daeron Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 So yah, mid day yesterday I made a U turn after getting gas... axle popped VERY VERY LOUD, I was afraid it broke then, but it didnt... fast forward to last night, about to cruise three blocks over to my friend and her sister's house () Start car, throw into reverse, begin backing out of my driveway, make the turn onto the road.... CLACK, same noise.. except this one was followed by more, realitaviely high frequency, clickclickclickclickclicks.... "Thats it, shawn, it finally gave out! less than a month after it started making noise, that thing went QUICK!!" It was my driver side CV joint, NOT the passenger side DOJ whose boot has been torn for years.... I had thought I detected an inordinate amount of play in that spot before, and felt no problems in the CV on the driver side; the boot was fine and everything. My first thoughts? I literally looked up at the rising moon, pointed at it, smiled at God and said "Hey!! Thanks for letting it blow up in my driveway!" I thought that was a nice touch, especially since every OTHER thing in my life has been in the crapper lately. (except for my friends sister, but thats off topic ) I knew it was only a matter of time, and whether I got to pulling things apart and fixing them before they went kablooey. Anyhow, I figured I would start this thread pre emptively, because any job I do I wind up posting SOME asinine question here anyhow... So my plan is to unbolt the pivot bolt of the lower control arm, unhitch the pin, and swing her out... I guess I might need to undo the tie rod ends, too, but I MAY just spin the tie rod end off the rod and take advantage of the opportunity to do a homebrew wheel alignment anyhow. Its been all fershnicket since I replaced the tie rod ends last year anyhow, its WAY past time for me to "deal" with that. I am sure I will be back.. Wish me luck! I hope to disassemble car this AM, then go snorkeling with my friend on the reef off the Breakers Hotel of worldwide renown..... and then come back here, go to junkyard, get axle, and do my funky thang. Now to find a 3/16" punch........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeshoup Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I found all you have to do, unbolt the lower control arm and the swaybar. Then I lay under my car and push the bottom of the tire out with my feet while my hands are pushing the cup off the trans. Seems to work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 First off, I meant to say 3/8". Providence landed one in my landlords toolbox years ago, and my mad rummaging skills have turned it up, and kept it around, long enough to be useful in this project. WOOT! I found all you have to do, unbolt the lower control arm and the swaybar. Then I lay under my car and push the bottom of the tire out with my feet while my hands are pushing the cup off the trans. Seems to work fine. Hmm. I undid the T/C bar before I undid the swaybar.. I dont have jackstands so the car is jacked up with the floor jack on the engine Xmember, and a safety support (the OE scissor jack ) is sitting underneath the driver door rocker frame rail... I am attacking from behind, and the TC rod is the first thing I see. Of course, once that nut is undone and it still wont budge, i move around to the front and see the swaybar, duh. Its already loose, DOJ is disengaged from the tranny. I just have to hack at the boot clamp with a pair of dikes and my axle is off. Or, does it just slide off the spindle? I am guessing that for JY axles, Driver Side is best.... right?? since the passenger side has the cat to deal with, I figured it would work that way.. then again, its my driver side axle that failed with good boots, while the passenger side has a bad DOJ boot and apparently is fine. I don't care, even if my experience IS the exact opposite of my hypothesis, I still think my theory is sound. I wish I had gotten some sleep last night :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 ............... Its already loose, DOJ is disengaged from the tranny. I just have to hack at the boot clamp with a pair of dikes and my axle is off. Or, does it just slide off the spindle?............. Hack the boot clamp off????? Only if your replacing half and what a pain. If your replacing the whole axle, the spindle pulls out with the axle as a single unit... so much easier then trying to make it a two half job. After pounding out roll pin (comes out only one direction) and pulling hub off transmission side, Take off large Axle Castle nut (pull locking pin) Remove washer/cone spacer and put piece of wood one end of axle and smack with hammer... no need to cut boot? Axle washer is curved and goes on a specific direction. I have never done just half an axle....possibly cheaper but that would be a real pain in the arse... just replace whole axles, way easier. Sorry if I read to much into your post but seems like you got an extra step in there... sorry if I am wrong. As for going out in your driveway.... priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calebz Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75750 Anything in that thread from Ed is gospel. The stuff from Gloyale is usually good as well(Though I don;t always agree with his methods). Read, read, read, read. Look at your car. Read again. Get tools. Read again. Then swap your axle out. And if I hear about you doing this without even a cheapo pair of harbor freight jackstands, I'm gonna come whoop you rump roast myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Lower control arm pivot, and the sway bar link is all you need for either side - the whole knuckle will swing out and the axle will drop off the trans, either onto the cat (which is fine) or onto the ground. Then you just whack it out of the knuckle using a bit of wood or copper/brass hammer so as to not damage the threads. Get a grease gun and a injection needle and squirt some grease in the bearings just for good luck. Really it's quite simple - especially if (like most of us that have owned many older ones) you have done more than you can count. Probably takes me a whole 30 minutes now. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 so you DO have to pull the stupid castle nut off??? I was somehow under the misconception that I could slide the damn thing off the spindle side too... grrr... This is going to toast the bearing, I know it, and i do NOT have money for BEARINGS.... I need TIRES desparately, and have for six months (cord showing on one rear, the other rear goes flat every day) 200 bucks a week is not employment. They keep me coming in for four and five hour shifts, sending me home early... So now I get to go put everything back together so I can bust loose the stupid castle nut that I don't want to touch anyhow. Great. When I got into this I was anticipating the DOJ on the other side only, so I didnt read too far into the directions, since I knew I could just pop the pin, pull it back, and get the DOJ side loose and remove the DOJ and "rebuild" it. So, now I am just SOL.. I hate this kind of stuff. Again, I wish I had gotten some sleep last night :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 28, 2007 Author Share Posted August 28, 2007 And if I hear about you doing this without even a cheapo pair of harbor freight jackstands, I'm gonna come whoop you rump roast myself. Then ship me a pair of jackstands :-p I only have a real jack because I lucked out and found one that was almost new on CL for like ten bucks... If my choice is take a risk or lose my job because i cant fix my car, i take the risk. My PLAN for today involved me disassembling this stuff up at the shop to inspect it and isolate my noise... Besides, the rear tires flat. Thats almost as good as a chock (i am kidding) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 ... ...I hate this kind of stuff. Yeah, I Know... Two things I Hate to do is Axle Job, and Timin` Belts job... I don`t know exactly why... :-\ I just want to Suggest you to use the Better Quality Grease for Constant Velocity Joints, not a "Standard" Grease, and for more long lasting, I use the "Large" boot (For the Gearbox Side) on Both Sides, So I Suggest you to use the Large one on the Wheel Side too. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 too bad your to far away. I have a spare set of jackstands. You can do work under your car without jackstands doesnt make it safe. I quote chris rock. You can drive a car with your feet that dont make a good blankin idea. I would replace the whole axel also. Im going to be atempting this in a few weeks myself. But i have access to the gck axels here in iowa. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebisko Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I bought 2 jack stands from harbor freight for about $17. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2coe Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I had to do that whole swap once in bad times. just got the steering knuckle and shaft, (bearing are in there of course) from the U pull it lot out of a lightly used vehicle. I think the whole thing was about $30 or $40. of course thats if you have a do it yourself salvage place and the time. of course then you have to get the tie rod out but my bearings were shot so I had to do them one way or the other so this was easier and a lot cheaper at the time than new bearings and having them pressed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misledxcracker Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 I've done an axle with just an OEM jack (Argh, mine are'nt clicky clicky yet, but all four boots are blown ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 1) even Wally Mart sells stands for like $10 (small 3 ton, will fit in crap collecting area of station wagon) $10 is not worth a car falling on you, but at least stuff the tire you take off with the donut spare on top of it under there as a "safety" type slowdown measure. 2) Chinese wheel bearings are $5 ea locally to me, they should be cheaper there, get the double sealed ones, pulling off the inner sealed side to verify grease, and to grease. 3) I *HATE* doing axles too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cd45 Posted August 28, 2007 Share Posted August 28, 2007 Axles are the easiest thing that I have done on my wagon. The hardest part is remembering to break the nut loose before you jack the car up. After that, it is no more than an hour per side. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 ugh, I couldnt post all this morning. Axle came off no problem, as a rule this car is NOT difficult on sticky nuts, bolts, or friction fittings. I was mostly peeved because somewhere I had gotten the misconception that I could slide the thing off the wheel spindle (I don't know how; suffice it to say that any reading on axles I have done has been "abstract" to say the least; "I havent had that problem yet") When I did the rear brakes, the rear bearings IMMEDIATELY responded by blowing out, one wheel at a time. I took the driver axle out, removed the DOJ components, and DOJ boot, and plan on using the boot (at least) on the passenger side, and inspecting that DOJ and replacing any parts if needs be, since the passenger DOJ boot has been torn for so long... but now that I have the one axle apart, I don't think I have any problems on the P/S joint other than the boot. Got the toolkit together to go to the boneyard tomorrow for the "new" axle. My oldest brother finally responded to a plea of mine for jackstands, and I think I can get one or two from him. I try not to do any main line work on the car in my driveway, so I have tried to avoid spending money I do not have on tools that I already have access to at the shop... A proper hydraulic jack is something that helps on the side of the road bigtime, jackstands I dont think I would keep in the car. Seriously.. until I either get another job or get more hours at this one, ten bucks is frivolous spending to me. I eat no food that doesnt come from the restaurant I work for, and this junkyard axle is going to suck up gas money for the rest of the week. Honestly, I am pathetic. The brain I have has NO farqing business working in a kitchen, but manic depression and social ineptitude (as well as godawful teeth) do NOT do a body good. :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2coe Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hopeb you find a good axel. I keep thinking it would be nice to be a driver for an auto parts place like NAPA. you only have to deal with people for brief periods, you get to drive around all day, and employee discount! of course you can't eat any of the products but it would probably be steadier than a resturant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted August 29, 2007 Author Share Posted August 29, 2007 Hopeb you find a good axel. I keep thinking it would be nice to be a driver for an auto parts place like NAPA. you only have to deal with people for brief periods, you get to drive around all day, and employee discount! of course you can't eat any of the products but it would probably be steadier than a resturant. This October marks three years since my last encounter with any police that would reflect negatively on my driving record. I am looking forward to seeing the impact on my insurance rates, and also the possiblities along these lines that will open up as well. Anyhow, I need to find a ride to the JY; my ride fell through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 someone around here has a spare axel for this man. Send it to him with an iou. im positive hes good for it and would pay back as soon as possible Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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