GM 26042726
Axle Shaft, Front

Replacing front Axle Shaft (S4WD) inner shaft or housing starts with vehicle lifting. First disconnect the wheel Axle Shaft from the right side of the vehicle along with the Clutch Cable from the Clutch Fork. Begin by removing bolts and washers from the inner Axle Shaft housing before proceeding to remove the remaining two inner Axle Shaft housing to differential carrier assembly bolts. During removal make sure thrust washers and Clutch Fork sleeve remain secure with the inner Axle Shaft. Use a vise to clamp down the inner shaft housing before striking the inside of the Axle Shaft with a hammer and brass drift to extract the assembly from the Axle Shaft. Remove the Clutch Cable retainer spring followed by the Clutch Fork assembly then Clutch Fork inner spring and Clutch Fork sleeve and thrust washer and clutch gear. To replace the inner Axle Shaft bearing and seal insert them into the axle housing after using a punch tool to remove the clutch gear, thrust washer, inner Axle Shaft, and Clutch Fork seal. Use the j33799 Clutch Fork housing seal installer (J33799) to set the new Clutch Fork seal before placing the inner Axle Shaft inside the housing and adding the thrust washer. Secure the thrust washer with chassis grease. Drive the clutch gear onto the inner Axle Shaft by using a plastic hammer after installing the new retaining ring into the clutch gear. Afterward add the thrust washer together with Clutch Fork inner spring, Clutch Fork, Clutch Fork sleeve, and Clutch Cable retainer spring to the inner Axle Shaft housing. Sealant gm p/n 1052492 or its equivalent must be applied to the inner axle housing differential carrier interface before attaching the housing assembly to the differential carrier with finger-tight bolt placement at the 1 o'clock position then positioning the housing to install the 11 o'clock position bolt also finger tight. First install the Clutch Cable housing and Clutch Cable before using bolts and washers and nuts to secure the inner Axle Shaft housing to the frame bracket. Tighten the frame bracket nuts to 98 nm (72 ft. Lbs.) and the housing to differential carrier assembly bolts to 48 nm (36 ft. Lbs.). Last, install the right Axle Shaft then check the axle lubricant levels before lowering the vehicle.

Raise the safety stand to support the lower control arm's weight.

Strike a block of wood or brass drift against the tripot housing to overcome the snap ring pressure.

Place the lock on the button end of the axle shaft.

Do not rotate the axle shaft during removal to avoid misaligning the gears.

Remove the strap from the frame, reinstall the two front tire and wheel assemblies, and lower the vehicle.

Reinstall the rear brake drums and rotors if equipped, followed by the tires and wheels assembly, then lower the vehicle and conduct a test drive to check for leaks.

Remove the pinion shaft.

Remove the right side wheel drive shaft and disconnect the clutch cable from the clutch fork.

Slightly start the knuckle onto the drive axle while guiding the lower ball stud to its proper location on the steering knuckle.