I think my axles are missing something......

#1

I’ve been working on my sub-frame and grinding away for the weld on alignment kit and then my axles fell out of my diff.


I have had the car for a little over a year and I bought it complete, so who knows how long it’s been like this. It seems to drive fine and I would of never noticed it.

Does anyone know where I can obtain some new clips for the output shaft?
Did it do any harm?

I’m not much of a drive-train expert so thanks for the help!

#2

I’m not sure I understand. There should be 6X 8mm hex bolts holding each halfshaft to the diff.

What clips? The 3 “C” shaped washers that the 8mm bolts go thru?

I just installed a pair of half shafts on the Lemons car Friday night so halfshafts are pretty fresh in my mind.

Probably not related: The 3 “C” shaped double washers didn’t really fit on the reman halfshafts that Chuck Baader got us. He got them for a helova price tho. I ended up using the C shaped things but it wasn’t elegant.

#3

They are designed to pop out like that. I just spent about half and hour popping mine back in. It is easier to remove the 8mm allen bolts and leave the stubs in the differential, with your trailing arms off it will take some wiggling to get them back in. I supported my trailing arms with blocks of wood, lined up the trailing arm bushings and started to slide the axel back in, one went in right away the other took a while, has to be aligned to pop back in

Al

#4

I may be over thinking things, but I thought there was supposed to be a retaining clip on the race of the output shaft in the first pic?

If not then, that’s great news.

#5

I would think so as well but I have no spares out of the car to confirm, just that every other CV or stub axle I’ve seen has one.

#6

My recollection is that there should be some kind of snap ring to help hold the stub axle in the diff, (I think in the groove that’s about an inch inboard of the splines) but even so, I’ve always removed the stub axle by giving it a good shove with a medium pry bar to pop it out, so it’s not really ‘locked’ in place.

I think Al is correct, in that sliding these back into the place with the trailing arms attached will not be fun…take the 5 minutes to zip off the 8 Allen bolts, re-insert the stub axles into the diff and your overall reassembly will be much easier.

#7

I have already put them back in the diff and it took a couple of tries but it wasn’t really hard. They don’t come out that easily, but I’m used to axles requiring chains and alot of cursing to remove.

edit

After doing some research I found this pic which shows the flange without anything, like the ones on my car:

However, real OEM shows something, but doesn’t give a part #:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1113&mospid=47309&btnr=33_0116&hg=33&fg=10

Still kinda confused.

#8

Don’t loosen the bolts…the flange will leak. Line up the splines and pop them back in. Forget. CB

#9

cwbaader wrote:

I like your style. Will do.

#10

Axelerate wrote:

[quote]I have already put them back in the diff and it took a couple of tries but it wasn’t really hard. They don’t come out that easily, but I’m used to axles requiring chains and alot of cursing to remove.

edit

After doing some research I found this pic which shows the flange without anything, like the ones on my car:

However, real OEM shows something, but doesn’t give a part #:

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=1113&mospid=47309&btnr=33_0116&hg=33&fg=10

Still kinda confused.[/quote]

I thought the same thing, but mine didn’t have any clips either.