Half shaft removal

[denguy]

I will never try to pull the half shafts from the trans while it is in the car, in my driveway, again . It is so much easier to get them out after you drop the trans.

[WmWatt]

What does that save?

[Studebaker]

I would like to know how he removed the trans with the half shafts attached. I did it once and cracked the trans housing.

[Dragonhealer]

I would like to know how he removed the trans with the half shafts attached. I did it once and cracked the trans housing.

That sounds difficult, especially as the engine backing plate is in the way if the right hand axle is still installed. We found it easiest to drop the whole drive line (out the bottom), remove the axles, then the trans from the engine when servicing the clutch or trans.
Just what is easiest for us.

[ricko1966]

My first festy trans R&R I jacked up the drivers side only. Popped the passenger side axle loose at the trans. popped the drivers side ball joint and tie rod end took off drivers side axle nut pulled the strut out of the way pushed the engine transmission crossmember towards the passenger side. Boom,transmission and drivers side axle laying in the driveway no dropped spider gears and it was fast,in and out in about an hour. I did have the engine supported from the top,and did have to line the passenger side axle back up going in,but seriously I think it was the easiest transmission R&R ever.

[denguy]

I left the tierod ball joint in the knuckle [because I couldn't get it out] and instead dropped the lower control arm from the knuckle. Then I could extract the axle end from the knuckle while pulling the strut out of the way and having the axle still in the trans. Later, with the trans out on the ground it was easy to use two wedges[chisels], between the cv joint and the trans case and opposite each other, and a big hammer, to pop out the axle from the trans.