subbum Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 Just replaced both of my front half-shafts on my '88 DL Wagon. Despite disconnecting and loosening everything on the steering knuckle and control arm, I couldn't get the inside of the shaft off the tranny without taking the steering knuckle off. After I disconnected the inside of the shaft, I temporarily reconected the steering knuckle so I could pop the shaft out with a block of wood and a BFH. Installation was the reverse with having to remove the knuckle again to connect the inside again. This was a little more time consuming, but it allowed me to clean and repack my bearings and it taught me alot about the front end of my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 ... and it taught me alot about the front end of my car. Yes! ... It happened to me too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgd73 Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 If the steering knuckle isnt in the way of driver side axle change... does my Loyale have a prob? :-\ I swapped one out last year and it was a smooth operation. A friend with a 70 somethin soob did something bizarre to what holds the engine in (bent below the engine), and that is where steering linking goes.... took a year to find it! (perfect error).I hope its just my paranoid thought of the day.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 The easy way: Step 1 disconnect the lower control arm bolt (1 long bolt) on the inner end of the control arm where it attaches to the engine cross member. Step 2 disconnect the sway bar link. Step 3 pull axle off tranny. You will have more than enough room - probably a good 1" extra. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 the way i do it only takes about 30-45 minutes. undo axle nut, take 14mm headed bolt out that holds balljoint in steering knuckle, pry ball joint out of steering knuckle by prying down on control arm, pull hub off of axle shaft, and disconnect from tranny and its out reverse for installation. this can also be done with the wheel and tire still on and in the field. this technique can also be done on the majority of front wheel drive cars out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 The pinch bolt on the ball joint is harder to mess with since the sway bar keeps the control arm from moving, so you have to exert pressure on the lower control arm to keep it out of your way. Also working near that ball joint boot is asking to rip it open. Beleive me - I've tried every method out there. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 i'm not knocking your method i'm just putting in my 2 cents worth and this is the way i do it at work on cars almost everyday and on my own rigs without the luxury of lift/hoist and not always on pavement. i haven't torn a boot or messed up any other part doing it this way and you can move everything out of the way enough to do the work. just replaced an axle yesterday on my dads 89 dl wagon in his gravel driveway this same way, without any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fj401968 Posted May 15, 2006 Share Posted May 15, 2006 I've always done it your way as well, although I've ripped some ball joint boots in the process. Something that works okay is making a shield out of some brass shim material so the pickle fork doesn't rip the boot. At present, I have a bad inner DOJ (1987 GL 4x4 wagon) and I've had a rebuilt axle in my possession for the past few months but haven't gotten around to changing it. I think this time I'll try General Disorder's method. I hate messing up that ball joint boot and I've never been able to separate it without a pickle fork. Pounding it apart would surely mushroom the threads on the end. You just can't duplicate the mechanical advantage a pickle fork gives you but like I said, it often destroys the boot in the process so I'm liking the sounds of General Distorder's method. I've changed quite a few axles ('81 Subaru, '88 Subaru, '92 Nissan Sentra, 'Dodge Caravan, etc...), but I'm not a pro-mechanic by any means. Tracy i'm not knocking your method i'm just putting in my 2 cents worth and this is the way i do it at work on cars almost everyday and on my own rigs without the luxury of lift/hoist and not always on pavement. i haven't torn a boot or messed up any other part doing it this way and you can move everything out of the way enough to do the work. just replaced an axle yesterday on my dads 89 dl wagon in his gravel driveway this same way, without any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 ok, i said in my first post that i take the ball joint out of the steering knuckle. there is a 14mm head bolt at the bottom of the steering knuckle( if you look under the front of your car at the bottom of your steering knuckle you will see the bolt) that pinchs the ball joint in, it doen't reguire a pickle fork thats at the other end of the ball joint where it goes through the control arm. yes if you use a pickle fork there you run the risk of tearing your boot if do it the other way that i explained you won't be near the boot to tear it. you just need to take a long pry bar or pipe and pry down on the control arm. wedge the pipe/pry bar over the strut rod and under the control arm where it bolts to the subframe and pry down the top of the balljoint will pop out of the steering knuckle. once you get the balljoint out of the steering knuckle you don't have to mess with the control arm it won't be in the way. as far as the swaybar, it does allow enough movement to pry down and take the balljoint out of the bottom of the steering knuckle without disconnecting the swaybar. a swaybar is only a spring that is not made into a coil it will twist and bend. as i said, this is the way i and my co-workers and even other mechanics do it and its fast and won't mess anything else up or tear boots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 I totally understand what you mean - I've replaced many a ball joint on these cars as well. That certainly is a valid way to do it, and if I was going to sugest a generic method that would work on most cars yours would be it. Perfectly valid method. Now - I do not choose that method in the specific Subaru case for a couple reasons. 1 - the top of the ball joint where the pinch bolt is located in the knuckle is more complicated than just a simple bolt removal. you have to remove the bolt, which because of the split "pinch" style joint is exposed to water and elements and likes to snap right off just below the head. Now you are really hating life. If it doesn't snap and all goes well it's a sure bet that the top of the ball joint is lodged in the knuckle with a bunch of rust and other nasty crud. To dislodge this it's usually a pentrating oil, hammering operation with a chisel or screwdriver lodged in the split joint to loosen it. Now you have to pry it out and downward, and there is no good place to use a prybar on it - the edge of the knuckle is small, and there is very little purchase on it, plus nothing really to lever downward on except the lower control arm. PITA. 2. Now that you hopefully have the ball joint loose from the knuckle you have to lever the control arm downward and hold it there or remove the leading rod and swaybar link to allow it to drop out of the way. 3. Getting it back together sucks - especially if the ball joint is new as they are very stiff and do not like to line up. Then you have to beat the hell out of them to get them back in the knuckle (again with the chisel or screwdriver jammed in the pinch slot to keep it open). So why not save all the trouble and remove the single, simple bolt on the inner control arm and the swaybar link letting the whole assembly complete with the control arm swing out? Great thing about this bolt joint is that if the vehicle has been driven in the last year that joing will move freely and have no corrosion - moss on a rolling stone and all that hoopla. Never had one snap off either, and if it did, it's easily replaced, and will just slide out as it slides in from either direction.... simple, simple. I really have tried them all - even taking the strut top bolts loose - but that's the same problem as the ball joint - you have to basically stand on the thing to get enough room to pull the axle off the tranny - you have to overpower the leading rod bushing and the sway bar.... I can't even count how many subaru axles I've done anymore - hell I don't even remember how many times I've done it to just one car, and I've had over 15 in the last 5 years. I've done a few other random brands as well - toyota, audi, and honda, and one Hyundia (which I'm betting is really a mitsu...), and the best method varies for each I'm sure. Just messing with the ball joint is more difficult and very often more time consuming than the control arm bolt. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOBOUTLAW Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 When I went to PAP after a brake pad fell out of my caliper and ground the rotor(not the first time it happened) I just took the whole hub/rotor/caliper/axle assembly out of an '83. Piece of cake vented rotor swap for my '80 Wagon. Gonna do it for my Brat too eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 When I went to PAP after a brake pad fell out of my caliper and ground the rotor(not the first time it happened) I just took the whole hub/rotor/caliper/axle assembly out of an '83. Piece of cake vented rotor swap for my '80 Wagon. Gonna do it for my Brat too eventually. And this has what to do with this thread? GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOBOUTLAW Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 Easy for me to git r dun...sorry if it's a little off topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazmataz Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 i haven't broke that bolt off (but i have stripped the threads out of the knuckle, i just put a longer bolt in with a nut on the other side )and that includes subarus in JY when i was getting steering knuckles for my 84 wagon when i first got it and thats using a cordless impact gun. true the balljoints get alittle stuck but a couple of good blows with a BFH and they usually pop out and as far as putting them in line them up if they don't pop in a couple of blows up with your BFH and it will go in without any problems. i, too have changed numorous axles on subarus doing this method without any problems and without touching the swaybar like i said there is enough give there to pry the control arm and balljoint loose from the steering knuckle and be able to swing the strut, hub, caliper and steering knuckle out of the way to remove the axle. i have done this with the tires still on too but prefer taking them off though. i'm by all means not saying your method is wrong but it does put strain on the control arm bushing (torque elastic bushing) unless your not tightening that bolt up until the vehicles weight is resting on its tires on the ground. to me the way i do it is easy and i'm not taking alot of extra things loose or off and running the risk of damaging anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 another vote for disconnecting the control arm from the endlink and crossmember over ball joint. I, too, have done it both ways, and the ball joint way is a huge PITA by comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 I think it has to do with where you live. I would go for the inner control arm bolt in a flash. The pinchbolts for the struts were an absolute PITA to remove when I put the lift in. Speaking of which, I had forgotton to get new ones, and those twisted 1/4 turn when I took them off... Probably overstressed and not safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOBOUTLAW Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 Pickle fork anyone? Got mine ten bux at Schucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 Pickle fork anyone?Got mine ten bux at Schucks. On a soob, 95% of the time that will ruin the boot. Plus there is the matter of the castle nut and having to replace the cotter pin... those are a consumable about 50% of the time they are taken off. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOOBOUTLAW Posted May 17, 2006 Share Posted May 17, 2006 Yeah, torn a couple boots, but if I keep the flat side toward the boot, less liability. But, easy fix, and will last a real long time, unless I gotta 'tear' it apart again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
operose Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 on my xt6 I just replaced both front axles yesterday... I took the two bottom strut mounting bolts out, and was able to do what was needed is this different than an ea82? taking out these two strut bolts was super easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I use the lower ball joint pinch bolt removal method. The first time I work on that part of any car, I clean out the rust and use never sieze on all the bolts, holes, socket & ball joint. No problem the next time. The only bolts I found never sieze to cause me trouble with were the 4 that hold the brake rotor onto the hub- when I tourqued them to spec., they stretched, never getting to the correct foot lbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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