9" axle stuck?

[rustyoldjeep]

I'm working on my buddies 76 Bronco with a 9" rear axle, I am trying to get the shafts out so I can install the 4.56 gears for him. I got the drivers side axle shaft out no problem, just slid out. I go to the passenger side and it wont budge. I had it out about 8 month ago with no problems. I hav tried heating up the housing where the bearing is inside but it still wont budge. I've been whaling on the WMS with a 5lb sledge for an hour and it will not budge. Does anyone have any previous experience with this problem? or any ideas to help me out. I want this ford out of my garage so I can fix my heep
Thanks for any help and suggestions

[Aces'n'8s]

I'm working on my buddies 76 Bronco with a 9" rear axle, I am trying to get the shafts out so I can install the 4.56 gears for him. I got the drivers side axle shaft out no problem, just slid out. I go to the passenger side and it wont budge. I had it out about 8 month ago with no problems. I hav tried heating up the housing where the bearing is inside but it still wont budge. I've been whaling on the WMS with a 5lb sledge for an hour and it will not budge. Does anyone have any previous experience with this problem? or any ideas to help me out. I want this ford out of my garage so I can fix my heep
Thanks for any help and suggestions


How is whaling on the mounting surface going to do you any good? While it may loosen up the contact surface with the bearing, you're still beating inwards right?

Have you tried installing the drum in reverse and pulling it? If not, what you do is this...install the drum in reverse i.e. you can see the shiny surface. Fasten 3 lug nuts down, but leave some room between the drum egde at the stud and the lug nuts. You want to be able to slide the drum on the wheel studs...lightly.

Now, make sure you have loosened the retaining plate fasteners. After you have checked this, pull the drum outwards. If it doesn't work, repeat. If, after many attempts, it doesn't work, you will most likely require a proper sliding hammer to provide you with more pulling force.

[Fordman500]

You can either remove the brakes or if you dont care about that stuff grab the axle thats out from the spline end and hit the wms with the wms of the free axle to knock it loose. Its kinda hard to explain but you kinda wedge it in from the top so that when you hit down it should pop the axle out. I do it at the junkyard all the time :D

[rustyoldjeep]

I already have the brakes removed (except the backing plate). I was hammering on the backside of the WMS in an outwards direction. I was also hammering on the back of the backing plate. We have extra parts so I'm not to worried about wrecking parts such as the backing plate. I put a highlift jack between teh leaf spring and the back of the WMS and it didn't budge it.

I am wondering if the bearing has locked up and spun inside the housing?

[BrokeCuzWheelin]

2 words - Slide Hammer.

Attach it to the studs with the lug nuts, give'r a couple good slides, and the axle comes out.

[bronco75]

slide hammer is the best way but several other ways do work. 1 is install drum back wards loosely and use it like a slide hammer 2 attach big chain to lug nut and then whip the chain until axle comes out

[rustyoldjeep]

I just went and bought a slide hammer thismorning, still won't budge

[DRKelly]

It was a while back, but I had the same problem. I had the vehicle securely on jack stands, put the tire back on, laid on the ground parallel with the axle, and kicked the back side of the tire with both feet.

[welndmn]

Could mean the splines are twisted.
A slide hammer will pop it out, (did you get a axle one?) just keep hitting it.
What always worked for me is install a spare rim, climb under the truck, Hug the center section and kick the ever loving crap out of that rim.
my 250lb ass would make it come out eveytime.

[rustyoldjeep]

I have an old spare rim kickin around somewhere, I figure I will try that and if I have to I'll get the sledge onto the rim.
Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Apogee]

Could mean the splines are twisted.
A slide hammer will pop it out, (did you get a axle one?) just keep hitting it.
What always worked for me is install a spare rim, climb under the truck, Hug the center section and kick the ever loving crap out of that rim.
my 250lb ass would make it come out eveytime.

I'm skinny and even I can get 'em out:D

I always feel like I'm going to be that guy who makes the newspaper for squashing himself by kicking his truck off the jack stands...but lucky for me, I can't kick that hard apparently. Not for a lack of trying.

[rustyoldjeep]

ok guys, I put the ols jeep rim on and got under and started kickin it, with nothing but sore feet! So I got out my 9lb splitting axe and started swingin. It took about 15 minutes but it finally came out. The old jeep rim is bent all to crap now, but the axle is out. Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

[wheelin66bronco]

Soooo, what was holding it in.

[rustyoldjeep]

rust on the bearing as far as I can tell. The splines are good. I think I was just lucky that the drivers side had a leaky seal.

When I pulled the axles 8 months ago they both came out fairly easy (the bronco was in a barn and hadn't mooved for 6 years). I guess thats part of our Canadian winters with salt on the roads, makes everything rust up.