Help with two speed rear axle on my dump truck

[rexcramer]

I have a 1987 GMC 7000 series dump truck with a two speed rear end. Well yesterday when only slightly stuck I snapped an axle. Now I cant get the axle out on the other side to tear the rear apart.

The axle comes out about 3/4 of an inch and then stops. My only guess is that some material from the other axle is jammed in there somehow preventing the good axle from coming out. I am assuming there is no retaining clip holding the axle in right? When I pull the bolts on the gear assembly and move it the axle moves a little so I know its still in the gears.

Thanks for any tips

[Eagleview]

If your diff has a diff lock it may be the type that has twin splines on the axle shaft , some 2 speeds are the same . You may need to turn the axle fore and aft a little to get the second spline to line up before it will come out . A little trick with broken axle ends . Have someone hold a 5' length of conduit in against the hemisphere bearing so that when you drive the broken piece out it does not fall into the housing , it will lay inside the conduit and can be withdrawn negating the need to pull the diff center . Use a 5' piece of 1/4" steel rod to drive the broken piece out from the other side , the rod will pass the sun gear pin and reach the axle spline .

[rexcramer]

There is no differential lock. So I should be able to drive it out from the other side? When I look in the axle housing I can see some material from the busted axle in there. Thanks for the reply