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  1. #1
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    Nov 2003
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    Default Are front axle shafts in a dry pocket?

    Hey all! Today I replaced the front passenger drive shaft chasing a vibration sensation. I was ready for gear lube or ATF to pour out of the housing when the shaft exited, but the shaft was dry and rusty, even at the end splines! There was a tiny bit of polishing, still dry, on the two inner shaft races. What the heck? I checked my bevel gear lube level, I could feel lube with my pinky, but it was a bit low so I added till it overflowed, about .2 liters. (capacity is .8?) Even still, if it was low, I would imagine that it would sling around and get on the shaft? Or is the shaft in a dry pocket? If that's the reason, is that why the driver's side is hard to remove, the circlip kinda rusts on?

    Off topic, the new shaft dramatically reduced vibration. Yay! I am going to replace the driver's side just for fun, to see if it completely goes away. This is at 180K miles on my '04.

    I stewed about what axle to get. I heard about GKN from FCPEuro, and rumors that they make the OEM shafts. When I got the old one out, it had GKN makings on it. Yep, the FCP is original in a GKN graphic box, and it's all new. If you buy one from the dealer, it will be a rebuild as noted by the EX in product description, you have to return a core. My old one doesn't have to go back.

    And finally, I used the method of removing both bolts on the strut to free the bearing housing to swing it away to get the angle needed to remove/install. But I see online that some people remove the ball joint, and some remove the inner mounts of the A-arms. What is the most clever way?

    Thanks.
    '04 XC70, Ice White, Taupe. Original owner (196K miles as of may21). 6 wheel bearings, broken ignition switch, broken turbo downtube flange, failed throttle body, many warped rotors, and a myriad of weird crap. Still my favorite car ever.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,196

    Default

    Differential axle openings are isolated from ATF. Bevel gear has a pass-through hole in the gear mating to collar sleeve:

    2002 V70 (sold)
    2005 XC70 (Telos Road took it. Did a chassis swap)
    2016 XC60 (sold, P.O.S.)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    4,116

    Default

    GKN is the way to go for axles. I've got a couple on the XC, and a GKN on the T5. They work great, and at half the price of a rebuild.

    Good luck with the driver's side axle. The passenger side will slide out easily.

    The driver's side is in a dry pocket, there will be years of dry rust and corrosion that make the snap ring resist compression. Spraying it does nothing, as there is an axle seal that keeps moisture out, which keeps penetrating oil out, too...

    Best bet is a 5/8" cold chisel, hit with sledgehammer force. I was force limited when I did it (on my back, with jackstands, not enough room to swing the 3# machinists hammer that I had. Mjolnir would've been helpful at that moment...).

    No other prybar, axle tool, or gizmo seems to work. Pure brute force against an incline plane between axle and housing, that's what you need.

    Because of the pass-through, overfilling the angle gear doesn't change anything. The pocket will remain dry. But it will likely cause foaming of the gear oil. I would remove it all and go back to the 800ml level. Or, you could pull it out and modify as I did a while back.

    http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showth...d-modification
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  4. #4
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    Default

    The passenger side was relatively easy, I just did it in my house garage. I have a ramp lift in my back garage where I park my Chevelle, but didn't do it there because I didn't want to shuffle cars in the rain. Soooo... if I did the driver's side with the car on my lift, so I had full access from the bottom for upwards whacking forks and chisels, would that improve my odds? Depending on clearance between the CV knucle and transmission housing, I am thinking of inserting a screwdriver, one with a square shank. Crank that with wrench, and it would give a lot of outward force, without additional binding that I envisioning with a chisel hit. Or are we talking massive blunt force trauma hits?

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by gibbons; 05-20-2019 at 07:04 AM.
    '04 XC70, Ice White, Taupe. Original owner (196K miles as of may21). 6 wheel bearings, broken ignition switch, broken turbo downtube flange, failed throttle body, many warped rotors, and a myriad of weird crap. Still my favorite car ever.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
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    Unless the snap ring is badly rusted you may have luck prying the axle out with the help of a large screwdriver. Rotate just a bit, pry, repeat. I greased the axle's splines lightly, it pulls out that way with no hesitation. Taking the axle the first time in 10+ years?.. Yeah, chisel and a sledge hummer.
    2002 V70 (sold)
    2005 XC70 (Telos Road took it. Did a chassis swap)
    2016 XC60 (sold, P.O.S.)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
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    602

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by vtl View Post
    Unless the snap ring is badly rusted you may have luck prying the axle out with the help of a large screwdriver. Rotate just a bit, pry, repeat. I greased the axle's splines lightly, it pulls out that way with no hesitation. Taking the axle the first time in 10+ years?.. Yeah, chisel and a sledge hummer.
    In my experience with other vehicles, the trick is to pry, rotate, pry, rotate and repeat until it just pops out. When I first learned this trick, I was amazed how easy the final pop was.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Boston, MA
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    Quote Originally Posted by goldxc70 View Post
    In my experience with other vehicles, the trick is to pry, rotate, pry, rotate and repeat until it just pops out. When I first learned this trick, I was amazed how easy the final pop was.
    I have less experience with other vehicles, but on 3x P2 Volvo's I have had only chisel could do it. The first time, when the snap ring is rusted. The following repairs requiring the axle out it was pry-rotate-loop indeed, because I greased it
    2002 V70 (sold)
    2005 XC70 (Telos Road took it. Did a chassis swap)
    2016 XC60 (sold, P.O.S.)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    602

    Default

    Did my passenger side half shaft/axle recently after discovering damage to inner CV boot. It was a very straight forward job and took no more than about two hours. I was prepared for some leakage on that side but there was none and the end of the axle was very dry (see picture). Is this normal?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails axlep.jpg  

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