AWD is working again!!
Hi to all, I know it's been a while, but I finally got a new intermediate drive shaft and the correct AWD disconnect for the Buick Rainier. It uses part number 600-116 (not 600-115). This part is for vehicles that do not have any controls on the dash for AWD. Bought the drive shaft for $50 US on eBay part number 12479125, new with 10 year warranty. Bought the disconnect on Amazon for $125, 1 year warranty. US.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09JK7C9GP/?tag=gmtnation-20
So for under $200 US was able to repair my AWD, here is how I did it:
I recommend you remove the steering knuckle to gain awesome access. It took me about 20 mins to remove. Jack up front of vehicle on jack stands, remove the wheel, axle nut (loosen prior to jacking if you don't have an impact gun), remove entire caliper assembly and hang off spring. remove rotor, disconnect ABS cable from knuckle and hub. Next disconnect the tie rod end, lower ball joint nut, upper control arm pinch bolt. Now the entire knuckle can be removed and set aside.
Not sure why, but I had a hell of time getting the CV axle to pop out. I had a slide hammer CV puller that's 3 feet long and pretty heavy duty. Nothing. It would not budge. I ended up removing the plastic access cover under the engine and accessing the CV axle from there. Used a wide mouth fork and a sledge hammer to release the CV axle. Worked well. See pictures for more info.
After setting aside the CV axle, I removed 4 bolts from the disconnect. Do not remove them all. Some keep the housing together, some mount the housing to the differential. See my pictures, it shows which need removing. The rest stay on. I used a solid metal pipe and a hammer to knock out the disconnect from the access under the front engine. It is not easy to pull this out from the differential cover. Best to knock it out with a hammer and metal pipe from the inside out. Next pulled out intermediate drive shaft out by hand, came out no problem. The old one looked worn, not sure if it's terrible. Look at the photos and judge for yourself. Personally I would not take the chance for $50. Cleaned up the surface that the disconnect mated to in differential case with sandpaper and a rag with carb cleaner, then applied a small amount of grease on mating surface of new disconnect. Slid right in, no problems. Cleaned up end of CV axle prior to reinstalling (it was gummed up with old grease) and used new grease on splines. See pictures. Slid it in, ensuring that it locked into place.
Reinstall knuckle, ABS wire, axle nut, rotor, caliper assembly, wheel and you are done. Total time was about 5 hours, 1 hour was spent fighting the CV axle. If I did it again I think 2 to 3 hours would do it. I would also recommend an impact gun for the job. It comes in very handy for the axle nut, tie rod end, ball joint nut, lug nuts. For me, a fork to separate the CV axle was also crucial for the job. Finish off the job with draining and refilling the differential fluid, who knows what ended up in the fluid during this mechanical failure.
If you are an intermediate or higher DIY person you can do this job. Make sure you have the correct parts and the tools you need. I saved about $1000 to $1500 by DIYing it. That is worth 5 hours of my time. Hope this helps some of you out there. The only difference with the non automatic AWD systems is that the disconnect has a solenoid on it which means you need part number 600-115 instead of 600-116. Other than that it should be the same as this one.
Thanks to the experts on the board for your help, couldn't have done it without you!
