Rear axle shaft popped out of differential

[lo_jack]

I started noticing gear oil on the new, epoxied garage floor. I thought it could have been the drain plug leaking, so I drained and put a new crush washer on the plug and torqued back up. It was still leaking.

I asked my indy to take a look at it when he tried to figure out my engine oil leak, and he showed me the driver rear axle shaft has popped out of the differential about 2" and will not go back in.

No noises, no problems. It just won't seat the last 2" or so, and oil is dripping out of the diff where the shaft inserts. Of course, all the rotating assembly on the hub/ wheel side keeps it from coming clean out.

He said the c-clip might be busted, and we could fix that by popping the rear diff and replacing it. Does that sound reasonable, and is there any magic to R&R a rear diff cover?

[Doru]

Is this what you have?

[lo_jack]

Yes, but we tried to wedge it back in with a prybar and it would not seat like yours did. Something is keeping it from flushing down correctly.

[Doru]

Maybe the splines were not aligned, or the pseudo snap ring doesn't allow it. if that snap ring got bent or out of shape, that might do it I believe. And in order to take out the half shaft, there is lots to undo. But maybe try to take out the wheel, let the air out from the air spring, so there is no tension and less weight, and try it that way. It might allow even to pull it out further, so you can see if the snap ring is damaged.

[lo_jack]

I have coil springs, so no problem there. I'll try and pull it out from the hub side this weekend and see what I see.