drive axle pin problems 2003 outback

[bluebird]

 

I posted yesterday about my 2003 outback wagon 2.5 about
170,000 the post was about replacing a drive axle and some wobbling in the
steering wheel. 

Anyway I started on the passenger side axle today and ran
into more problems than I can ever remember from doing this on a 1999.  Very tight underneath real struggle to get
the pin out but finally did.  Then the
first new axle I had wouldn’t go all the way onto the differential splines even
with lube.  Took it back got another brand,
went on fine.

Now I can’t get the pin all the way back in.  It is in to a point where it is through the differential
shaft but won’t go into the hole in the axle. 
This new axle has chamfered hole on both sides and both sides of the differential
shaft are the same, not Chamfered.  So I went
with the ridge/ valley approach and I’m sure I have it set up correctly.

I gave up at his point for now and want to know if I can go
forward without the pin being all the way in? 
I guess it is about 3/8 in shy.  I
leaning toward this as I’m not sure I can get the pin back out now.  And if I do I don’t know what I can do differently
to make it go all the way in.  6 hours of
frustration.

What do you think about leaving the pin sticking out a bit?  I don’t see where it could be a problem
really.

Thanks in advance
 

 

[porcupine73]

Pull the axle off the diff stub shaft, rotate 180 degrees, slide it back on, then the pin should go in. I think what you're describing is the roll pin going into the axle but not into the stub shaft? If that's the case you cannot leave it that way. It has to go into the stub shaft. That said, the aftermarket axles I've noticed sometimes come with a roll pin that's 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer than necessary. If that's the case then yes some may be sticking out.

 

Make your pin punch longer by finding the smallest deepwell 12 pt socket you can fit the pin punch into, then use some electrical tape to hold it in, then attach a socket extension. Now the pin punch will be nice and long.

Edited October 24, 2014 by porcupine73

[bluebird]

Thanks for the reply. 
I have rotated 180 twice and had the same result.  As you said the pin goes through the first
part of the axle then into the diff stub but stops where it should go into the other
side of the axle.  The pin is the correct
length as I have checked it on the old axle. 
I will try again in the am. 

I have been taking the pin out from the bottom and putting
it in from the stop. I am using a variation of the socket with extension to
hammer it in from the top. I was not able to get the pin out this last time,
the tool I was using (a gutter nail with the point cut off) got stuck in the
pin instead of knocking it out.  Great suggestion
for an extend punch.  I will make one of
those up and see if I can get it out and try another 180 rotation.

Just curious what do you think the risk is having just a bit
of the pin sticking out?  Seems to me if
the pin is to keep the axle from moving on the splines that ¾ of it should be enough.  I know it looks bad and iand seems half
a**  But at some point I need to t get
the car back together!

 

[porcupine73]

Does it look all lined up if you shine a flashlight through before you drive the roll pin? I mentioned the 180 thing because it will slide on at two positions, but align perfectly with the hole in the stub shaft in only one position. If it's going into the stub shaft it sounds like it must be right. Maybe the type/brand of axle has something funny about it that it doesn't want to accept the roll pin in the opposite side. Only other thing I can think maybe is try driving the roll pin without the axle connected to the stub shaft, i.e. to verify that the axle does indeed accept the pin.

[bluebird]

 
 

I forgot to mention in my last reply that before I drove in
the pin this last time I took and allen wrench that was just a tiny bit smaller
than the pin and it went right through all the way.  So I was surprised when it stopped
short.  Once I get the pin back out I
will try another pin, I might have one laying around here somewhere.

 

[ocei77]

As p73 said, the axle stub is in the wrong position. If the tranny side did not move, just make sure the dimpled side is where you are inserting the pin. If you removed it from the top, insert it from the top this will maintain the hole alignment. I once did what you are doing and couldn't figure out why it didn't go back in. Time and frustration got me and I temporarily inserted a nail and bent it. Thought more at length later and rotated the stub and voila!

I just took a 12 inch 1x1 piece of wood, drilled a hole an inch down a bit smaller than the punch and tapped the punch into it. Easy, firm and disposable.

 

O.

[Fairtax4me]

I've had this trouble before with the aftermarket roll pins. My solution... Bigger hammer.

You do need a good solid purchase on the pin with a large punch, but if you can get a solid hit with a 1.5-2lb hammer it will get the pin past that notch and all the way through.

It's definitely easier to use a Subaru roll pin, but sometimes it just isn't feasible to get one. Dealer is too far away, or closed for the weekend and you need the car Monday morning, etc.

I've started grabbing them out of junkyard cars. Most of the ones I knock out are cruddy replacements and I just toss them, but the few Subaru ones I find are worth keeping.

[bluebird]

 

Here is an update, problem solved but new issue.

This morning I got the pin that wouldn’t go through out and
without moving anything I inserted a pin I had laying around, maybe a Subaru don’t
know.  Made up a variation of the tool
obligate carnivore suggested and it drove all the way through with little
effort.  Bad Pin I guess.

Now after I got it all back together I was tightening the
large axle nut and noticed that it didn’t seem to go back as far as I expected.  Looked at the other side and that side the
axle come through the nut a bit.  On the
side I just finished it doesn’t. I thought it might go back when I torqued it
but it didn’t.  Since it was all back
together I decided to drive it and it drives just fine.  No vibrations or clunking and the old
vibrations and clunking are gone.

What do you think about this situation? Anybody run into
this before?

Thanks for all the feedback so far
 

 

[porcupine73]

Usually after replacing the axle, after I tighten the axle nut, then I stop after driving the vehicle maybe 10-20 feet and check that the nut is still tight enough. Then I check it again a few times after progressively longer trips. Though I have forgotten to stake the nut and had it loosen up a year later and trash the bearing.

[idosubaru]

i never replace Subaru axle pins - i reuse them for decades and hundreds of thousands of miles, never seen an issue or heard of them coming out.  i throw away new ones and reuse the old ones.

you're fine  on that point.

 

aftermarket axles suck - rebooting used Subaru axles is a better idea, but you can cross that bridge later when these aftermarkets start having issues.

[CNY_Dave]

I had an axle from Napa where the pin holes would not line up, rotationally. One way was obviously a no-go, the other way rotating the axle 180 was closer but the hole was still occluded.

I returned the axle, next one fit no sweat.

 

To clarify, old pujn, new pin fit into the stub fine and into the joint fine, the splines/holes just had a rotational tolerance stackup or such...

Edited October 31, 2014 by CNY_Dave

[shortlid]

Ya pin that came with after market axle was to thick. One that father in law that was SAE fit great! My axle nut also did not stick out as much.