Driver side Camry axle stuck at differential

- N
- nospampls2002
  
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posted
18 years ago

Fri, Mar 24, 2006 1:14 AM

Is there some secret to releasing this acle?

No problem replacing right (passenger side) but FWD driver axle not releasing from differential on '94 Camry 4 cylinder. Toyota manual shows prying with end of Toyota lug wrench using hammer handle as fulcrum, but even with longer pry bars still is not releasing. Tried rotating axle since for installation they recommend having the circlip opening at the axle end facing down. Tried using the brass bar and hammer to drive axle inward in hopes of loosening but a this point, unwilling to force further I see no way to proceed.

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- Shep
  
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posted
18 years ago

Fri, Mar 24, 2006 1:53 PM

- C
- Comboverfish
  
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posted
18 years ago

Sat, Mar 25, 2006 5:47 AM

The left axle should come out with the right kind of prying action. I'm more perplexed that you said the right axle came out easily! Those are the ones that suck because they have the center bearing that corrodes into the bearing support.

Anyway, If I have a stubborn axle like your left side shaft, I use a large angle nosed prybar (my biggest one is made of ~3/4" bar stock) and lay the tip against the inner joint wherever the best leverage point is. Then I pull once hard and fast on the prybar, fulcruming the bar against the side of the differential in a well reinforced area. If that doesn't work, you could try a slide hammer attachment - there's one on the market and possibly available at Autozone's Loan-a-Tool program - that looks like a big "C", and you thread a standard 5/8"-18 slide hammer into it. The "C" goes behind the inner joint and slams outward to release the axle.

If these methods don't work, I would suggest that the axle bearing surface is scored and won't release from the diff side bearing. That is extremely rare for an A140E, even if the diff was left empty.

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