xdeadeye1 Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 I got the 3 easy ones im down to the drivers side nut at the bottom I went and bought a wobble and a universal joint . Neither work The wobble only gives 12% angle / flex,, the universal is practicly bent at 45 Degrees. The cv axle is in the direct path of the nut ... Seriously how do you guys get that off? DO you remove the entire axle in front of it ?? I think Fairtax said use a 12 inch wobble extension,, Im using a 10" and it can reach easily but I cant get the socket over the nut squarely. only thing I can see to do is remove the axle. don't really want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 You can raise the engine with the mount nuts off or drive out the half shaft pin and slide it out a bit. I do a 6 point socket on a 3/8 universal and 6" extension. It usually works fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Raise the car as much as you can on stands to give you room to maneuver. A ratcheting open end from above also works as long as the heater hoses are not connected. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstevens76 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Raise the car as much as you can on stands to give you room to maneuver. A ratcheting open end from above also works as long as the heater hoses are not connected. O. Not if it's an automatic. We had to use a 3/8 swivel along with a couple extensions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdeadeye1 Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 ok gotcha,, I have the mounts undone,, so yeah I can raise the engine,, and that should help.. Ill try that tomorrow. I can see how the wobble extension SHOULD work,, but just cant get it on the nut square enough. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt167 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I dont remember how I got it. Swivels iirc. It was tight but accessible. I do know that I used a twist handle ratchet that you twist the handle to get a starting 'spin' usually, but it works to line the socket up nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoebee2 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hips on the front of the car. Lay over engine. Smash head and right arm down as far as you can. Use a friend to cross their legs and shake their head as you sing twinkle twinkle lil star. After you stop laughing crawl back under, use a 12" or 10" extension with either a wobble socket or a universal. Your going from the rear and on top of the crossmember. Depending on the studs installation the studdmmight be sticking out from the nut too far to allow a shallow socket to get a grip. Use a 1/2 deep or a deep socket and adjust the ammount of extension as needed. Unless there is something custom in the way it will work. You just need to hold your lip right as my dad used to say. As far as lifting the eng/trains to get some room that's fine. Just make sure you put one or of the top bolts back in first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdeadeye1 Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) Hips on the front of the car. Lay over engine. Smash head and right arm down as far as you can. Use a friend to cross their legs and shake their head as you sing twinkle twinkle lil star. After you stop laughing crawl back under, use a 12" or 10" extension with either a wobble socket or a universal. Your going from the rear and on top of the crossmember. Depending on the studs installation the studdmmight be sticking out from the nut too far to allow a shallow socket to get a grip. Use a 1/2 deep or a deep socket and adjust the ammount of extension as needed. Unless there is something custom in the way it will work. You just need to hold your lip right as my dad used to say. As far as lifting the eng/trains to get some room that's fine. Just make sure you put one or of the top bolts back in first. So youre sayin don't go from the top,, go from bottom. And its not the cross member that's in the way its the axle. I think I will also try putting the socket on the nut first and then try jamming the extension in to IT. ** sorry if I seem over dramatic, im just frustrated. Edited May 25, 2015 by xdeadeye1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battleborn Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I just got done doing the same thing yesterday. I removed the ball joint upper keeper bolt (14mm), used a prybar to drop the A arm out of the hub, drove out the CV pin so I could slide the axle out, and had plenty of room to get my impact gun on it. It was worth the three steps for the extra room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoebee2 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I'm saying I went from below all three times I've done it. You "should" be able,to get it from the top but it was easier for me to go from underneath. I slid back to just rear of the axel and you can see there is room. I had my cars on ramps so there was plenty of room under. However if you drop the starter you should be able to get a box end wrench on the stud nut if you want to go from the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 I just did this 2 hours ago from the top. Use the closed wrench and you have to lay across or crouch on top of the motor. (Assuming starter and heater core hoses are already removed) if you know the trick to link two wrenches for extra leverage, that's how to crack it loose. Then just get a progressively more uncomfortable as you get 1/4 turn at a time until you can loosen it with your fingers. It's one of the harder ones to get at but far from impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 (edited) That particular nut is one where I say to myself: "Who designed this terrible arrangement?", and then: "If that person was here with me now, I would give them a piece of my mind". However, there are not many such bad designs on my Subaru; far less than on other cars; the worst IMHO are the 'Detroit' designs, where I swear to myself continually about stupid layouts. For that lower nut, I use a swivel ratcheting/swivel wrench, similar to this one: http://www.sears.com/craftsman-12mm-locking-flex-ratcheting-combination-wrench/p-00942479000P?prdNo=40&blockNo=40&blockType=G40 (I can't recall if that nut is 12mm or 14mm; I've got both of these wrenches) The main problem is that you cannot see the nut, and wrench it simultaneously. You have to get in position to see the nut's location (best place is from above), and imprint that picture in your memory. Then (from underneath) blindly attach the wrench, by feeling with your fingers, and hope that you can get enough torque on the wrench to free the nut. Not the best arrangement, and not easy, but it works. Edited May 25, 2015 by forester2002s 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoebee2 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 It's. A 14mm. And ya, that's how I tightened it when I went back together with this last one. Using a micro-turn shorty ratcheting wrench. Like these: http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-9416-Metric-Master-Ratcheting/dp/B0002NYD1W/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1432583709&sr=8-5&keywords=gearwrench Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The "easiest" route is from the bottom. But the last swap I did about 2 mos ago, no matter how I tried. the swivel would always be at the wrong angle and locked up preventing me from turning the bolt. I have pulled axle pins before, but this time I did it from above both off and on, and yes it was an auto. O, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The "easiest" route is from the bottom. But the last swap I did about 2 mos ago, no matter how I tried. the swivel would always be at the wrong angle and locked up preventing me from turning the bolt. I have pulled axle pins before, but this time I did it from above both off and on, and yes it was an auto. O, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The "easiest" route is from the bottom. But the last swap I did about 2 mos ago, no matter how I tried. the swivel would always be at the wrong angle and locked up preventing me from turning the bolt. I have pulled axle pins before, but this time I did it from above both off and on, and yes it was an auto. O, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdeadeye1 Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 I tried again today. I didn't lift up the engine because the thing that's in the way from underneath is the cv axle. I have some play in the axle and the boot is torn,, so im just popping off the axle and ordering new ones while im there. From above, the tranny cooler line are in the way. Thanks for input. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstevens76 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 The "easiest" route is from the bottom. But the last swap I did about 2 mos ago, no matter how I tried. the swivel would always be at the wrong angle and locked up preventing me from turning the bolt. I have pulled axle pins before, but this time I did it from above both off and on, and yes it was an auto. O, If you got that thing from the top you have smaller arms and hands than me, and possibly a smaller ratchet. I don't know, I couldn't get a single angle in there from the top with the transmission cooler lines there. I almost got to the point of pulling the cooler lines, but we finally found the right combination of swivels/extensions to get it done. Going back on was a whole hell of a lot easier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 It's been a while since I've pulled one of these with an automagic trans and I wasn't thinking earlier about the width of the pan flange. Try this approach with a 3" extension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj7291993 Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) Most of the time, I can do it with an impact universal joint on a short socket. I like the impact universals better, because they don't bind up nearly as bad. Well... that and I can use my impact.... They are a bit bigger though. You can also get a socket with a built in universal if the other is too big. Something like this. My two are Snap-on and Mac, so the Craftsman might be bigger, not sure. Though, if it's causing that much trouble, I'd just pop the axle out. I've found that sometimes it quicker and easier just to remove the thing in your way than to try to work around it. The problems caused by the frustration just aren't worth it some times. Edited May 27, 2015 by Dj7291993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xdeadeye1 Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 Yeah that's what I did.. Popped off the axle, easy peezy. My Cv boot is torn in half anyway and it seems to be very flexible / loose. So im ordering another. Question: Im here so im thinking maybe I should get lower ball joints. The one that is on there, does move / swivel,, but not fluidly. It's kind of clunky.. Meaning it moves,, but it isn't all fluid motion in it's movements. So im looking at videos etc. and wondering am I making more work..? Does it need it? I know there are 180k on the odometer,, and I KNOw they haven't been changed out before. but the rubber on the ball joint itself is/ seems to be good. lol worrying about the pinch bolt on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj7291993 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 With the wheel on, if you grab the top and bottom to rock it, is there any play? Unless they are very loose, they are hard to check when they're apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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