The roll pin from hell

[nithinmike]

I've been doing a CV axle replacement on my 98 Legacy... for the past 5 days

 

Things haven't exactly gone to plan - from stubborn axle nuts to broken punches, it's been an interesting time.

 

My latest issue came when inserting the new roll pin - I made sure the holes lined up as well as I could (even got a second pair of eyes to help me guide the axle onto the right spline), but the roll pin still stopped going in halfway through. So I got a 10 lb weight and used that as a hammer on my "Subaru axle pin removal tool" (purchased off Amazon, basically a fancy long punch). Well, the punch split open the roll pin and slid inside. So, in an attempt to get the damaged roll pin out, I spun the axle 180 and hammered from the other side - the same thing happened again, this time inside the axle - my punch is now lodged inside the roll pin, which is stuck in the axle, near impossible to get out. I

 

I've tried using a small diameter rod to slide inside the roll pin and hammer out the punch, and I've attached vise grips to the handle of the punch and hammered up on them in an attempt to pull it out - neither has worked.

 

This is a rough spot - I can't get the car towed because it is parked in a garage and the front axles won't turn with a 2 foot rod sticking out of the CV axle, maybe someone has input on this?

 

 

Attached two pics, one shows the stuck punch, the other shows the roll pin from under the car and how it has spread apart.

[Fairtax4me]

Put the vice grips on the handle of the punch and twist it as you pull. Once you get the punch out, grab the pin with the vice grips and try to use a prybar or something against the vice grips to pull the pin out.

 

What kind of pin is it? The Subaru ones are the best with the serrated seam. Never have had a problem with those.

The aftermarket ones with the straight seam are junk. They aren't round and they're always a pain to get in. I've broken a few of those. I toss them in the trash and use old subaru ones.

[dp213]

When you do get it out, I believe you need to rotate the axle 180%. I had the same thing happen with a pin. The axle looked perfectly aligned but the pin only went in half way. After prying like hell to get it back out, I pulled the axle out of the tranny and rotated it 180 and the pin went right in

[fishy]

When you do get it out, I believe you need to rotate the axle 180%. I had the same thing happen with a pin. The axle looked perfectly aligned but the pin only went in half way. After prying like hell to get it back out, I pulled the axle out of the tranny and rotated it 180 and the pin went right in

 

Very this!

[DaveT]

I am posting this to help somene who may come across this before they get into this situation.... Roll pins should tap in, not be hammered in. When something isn't going right, stop. More force is not often the correct answer.

[CNY_Dave]

I had an axle from NAPA that kid you not would not line up in either of the 2 possible orientations.

 

One orientation was alllllmost aligned, the other clearly not.

 

Had to return it for another, which went right in.

 

So, even with rotating there can be a gotcha now and then.