Can I roll my car without front axles???

[lcanino7914]

I have a 95 gsx that i need to move. The motor, tranny, and axles are taken out. Is it safe to roll the car onto a trailer or do I need something to squeeze the wheel bearings so that I don't damage them? Any idea what to use?

 

[TSIfreek]

Yes you can move your car without the axles. Our wheel bearings are the sealed/ pressed into the spindles. They are not like the old trailer bearings.

 

[Wizard]

Wrong, rolling our cars without the axles WILL cause wheel bearing failure. I have in fact had them fail just rolling a parts car 10 out of a garage and 10 feet back in. Then wondered why the front wheel seemed liked the lug nuts were loose. Almost any FWD car needs torque on the bearings to prevent them front coming apart. It also states in the manuals too. That is some of the reason for the high torque required when tightening the nuts.

3 ways around this:
(1) Jack up the front in someway and wheel it around
(2) Find some bad axles, or at least the outer joints and install them
(3) Find 2 bolts long and thick enough along with washers and nuts. Best found at tractor supply store. (Haynes manual has a nice diagram giving you size and length required.

Wiz

 

[TSIfreek]

I have done it with no problems??

 

[steve]

I have done it with no problems??

So what. That only means it hasn't failed on you yet.

The only thing holding the bearing races together and hub in the knuckle is the axle. If you remove it there is nothing keeping it together. Check the FSM, they have a special tool that is stub axle for servicing.

Steve

 

[destrux]

If your bearings are a very tight fit on the hubs you might get away with it, but it's not worth the risk. If they pop apart they will ruin the seals at the very least. Just get some old outboard cv joints from the junkyard or use a bolt with two washers through the hole in the hub.