axle change - my story

[wesley willis]

the boots on the DOJ for both front axles on my 88 gl hatch were totally gone, so i got some reman axles from the dealer in town. getting the old one out was easy, getting the new one in was a different story all together. loosened the strut tower nuts - no dice. unclamped the sway bar - no dice. control arm let down - small amount of dice. turned wheel to the side i was working on and it worked. i made a spacer from a pipe and got to threading the axle thru the wheel bearings. i even had to take off the hub. got everything connected nicely and when to drive in the pin to hold the axle in place. it wouldn't budge. of course i had to do everything the hardest way possible. now i have a fully functional front end minus a pin on one of the axles.

my question is, will it fall off when im driving? i know it's better off being put in properly, but i need to drive to work in the morning and will fix it after.

 

i know there's 1000 threads about this as axle changes on subarus are quite frequent, but i had to vent i suppose. i am definately not cut out to be a mechanic. i can try though.

[Ross]

Well, it probably wont fall off. Probably. That is, unless you do any sharp cornering, or get the suspension twisted up. I wouldn't risk it if you have to drive very far, or at high speed.

 

You may already know this, but the reason the pin wont go in is probably because you have the axle on 180 degrees out - it does make a difference, even though it doesn't look like it.

[edrach]

Ross, is correct. You should pull the axle off the tranny stub axle again and rotate the DOJ 1/2 turn and line up the holes again. Note the small bevel on the stub axle and the bevel on the DOJ...they should be aligned before trying to re-install the roll pin. Doing this is easier than you think. Remove the wheel, remove the one long bolt holding the lower swingarm to the frame. This will allow you to move the strut just enough to let the DOJ come off the stub axle, rotate it and re-install it in the right orientation. When you re-install the long bolt just get the nut on and started; do not tighten the nut yet! Re-install the wheel and let the car back down onto the ground and let the suspension travel normally. Now you can crawl under the car and tighten the nut on the long bolt. Good luck.

[soobme]

If U use cotter pins insted of roll pins the cotter pin will go through if it's 180* off or not;) That's all I have EVER used on my joints, and have NEVER had a problem with 'em:)

(the cotter pins that is:-p )

[Sweet82]

When I bought the Road Warrier I found a roll pin missing up front.

 

Aparently it had been driven for sometime? without a pin in place?

 

I haven't tracked down a 3/16" roll pin yet but I'm thinking on using a good solid nail like other board members are using...

 

I'd think any pin is better than no pin?

My .02

Glenn

82 SubaruHummer

84 GL Mad Max--waiting nail or roll pin

01 Forester

[edrach]

If you're 180 degrees out, you will be half a tooth out and only have half the hole available. A skinny cotter pin will go through but not the roll pin.

If U use cotter pins insted of roll pins the cotter pin will go through if it's 180* off or not;) That's all I have EVER used on my joints, and have NEVER had a problem with 'em:)

(the cotter pins that is:-p )

[wesley willis]

thanks, i turned the axle 180 degrees and voila - pin in like nobody's business. the cotterpin idea occured to me, but i figured that i might as well use the rollpin if at all possible. now the next challenge is to get the swaybar clamp back on properly. getting it apart was easy.