Axle removal tools...success...thanks to Edrach!!

[GeneralDisorder]

It's not likely that it's completely different, but if your working on an Impreza, try asking around in the NEWER gen forum. This post was about an '81 model - and I'm sure subaru has changed their design at least a little (probably a LOT) in 14 years!! This post is in the OLDER gen forum for a reason - it's about older gen cars - ie - not impreza's. Also - the author (Ed), may or may not know anything at all about impreza's (I don't know), but if he were willing to share that info, I'm sure he would be looking to do it over in the new gen area.....

 

Oh - and by the way - it's an Axle, not an Axel.

 

GD

[SubaruImpreza_Power]

Said By Ed...

 

 

If this isn't in the archives, it should be:

Remove the cotter pin in the axle nut while the car is still on the ground and "break" the nut loose with the 36mm socket and a long breaker bar. Remove the wheel after jacking the car up (wheel chocks and jackstands are VERY important here). Knock out the pin on the DOJ with a drift-tool from the UNBEVELED hole and remove the pivot bolt from the lower arm. I don't remove the sway bar mount (never had to). Pull the DOJ away from the transmission; it should move freely now but won't quite come off. Tug on the wheel hub and pull on the DOJ and often it will pop off the stub axle. If not, loosen the nuts at the top of the strut tower a bit (don't take them off!) and/or pry the lower pivot arm away from its support with a crowbar or large screwdriver. This should allow you to get the DOJ off the stub axle. Now remove the castle nut, and both washers (tapping the hub smartly with a small hammer will help get the spring washer out). Now the trick is to get the spindle out of the hub. Either get a large gear puller (6 or 7 inch version) or a sledge hammer and a block of wood. You can push the spindle out with the gear puller or smack the spindle with the sledge (MAKE SURE THE BLOCK OF WOOD IS THERE to prevent damaging the threads--hard to get your core charge back if the threads are bunged). You might need to use your drift and a smaller sledge and pound the spindle out the last inch or so via the small hole in the end. Now carefully remove the axle from the car. Installation is the reverse of removal. Feed the spindle into the hub first; once you get the nut started on the spindle you can use two screwdrivers to pry the spindle out of the hub. I have a number of large washers that I use for spacers to help that along. In really difficult cases I remove the four bolts holding the outer portion of the hub and put the hub aside to give me more purchase on the end of the spindle. Once you have the spindle through the hub reinstall the washers and castle nut and tighten (not completely yet). Now re-install the DOJ (line up the splines first and note that the splines only line up one way--one hole has a tooth in the center and the other has a groove in the center). Tugging on the hub you should be able to slide the DOJ back onto the stub axle again. Line up the holes and knock the spring pin back into the BEVELLED hole. Put the pivot bolt back into the lower arm and tighten. Tighten the nuts at the top of the strut, replace the wheel and drop the car back on the ground and tighten the castle nut to 145 ft-lbs of torque (or more--more is better and won't hurt anything). Torque the wheel lugs to 75 ft-lbs replace the cotter pin in the castle nut and you're done. Retorque the lugnuts after 300 miles again and check the castle nut for tightness (yes they can loosen up--I'll explain the mystery of that some other time if you ask nicely). Start to finish takes less than 45 minutes unless you run into a snag.

 

Thanks to Andy and Skip, the trick of removing the swaybar clamp is definitely less work than loosening the strut tower nuts and certainly is easier to remove the DOJ from the stub axle this way.

 

 

Hey Ed, Is this the same way for a 95 Impreza L? When you guys say tapping on the Inner axel Where are you tapping at? on the inner axel it's self? Im confused with the steps.. I got the taking off the wheel and all that.

 

But what comes first? And whats this so called nut I have to take off? It seems stright forward Im lucky with the 1.8l engine I have getting to the axel wont be much of a problem.

[TomRhere]

Tried different approaches on doing the axle swap, found this to be easiest. When you get to the point of axle nut removed, car on jackstands, wheel off, pin removed, and axle given the starting whack or two for removale purposes...... I remove the pinch bolt in the knuckle for the ball-joint, then use an old shovel handle laid across the rod that's behind the control arm, and under the engine crossmember. This lets you separate the knuckle from the control arm, when you push down on the shovel handle. Then I turn the steering wheel towards the side I'm working on, this gives you enough free room to remove the axle from the hub, when you swing out the hub assembly. You will need to remove the E-brake cable from the lever and bracket, too. You don't have to remove the tie-rod from the knuckle, nor do you need to remove the ball joint from the control arm. Control arm stays attached to the car, along with all the goodies bolted to it. This way, other than the axle nut and cotter pin, lug nuts and wheel, you're only removing one bolt and one clip for the E-brake cable, the cable itself, and the axle pin. OH, and of course, the axle...........

[MilesFox]

everyone has their own preferred methods and techniqiesi

 

fitst thing i do is punch out he pins with 3/16

 

do like tom's approach, but always pop the ball joint. i can pop the balljoint using a jack and a hammer, thus pulling the knucke away from the control arm. i have used 2x4, pipe, whatever is long enougn, pry down the lower control arm to take it apart or put back together. make s it a 1 man operation

 

i leave the rotor and caliper on the strut. i always undid the tie rod, but i tried it connected. althogh it can be left on, i find it easier to move the strut around with it out. you can thread the nut on backwards, flush with the stud, and give it a sharp blow with a hammer to pop it out.

 

you can pop th eball joint by placing the jack ight on the stus, jack it up to preload the suspension, and tap the lower control arm, the load of suspension will bring it away. this is why i like to take the tierod off. the car is already on a jackstand, take the jack lut.

 

i can do an axle in roughly 10 minutes this way