Broken Axle - Outback ( way outback )

[honda]

Guys, gonna need a little help here.
Broke an axle in the AZ outback. Way outback. Jeep trail 30 miles from closest road. No hope of assisted recovery short of a skycrane. Must be repaired in place. Unable to remove c-clip. 3.73 setup. No lift. Too much torque over rocks on a very steep slope. Axle, driver side, is twisted off like a twizzler about 10 inches from the spider gear.

Fortunately, unit is on level terrain. Lucky break.

Only hope is to replace entire pumpkin, sort out the mess back in the garage and head towards a stronger rear differential solution. But for the moment, I gotta get the unit back to civilization. Going in this week with a Razor, replacement pumpkin with axles etc.. Headed for a pumpkin swap out, in that the broken axle seems to be bound up inside the housing.

Would greatly appreciate a little assistance with the following:

About how much does an entire pumpkin weigh, absent the brake drums?
Takes about 4 hours to reach the unit over extraordinarily rough trail, so I really need to take everything the first time. Weight distribution and loading balance on a Razor is very important due to rough trail conditions.

If this were you, what would you take?

Thank-you, any and all ideas are gratefully appreciated.

 

[Recovry4x4]

For clarification, what part are you calling a pumpkin? Were it my truck, here is what I would do. Pack in all the hand tools including a long rod capable of reaching the broken axle. If the broken axle is still in place, support the truck and remove it. Remove cover and the bolt that retains the center pin then remove center pin. Use rod to hammer stub of axle back in so that the C clip can release then with a series of small rods chisels and screwdrivers if needed, work the broken piece of axle out of the spider gear. Make sure you take a strong magnet attached to something to retrieve the piece of axle then reassemble. If your thoughts are to replace the entire rear axle in the bush and haul everything you need on an RZR, good luck.

 

[wheelspinner]

I'm guessing a diff install. I just don't know enough about these axles to have any ideas.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Sounds like a rear axle? 1009?

 

[CUCVLOVER]

I don't know if this is an option you want to explore but if the tire does not stick out from the wheel well then a piece of pipe across the opening and against tire will keep it in until you get it home. Is it a good option? Not really but it can basically work, from the times I've seen it done before. Just figured I'd throw that out there

 

[gimpyrobb]

Lots of options to limp home, but it sounds like he has to "wheel" to get it out.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Maybe next time you should take the Ridgeline!

Bwaaahahahahaha

J/K.

 

[honda]

Pics of the broken axle and magnet.

 

[honda]

Pumpkin = entire rear differential housing assembly.
Yep, a big monster for a RZR. I removed the center pin and tried to hammer the axle back in so that the C Clip would release. Only had the handle to a Hi-Lift and a mallet to shove the broken axel piece towards the spider gear. Broken axle would not budge. C Clip was observable, as expected, but could not get it into the opening to remove. Rotated the c clip towards the front because sometimes c clips tend to be more easily removed when facing forward, but clip would not move into the opening so it could be removed, or more conveniently just "drop out". My thought was the broken axle piece is really jammed into the housing, maybe even touching the housing itself, preventing the axle from moving into the correct position so the c clip could be removed. Ugh.

 

[honda]

Yep, that would be nice. I worked the honda pits in baja when the first ridgeline appeared. We all thought it was a hoot watching Johnny Campbell with his famous 2 wheel smile outshine the 4 wheelers.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Doable but challenging. I think I would fabricate a way to attach one end of the diff to the RZR and fab up a mount to attach wheels to the back and make the axle into a trailer. Take either a torch or a good quantity of batteries to operate a grinder with cutoff wheel or recip saw and bring new ubolts unless they have been apart recently. I would also make certain you have proper dunnage for cribbing. If the area is wooded, maybe cut your own on site. This is a challenge I'd love to be involved in.

 

[rustystud]

Pumpkin = entire rear differential housing assembly.








Is this what your talking about ?


Actually this is what they call the "pumpkin" not the whole differential housing.

 

[rustystud]

You never mentioned what kind of CUCV you have. Is this a truck (M1008 ) or the Blazer (M1009) ? What is the size of your rig if it's a truck. Is it a 14 bolt rear ? Without knowing what you have it's pretty hard to give advice.

 

[fitz]

I'm gonna guess a 10 bolt complete with brakes weighs in at 225.
Others have pointed you in the right direction.
I would bring:
- complete rear end drum to drum
-4 new u bolts
- extra caps for rear u joint.
-battery powered grinder with cut off wheels & extra batteries (& safety glasses).
-a hack saw with spare blades.
-floor jack with jack stands & cribbing.
-lug wrench, and the wrenches for brake lines, u joints straps, u bolts, and shock bolts.
Does your replacement rear end have good brakes? If not I would bring a bolt to cap the rear brake line just to get off the trail (I wouldn't drive home on the street that way).
Good luck, keep us posted

 

[Recovry4x4]

A number of years (decades) ago, we were out wheelin and one friend was.climbing super steel hill in his 71Chevy when it pitched the rear lift blocks out. The truck collapsed on top of the axle on the hill. Broke lots of stuff but we were able ro remove and reinstall that rear on the hill. Lots of suring up, cables and winches to keep the truck in place and many high lift and bottle jacks to lift and jimmy stuff into place. By first sunlight we were headed out of the woods with the 71 in tow.

Someone mentioned brakes, good call. Brake fluid too, DOT 5 likely. Here's a question, your current axle has 3.73 gears. That is non stock. What does your replacement have?

 

[royalflush55]

Sounds like jack handle and mallet not big and heavy enough to get the job done. I would take a SOLID shaft that will fit in axle tube and a 10 to 20 pound sledge hammer and move that broken axle inward. If it won't move a bigger hammer is usually needed. It will move inward and probably the shards of metal will come loose holding it and then after removing c clip you can drive broken axle piece out. You might have to remove axle on the other side and take a longer shaft to drive broken axle out. I would try this before I hauled in another complete 10 or 12 bolt rear end for replacement. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[cucvrus]

Sounds like jack handle and mallet not big and heavy enough to get the job done. I would take a SOLID shaft that will fit in axle tube and a 10 to 20 pound sledge hammer and move that broken axle inward. If it won't move a bigger hammer is usually needed. It will move inward and probably the shards of metal will come loose holding it and then after removing c clip you can drive broken axle piece out. You might have to remove axle on the other side and take a longer shaft to drive broken axle out. I would try this before I hauled in another complete 10 or 12 bolt rear end for replacement. Good luck whatever you decide.

This is exactly my thoughts. This is what I had to do to Terminus M1009. That is why it was junked. Just a broken axle and both axles were removed to get the one out. I string was attached to a clean rag and drug though both tubes. And the both are of the center was mopped clean of debris. good luck. You need some right stuff and about 2 QT's of gear oil. Good Luck.

 

[doghead]

Do you have a replacement axel shaft?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dependable]

Wheel dolly, remove drive shaft, and limp it home in front wheel drive? Guess you'd have to plug or keep yoke in transfer case output & maybe terrain is to rough.

If I'm seeing the picture right, that hole in the differential cover might mean there is more wrong in there, perhaps indicating axle swap. '

Good luck.

 

[swbradley1]

Wheel dolly, remove drive shaft, and limp it home in front wheel drive? Guess you'd have to plug or keep yoke in transfer case output & maybe terrain is to rough.

If I'm seeing the picture right, that hole in the differential cover might mean there is more wrong in there, perhaps indicating axle swap. '

Good luck.

That was my first thought as well. Disconnect drive shaft put it up on dolly and drive it out.