I just bought a 2017 XE 25t from a salvage auction. Car looks great but must have gone off a jump or something because the rear diff is crushed. I'm trying to pull it out so I can see what it is and get a new one, however, I can't get the rear axles out. I bought a pdf repair manual, but it is garbage, just has drawings and shows the axles just pulling out after you pivot the rear bearing assembly down out of the way. But mine won't pull back out. I can't find any clips or any way to get it loose.

 

Can you not remove the suspension knuckle and work inward to the diff?

 

I can't get the axle out of the knuckle or out of the diff. Do you know how to remove it? The PDF manual a bought just shows it pulling out from the back but I can't get it to.

 

I was wondering to you fully unbolted the knuckle would everything not pull outward as possible your axles are either bent or just too torqued to move. By dropping the knuckle the axle would free up.

 

It is loose enough now I think, when I pull the knuckle it pivots downward but the axle stops it. The “instructions” say to pivot it down and the axle will automatically pull out the back.

 

Assuming car has no significant damage. I would fully remove knuckle.

 

I've removed all the bolts from the knuckle, it can flop around more now. The issue remains, the axle won't pull out of the back.