Axle Removal....was: RE: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R Part 1

[Mark Mucher]

Thanks, George - It's forwarded!

The only other question I have now is whether to replace a creaking strut
bearing (I think!) at the same time and what additional steps would be
involved...
 

-----Original Message-----
From: George Fourchy [mailto:krazgeo@comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 3:34 AM
To: Mark Mucher
Subject: Axle Removal....was: RE: [Shotimes] Front Strut R&R Part 1

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:39:01 -0500, Mark Mucher wrote:

>But have you got (or have you seen) good 1st gen axle shaft instructions?
>(I didn't see any in SHOtimes .)

Hey Mark....I saw this message, then lost track of it.  Do me a
favor....forward it to the list if you would....messages this long from me
don't make it.  Thanks....

Exactly what do you want to do?  The thing that comes to mind is removing it
from the car to rebuild it, replace the boots, or swap it out.

To remove the axle, you have to do one more significant thing before you
jack up the car.....you need to remove the huge nut holding the axle into
the knuckle's hub. 
That is a 30 (I think) mm socket.  While the wheel is on the ground, loosen
that nut with your biggest breaker bar or ratchet.  You just stand on it
turning it to the left while facing it.  Once it is loose, you can remove it
the rest of the way after the tire is off and the car is jacked up.  Take
the nut all the way off before you remove the strut...it's a lot more steady
with the strut holding the knuckle in place.  If you are just heading for
the axle, you don't HAVE to remove the strut, but you do have to pop it out
of the knuckle, as if you were removing it.  I'd remove it just to get it
out of the way, since getting it out of the strut is 80% of the battle.
Also, after the strut is out, remove the caliper (and rotor).  You want the
knuckle to be as light as possible when maneuvering it around to get the
axle out.

After you remove the strut, you can give yourself the needed added support
for the knuckle by reconnecting the tie-rod end, and putting the nut on it
hand tight.  You are going to have to either disconnect the LCA (lower
control arm) from the subframe, or the knuckle from the LCA.  During regular
strut removal, this arm is what holds the knuckle to the car.  It needs to
be held by one component or the other, so that you don't have to completely
hold it with your arms....it and the axle are pretty heavy.  You have to
either remove the LCA outer bolt (what I do) to pop the knuckle off of it,
or remove the LCA from the subframe, so that the knuckle will bend around
enough so that you can tap the axle out of the hub.  If you don't give it
this extra freedom, there won't be room for the axle to go out from the
inside of the knuckle.    (....a picture is worth 1000 words.  I'm beginning
to
seriously plan a video, as of today, and it will include this procedure,
plus replacing boots on the axles.)

When the knuckle is loose enough to be able to slide out (towards you) from
under the fender a ways, and also be able to bend 45 degrees or so to the
outside (left turn on the left side, right turn on the right side), you have
enough room to tap the axle out of the knuckle.  Use a fairly heavy hammer
with a short handle....lots of momentum and accuracy with not too hard a
hit...to tap the splined axle outer end out of the knuckle.  It might go
easy, and it might be hard.  You might want to use some PB Blaster or WD-40,
or some other thread breaker in advance, if you have rust.
 Here, they tap out fairly easy.  Once the axle is out of the knuckle, it
(the
knuckle) is relatively light, and can just hang from the tie-rod end.  Go
under the car with a long heavy screwdriver, and find where the inner
stubshaft goes into the differential housing.  Pry it out with the
screwdriver, and have a can to catch the oil....maybe a half-pint will drip
out.  Catch/hold the axle with your other hand...or it will fall to the
ground.

I took some pictures when I did my left side axle boot a couple of months
ago, back when I blew the brake line, but they aren't on the web site yet.
I ought to do that....

Reinstallation is pretty much the opposite.  A new (remanufactured) axle
will have a tight c-clip on the inside end, and might be hard to snap into
the diff.  I just tap it with the same hammer.....slow and cautious, but
with the momentum.  It goes in fine.  Make sure you get it started straight,
or you could mess up the seal....I've never had to change seals yet.  Then
start the outer end in the knuckle, and get it started....the nut can draw
it all the way when you tighten it.  Now put the rest together, and before
the tire goes on, snug the big nut.  When it's on the ground again, tighten
the nut.  The torque is 250 pounds or so, so just jump on the breaker bar.
The book says replace the nut.  I don't.  They've stayed tight for 8 years
since the axles were replaced the first time.

I KNOW you have questions.....ask away.

;-)

George


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