Yesterday, I took the day off to swap out the cracked aluminum front axle housing with a steel housing. I planned to swap the aluminum 3rd to the steel to keep it simple and to be able to get things back together easily. And to be ready for Zukimelt. This took a hell of a lot longe than I wanted, over 6 hours!!! and I don't have a front axle installed.

Well, drained the gear oil and out came a small edge of steel tooth. Not a good start. After finally getting the front housing out and apart, there was damage to the R&P.





I don't know how many of you have tried to remove the passenger side axle out of the housing, but it's not real easy. That comment of Hagan capapble of changing a front cv out in less than 10 minutes makes me wonder (I know he has something different than stock.)
I first removed the hub lockout and snap ring (took about an hour for that damn snap ring). Then tried to pry the axle out of the housing. I had thought the cv's were to collapse enough that the inner cv shaft would come out of the housing. Nope.




So I started to take the front passenger side apart. Had to finally totally remove the strut/knuckle from the control arm.



The spring compressor is being used as I was looking at adding my coil spacers and drop the upper mount at this time also. That didn't fade out either.


This is what has to come out of the housing.


In quick measuring, the inner cv is the one that collapses or expands. Gives about 3/4-1" of axle length. This cv is limited in angle movement. The outer cv has no room for travel, but has great motion for angularity. I didn't measure those angles. It was hard enough to try to expand the inner cv to get a measurement.


The following are just the pics between the comparisons of a aluminum housing to a steel housing for the XL7.












All the teeth I could find.



With this delay, I called Hawk to see about getting the parts to reassemble the front using a mod' Sami carrier, EZ locker, 26-spline side gears, 5.13 gears, etc. (ie Zukipilot's front setup.) He has some stuff, but not everything. He also didn't want to split a housing for the 5.13's. So cost wise, it would be way up there. To keep everything cheap, I'm now looking for a 5.13.

(I hope the pics are proper with the information.)

"O" I think we've all been there or are on their way there.

I don't know how many of you have tried to remove the passenger side axle out of the housing, but it's not real easy. That comment of Hagan capapble of changing a front cv out in less than 10 minutes makes me wonder (I know he has something different than stock.)

Yup, A long ways from stock. His Front axle is modified so he can use the drivers side axle on both sides

Well after this past gon-zookin its looks I need to replace the pass side seal as it leaking. So seeing that you have you's apart how bad do you think that seal would be to replace.  Any tools needed to get it out???
Thanks
George

Well after this past gon-zookin its looks I need to replace the pass side seal as it leaking. So seeing that you have you's apart how bad do you think that seal would be to replace.  Any tools needed to get it out???
Thanks
George

Once you get the cv out, I don't see anything special about it. I actually bought 2 new seals for the steel housing. Dealer only item, P/N 09283-35008  Oil Seal 35X62X, list $8.89, cost $5.12. They had to come from CA. Took only 3 days.
All that would be needed would be that hook-type pry bar to pry out the old one. Simple install on the new one.
Warning, when you pry the cv out, you only want to go in ~1/2". There is a little rise on that chrome thing covering the cv. I've bent mine in a few places and it looks like it sets into a cavity in the seal. For a pry bar I used a flat wood pry bar that is 2" wide.

Good luck.

Nice pics! Two days ago I did the same of changing inner parts of two front diffs just in the forest   It was done in ONE HOUR just before the start of the last part of trophy !