TerryD's 2007 Xterra S "Pepper" *NOW WITH TITAN SWAP!*

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I'm not excited about having to have a slide hammer to pull shafts. 9" Fords just slide apart and they have the same axle retention setup. WTF?

Anyways.... pieces are on the way. Hoping to get the plates swapped tomorrow.
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Yeah. The Ford 9 and the 1st Gen X had captive outers. So four bolts and pull. On this axle, you need the slide hammer to separate the outer bearing. The race stays in the axle.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Yeah. The Ford 9 and the 1st Gen X had captive outers. So four bolts and pull. On this axle, you need the slide hammer to separate the outer bearing. The race stays in the axle.
It's not actually the bearing that's the issue. It's the seal is pressed into the tube rather than the retainer plate like a 9". The side hammer pulls the seals out of the tube which is good because you're not damaging the bearing wheel you pull the shaft but a PITA to need ANOTHER specialty tool to do the job.

Anyways. Got one side swapped. Gotta move the mower to do the other but the mower battery is dead. Always something around this joint.
 

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
just an fyi for next time (wish I saw this earlier), a small pry bar will pop the m226 axles out easily after you unbolt the retaining plate. No need for a slide hammer.

more details please? My ‘weeping’ seal has decided to start puking and I’m honestly considering just paying to have it done.
 

jsexton

Need Bigger Tires
Location
Lewis Center, OH
more details please? My ‘weeping’ seal has decided to start puking and I’m honestly considering just paying to have it done.


I used a bar similar to this

15 in. Forged Half Round Handy Bar

https://www.homedepot.com/p/202183846

it’s been long enough I don’t remember exactly where I put it, but I believe I unbolted they backing plate and put the bar between the plate and the axle tube. Popped the shaft right out easily.

l6mFauU.jpg


edit, behind that plate, not on the tone ring.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
Remember not to torque those diff cover bolts... a 1/4 turn past snug is good. So many folks have busted those things.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Should have started Friday but I have the rear axle almost ready to pull.

Also found a full set of X package steelies for $50. Gonna lose these leaky aluminum jobs and get something I can beat straight with a hammer. Will need a 5th for a spare but these aren't rare wheels buy any stretch.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Are the little pins in the locker supposed to be free floating?

I guess we'll see!! Hoping to get the OE cover back on tonight and clean up my parking brake tensioners to get them ready to install. Was going to change rotors but the bad wheel bearings and rear CV cut into that budget. Gotta order those parts soon. May go ahead and stick a new u-joint in the front of the rear shaft while it's all out. AFAIK it's original to the truck as well.

Could use a set of 2* shims if anyone has a pair laying around they'd part with. Not a HAVE to have but when I run empty I am just on the edge of bad vibrations.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
The OE cover is back on with the lube locker gasket and the axle is ready to drag outside and finish grinding off the sway bar mounts.

If the weather holds I'm hoping to get the shackles off, brake hoses unhooked from the body side and swing the springs down. I think I can then use my floor jack to slide the C200K out and the M226 in after the u-bolts are off.

I also need to order my wheel bearings today. Is Timken still the prefered brand for us?
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
You didn't drop the shackle bolts on the leaf springs and just roll the axle out on a floor jack?

Er ma gerd... it's sooo much easier than lifting it over the leafs.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
You didn't drop the shackle bolts on the leaf springs and just roll the axle out on a floor jack?

Er ma gerd... it's sooo much easier than lifting it over the leafs.

Not vs trying to get my OE shackles out of the Alcan bushings... That had been my original plan but they wouldn't budge. I had to use a c-clamp to get them together originally.

I considered going with after market shackles but don't have it in the budget to not really gain anything right now. It's high enough in the rear and honestly the way we pulled the axle wasn't that bad.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Well, delayed by an amazing supper. The wife fixed steak, potatoes and sugar snap peas for supper and followed that up with home made cinnamon buns. No one can move.... we'll have to get the axle out tomorrow to do the grinding....
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I walked in the house and my wife said "let me change my shirt and we'll get that axle outside." I love her.

Got the remains of the sway bar mounts ground off and painted. Also pulled the calipers off the old axle and the driver's side front.

Hope to get the axle on the springs tomorrow and start hooking things up.

Then I can dive deeper into the front and maybe have it rolling again this weekend.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Well, I nabbed that set of steelies only to get home and realize they were 15"...

I didn't know they put 15" wheels on this platform?!? They came from a 2nd gen Frontier 4cyl truck. Weird...

But I got 4 nice hub caps from the deal and gonna have a buddy pull the tires. He wants them for farm stuff and then I'll try to hock these to one of ya'll who want to run real 35's or scrap them eventually.

I got the output shaft seals replaced in the front diff yesterday before heading off to go get those wheels. Then the wife wanted to go for a ride so we piled up in the pickup and went riding. There's a local road she's not been on that's basically a gravel road with about a half dozen creek crossings on it so we worked our way over there and rode through.

It was a beautiful day and all the city boys were out riding their big lifted Jeeps through. We got some interesting looks as they passed us. 20' long crew cab 4x4 on 265/75/16s and a cab load of kids. It was a fun day though. We topped it off with Settlers of Catan and a bucket of KFC chicken.

I'm hoping the nice weather holds. I would like to get the rear axle set on the springs and get the front diff swapped today. Then all I have to do this week is basically bolt things back up, bleed the brakes and fill the diffs.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
We got the M226 sitting on the springs now. Also pulled the CVs and front drive shaft. So tomorrow I'm gonna try to drop the front diff.

Can you drop the front diff without pulling the crossmember?
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
After supper this evening, I got the u-bolts back on, got the axle retainers and parking brake anchors torqued, the parking brake cables in place, the axle vent replaced with the nipple and hose hooked back up, both shackles reassembled and the driver's side shock back on.


Another couple days like this and we'll be rolling again. I think tomorrow I can get the rear buttoned up. I was delayed by having to cut a few more brackets off the axle to clear the u-bolt flip setup.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
That's a no no. Ubolts are cheap. Get new ones.
I've only ever replaced u-bolts once and that was these when I went to the Alcans for obvious reasons.

I swapped axles twice in my Dad's S10 Blazer, probably 5 times in my V8 S10, my K5 and my Cherokee had the u-bolts apart 3 times swapping rear spring setups.

The Cherokee and S10s were never re-torque either, just run home with a 1/2" drive impact. Between those three alone we put 100k miles on reused u-bolts...
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Yes. Once the Drive shaft is off and the Cv's are out it's literally just 3 bolts. Have a helping hand so ya don't drop it on yer noggin.

Easy Peasy.
I thought so looking at it but didn't want to get it hung in there sideways and then have to go back and pull the crossmember.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
Once changed a buddies blown diff in about an hour and a half from drive it in, to drive it out. Might take you a 1/2 hour as your truck sits now.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Got the parking brakes, rear brakes and brake hoses installed this evening. The wife filed the spacers out on the passenger side shock and she got the lower bolt back in it.

I'm curious if my rear driveshaft is going to be too long. I'm going to have to put weight on the springs and check it but it's going to be close.
 
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