today, or tried to anyways.
Pulled the shaft out of the diff to find shattered metal. The end of the shaft sheared off inside the differential, instead of breaking the CV.
Is there a trick to getting the shaft chunk out of the diff, or do i have to just drop the whole thing and open it up?