How to change the rear axles?

[stickedy]

Yesterday I discovered that on one side the boot of my rear axle is ahm more or less completly gone. Not really something to worry about, but I have to do the general inspection in November and I'm sure that the car won't pass it with this damaged boot. And since my rear air strut replacements and my brake discs will arrive soon (at least I hope so), I have to take apart the rear drivetrain in any case and so I want to replace the rear axle completly since there I have at least six ones still mounted in various older donor cars.

 

So, but what's the easiest way to remove them? It's no question in the front, I have done that a couple of times, but in the rear? On the donor cars, I could remove the rear diff since it has to be removed any way sometimes, but I want to make myself as little work as possible on my daily driver. So, any good ideas and comments? As I said, the air struts and the brake discs have to be changed, too.

[Gloyale]

It's easy. Just punch out the roll pins at both ends. Unbolt the lower strut bolt. Also unbot the 3 trailing arm bolts. Mark the positions of the 3 bolts in relation to the arm, as there location affects alignment. Once those bolts are undone the arm can drop very far down, enough to be able to slide the axle of the diff stub, then off the wheel axle stub.

[stickedy]

Ah, OK, thanks! That really sounds easy and seems to be nearly the same procedure as in the front. I will try it on a donor car during this week.

[baccaruda]

I prefer to unbolt the shocks/struts at the bottom and then to unbolt the differential mustache bar.. the diff will hang from the top center mount and you should have enough play to get the axles out.. this means you don't have to mark the 3 bolts' locations or worry about alignment.

[Uberoo]

all this assuming the axles haven't welded themselves to the diff stubs...

[idosubaru]

i always unbolt the differential. those bolts are never difficult to remove (rusted/corroded) like the trailing arm bolts and no worries with alignment either. the diff is heavy, you'll see once you remove the one in your parts car, so if you hate or have problems moving around heavy stuff this might not be for you. you can leave it connected to the driveshaft, just drop it down to give you plenty of play. have liquid wrench or PB blaster ready, they sometimes don't want to slide off. someone in another thread said heating them with a torch helps getting them off too.

 

any word on when those parts are supposed to get to you?

[Gloyale]

I preffer unbolting the trailing arms for one reason. RUST. The bolts on the mustache bar are often really crusty, and if I snap those I'm screwed. If I snap one of the 3 trailing arm bolts, it's easy to heat and drill out the old bolt and use a new one. Or worst case, replace the trailing arm with one from my parts stash.

 

That and I have a bad back, I don't like messing with the heavy lifting unless I have to.

 

NOTE: If the cups are stuck to the stubs, cut aweay the torn boot and remove the clip inside the cup that holds in the outer race. Now just slide the axle out of the cup. Clean, install new boot on the axle. Reassemble and clamp the large end of the boot.

 

This can be done if either end is stuck to the stub shaft.

[idosubaru]

i was going to mention replacing the boot like that, but figured you might chime in since you've done it.

 

that's awesome, my reasoning is the same...just different scenarios, rust. in my experience the rear diff bolts have never been rusted, they've always come off very easily. and if the nut doesn't come off the rear diff, it'll just back the stud out of the diff like a bolt. i've removed a lot of rear diffs and never had a bit of trouble. but the hub/strut/trailing arm bolts are horrendous with rust on the ones i've had. they're so bad i wouldn't attempt the job unless i'm at home with my welder, torch, bolt kits, drills, etc. i've had sheared bolts, nuts/heads rusted so bad that a socket won't grab them, rounded off bolts...etc. i guess it just depends how/where they rust? my experience is mostly XT6 stuff, maybe they tend to rust differently for some reason. same with the EJ stuff, i hate dealing with rusted rear suspension stuff, serious PITA, it's a MD thing maybe?