New Axle

[sniperelite]

Ok so I got a new axle and I am wondering if you think the boots are already greased up? I would think that they are but you never know.

 

[squeak104]

Yes they are

 

[sniperelite]

Yup i figured after i wiggled it around a little I heard the grease in there.

 

[zero97tsi]

That would be extremely suck if they werent pre greased... making you take the boot off and shtuff.

 

[sniperelite]

Hey I cannot figure out how 2 pull the old axle out. Ive tried so many ways of prying it but it just wont move at all. Any suggestions

 

[99gst_racer]

Hey I cannot figure out how 2 pull the old axle out. Ive tried so many ways of prying it but it just wont move at all. Any suggestions

Which end is giving you trouble?

 

[sniperelite]

Well its actually both ends. I am still trying to get the hub off. I am trying to figure out a way to just cut thru it right now and also the end that goes into the tranny.

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

OK, calm down. Take a step back and take a deep breath. Before you start cutting, tell us what is giving you troubles.

 

[Ravenous]

It usually just takes some finessing, don't go at it with a big hammer. I had a heck of a time getting a blown axle out of the tranny, I pried, pulled, tapped, slammed with every tool I could find. It came out with a 6 inch flat head screwdriver and a light twist... I was so mad... but ecstatic at the same time.

 

[sniperelite]

Well heres the thing. Which ive made another post about but anyways from 13 years of Chicago weather and salt my hub has completely seized to the axle. I got a 5 ton hub puller and found myself giving it all the muscle i could to turn it even when it was attached to a 7 foot breaker bar. All it ended up doing was mushrooming in the end of the axle. Ive pryed it from the back, slammed on the axle from the front, heated it up and tried slamming on it, ive tried even getting a sawsall and tried to cut thru it but nothing because it is hardened steel. Ive now tried getting drill bits and tried drilling multiple holes into the hub and also i was going to try an drill out the end of the axle but its all hardened steel and wont move at all.

 

[knochgoon24]

I had the rear axle seize to my hub. gotta love road salt. I put it in a 15 ton press, used a hub puller, heated it with an torch, and tried every trick known to man. Ended up having to buy a new hub. Just watch out and make sure you don't damage the ABS sensor if you've got it.

 

[Ravenous]

I feel for you man, I have been lucky so far with my car. The things that have been stuck eventually came out with a little effort. It sounds to me like you are exhausting your options. Depending on how much it mushroomed you may just have to get a new hub.

 

[sniperelite]

Guys, I have 2 BRAND NEW hubs and a BRAND NEW passenger side axle sitting in my garage right now. That is why I dont care how I get the hub/axle off, I just want it off. If there are any ways you guys know how I can cut thru the hub/axle without using a torch please let me know.

 

[gekido666_1]

go to vfaq.com it will show u pics and steps to remove all kinda thing.

 

[knochgoon24]

I've only removed a rear axle from my car, but maybe this will help.

I was able to get the 4 bolts bolting the wheel bearing hub to rest of the car without needing to take the hub off. Make sure those bolts are out. You'll pry all day and get nowhere without the wheel hub bearings unbolted.

I had to cut the clip on the larger side of the outer cv boot to get it through the hole.

I had both of my back tires off the ground and we slowly spun them a little by hand. I don't know if this helped but it did come out. We pryed then spun a little, pryed, then spun a little.

Again, this was for the rear axle of my AWD, not sure if any of this will help.

 

[sniperelite]

Well I finally got it!! I decided to go out to home depot and picked up a grinder and 4 blades for just under $40. I spent about 2-3 hours of cutting and cutting and cutting again. I was going to try to cut the whole thing in half but it was eating up my blades very quickly. So what I did was pulled the hub out as far as I could to where I could see the backside of it and cut all the way around the inner housing of it.

Here is a picture for reference. I cut where the red line is all the way around the hub like that.

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I also cut around the outer part of the rotor, pretty much on the inner side of where the 5 bolts are located. I could then slide the large part of the rotor off of the end of the axle and pull the part of the hub that was seized to the axle thru the back side of the spindle. If I were to go back and do it again, one thing that I would absolutely do is wear a facemask to protect your mouth and nose. I was breathing metal that turned into dust for about almost 3 hours straight. When I went outside and spit on the ground it was pure black. So obviously a face mask would help. I would have assembled the whole thing back together but my toes were starting to get frostbite seeing as it is about 15 degrees here in chicago. I would definatly recommend this method to someone who nomatter what you do you cannot get the hub off of the axle and you still want to save the spindle/knuckle inbetween them. Obviously you will have to replace the hub and the axle, but I got both of them off of ebay for about 76 dollars for the axle and about 125 for two hubs. All of these items were brand new and total it came out to about 200 dollars which is not bad. So I will wake up early tomorrow and reassemble everything and hopefully have the car running in time to take it to work.

 

[knochgoon24]

Good luck. It's a DSM, you'll need it.