X5 rear output shaft out from differential

[Doru]

Hello everybody.
I changed the 2 rear ball joints at the wheel carrier level, and after the install I noticed that the passenger side output shaft has come out about 1/4" from the rear differential. I noticed it this morning, when I saw some oil on the ground. Yesterday, after the repair I went for a drive, and all was good (apparently), but somehow during the repair, I probably pulled the passenger half shat out of the differential.

It's here in this picture from realoem, close to the differential:

.

The question is: how do I place it back? I couldn't find anything by searching/googling

P.S.: it's at the "reinforcement" level = part #2 - just behind it, where some sort of conical protection is. You can see the shining driveshaft between that conical protection part and the differential.

P.P.S.: here is a pic of the issue. How can I place it back?

[Doru]

Wow!!! So many views, no answer.
Anyways, I fixed it: I pressed it back with a screwdriver wedged between the exhaust & the flange, and it snapped right back in.
Now I need to top up the differential fluid.

[civdiv99]

So just the little clip wasn't seated, then?

Originally Posted by Doru

Wow!!! So many views, no answer.
Anyways, I fixed it: I pressed it back with a screwdriver wedged between the exhaust & the flange, and it snapped right back in.
Now I need to top up the differential fluid.

[Doru]

Originally Posted by civdiv99

So just the little clip wasn't seated, then?

In a way, yes.
To change the half drive shaft seal, you just pull out the flange that bolts up to the half drive shaft (reverse thread hex bolts #11 or #12).
That flange has the splined shaft that enters the pumpkin, and is sealed and also has that "snap" ring, which is not a snap ring per se, it's just a round piece of steel almost like a key chain ring. It acts like a spring, and the flange can be puled out/pressed in very easy (by hand) - so that clip was seated, but it's very easy to unseat it - not the clip, but the half shaft.
The seal, is another matter. If that one fails and you need to replace it, you want a special tool like the one in the pic below (axle seal puller tool), so as to NOT scratch the sealing part of the pumpkin. Any scratch there will lead to diff oil seeping out.

Axle seal puller tool images

[garrett.fell]

Originally Posted by Doru

Hello everybody.
I changed the 2 rear ball joints at the wheel carrier level, and after the install I noticed that the passenger side output shaft has come out about 1/4" from the rear differential. I noticed it this morning, when I saw some oil on the ground. Yesterday, after the repair I went for a drive, and all was good (apparently), but somehow during the repair, I probably pulled the passenger half shat out of the differential.

It's here in this picture from realoem, close to the differential:

.

The question is: how do I place it back? I couldn't find anything by searching/googling

P.S.: it's at the "reinforcement" level = part #2 - just behind it, where some sort of conical protection is. You can see the shining driveshaft between that conical protection part and the differential.

P.P.S.: here is a pic of the issue. How can I place it back?

This is my problem exactly! I hope it just pops right back in!