Help. Spider gears went out of my 2000 Blazer 4x4. The retaining bolt that holds the pin in place is shirred off. Pin will slide up and down slightly and will turn all the way around but I still can't get the pin out. I have tried hitting it to get it out but it will not come. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated at this point. I have never attempted this before and am wondering if I am going to be sorry. Thanks for the info.
This usually happens when you spin one wheel ,like when in snow. One of the small gears "sticks" to the pin and twists off the bolt. Only thing you can do is hit the shaft from the opposite end. The end without a bolt. You are going to end up destroying the carrier, but there is no other way to get the axles out so you can remove the carrier. You need a piece of rod about the size of the pin and a big hammer. Don't swell the end of the pin or it will never come out. IE, don't bang on a socket or an extension. Find a rod with a flat end and a really big hammer. Hold the rod with a vice grip and not your fingers:) Hit it square and hard. You may need to disconnect one end of the shocks to get he rear low enough to get a good swing. By time you get done getting it apart and replacing parts, it may be a lot easier to replace the entire rear axle. Just be sure you get the same ratio as the original one or the four wheel drive will bind.
Good luck.
Al
Sometimes after the retaining bolt shears, it has little or no tension on the remaining piece of bolt still screwd into the pin. The tension is originally just under the head of the ret. bolt head and its mating surface, & when the bolt has sheared, it leaves the remaining piece of bolt almost 'finger-loose'. In these cases, you may be able to use a sharp, small-ended punch & hammer and gently tap it counter-clockwise to screw it out gradually. Should this not work, I'd attempt a "dental-grinder" and dress the surface of the pin where the ret. bolt head originally hugs before attempting removal, so as not to cause further damage to the differential. As a last resort, you can do as Big Al suggested. Here's hopes you are among the lucky! I've had this work a few times! s
I've done a lot of these and it's usually the gear that's stuck to the shaft that's the problem. The bolt he's talking about has threads near the head, but the rest is just a pin. Here is a picture:
Al
Not trying to be a smart ass, but get a bigger hammer or a bigger person to hit it. You really have to blast it out of there.
Roy
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