RacingFlyer Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Hi, Perhaps some of the AWD gurus can help me. I just ran into a problem today with my '89 GL Turbo Wagon AWD. I have been having roll bearing noises in the rear for a while. So I ordered new bearings and seals and today I decided to put them in. I followed the procedure I have in my Haynes book. Everything went fine, I got the wheels hubs out, the spring pins out but when I tried to pry off the CV axles, problem... They won't come off. And I tried to pry off from both ends on both sides. On the driver's side, the CV joints barely move 1/2". I can't compress the inner CV joint at all. I hear a metallic noise (clunk) when I try to push the driveaxle inboard. On the passenger side, things look better. I can compress the CV joints but still, I miss about 1/10" or so to clear either spindle (inboard or outboard). Am I doing something wrong? Is there a trick that I should know which is bot in the book? Please tell me I don't have to remove the rear control arm Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john in KY Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Been my experience that removing that beveled washer really helps in axle removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 remove the lower shock mount bolt. this will allow the arm to pivot down further to get the clearance to pull the axle out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingFlyer Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 remove the lower shock mount bolt. this will allow the arm to pivot down further to get the clearance to pull the axle out. Thanks ! I will try this. Is it easy enough to reinstall the lower shock mount bolt? No problem with the strut pulling to high? The shocks are only one year old and I remember the mechanic who put them on saying it was a real PITA to install them (KYB)... If I can just jack up the rear arm and rebolt the shock, then I believe I can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpholz Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 if it's on the ground you can throw a jack under the lower control arm and push it back up to get the bolt back in. btw a bigger hammer always works too lol! no the way ive always removed cv's is unbolt the strut put a pry bar in there against the cv and the trans (or diff) and have someone tap it with a hammer to jiggle or jar it loose. they're a PITA but new ones are always nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingFlyer Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Removing the lower bolt of the shock absorber worked. I had to put all my weight on the lower arm to move it down enough but I managed to remove the CV axle. Thank you guys for the pointer. I have now hit two new problems... - I can't remove the ring nut to extract the bearing. Is there a trick to remove this ring nut without a pin wrench socket? I don't have one and the car is in pieces right now... Any idea is welcome! - I had ordered the big one piece roller bearing for the rear as it was supposedly the model for my car. Now I have found out after removing the outer seal that my car has the 2 bearing configuration. Can I replace the two conic bearings by one big roller bearing? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 (edited) - I can't remove the ring nut to extract the bearing. Is there a trick to remove this ring nut without a pin wrench socket? I don't have one and the car is in pieces right now... Any idea is welcome! "not having the right tool is OK. just like holding a purse in the women's underwear section of a department store is OK" I've done it more than a few times without.....it's a royal pain. I've always used the punch and a hammer on the notches in the retainer to rotate it a little at a time until it's removed. once it's out a bit, the punch or screwdriver from the side to rotate it further. it's an enormous pain, but it works. IMHO, worth every penny... http://www.etoolcart.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=275 - I had ordered the big one piece roller bearing for the rear as it was supposedly the model for my car. Now I have found out after removing the outer seal that my car has the 2 bearing configuration. Can I replace the two conic bearings by one big roller bearing? Thanks. the "one piece" bearing you ordered *should* have 2 tapered bearing sets in it like the old one. the difference comes in the inner and outer race configuration. you really should remove the old outer race (probably 3 piece, possibly one), hydraulic press is definitely the best way, but a large hammer will work (air hammer better). pound the spindle out of the bearing (towards the diff, do it before removing the retainer nut and the inner race will come off the spindle and stay in the bearing). remove the retainer. place your 36mm socket on the inner race from the outside, and pound the whole assembly out of the trailing arm. "installation is the reverse of removal" as it were..... it's a large project. although, the fact that you can get the axles off the splines means things aren't rusted on there too tight, which is an enormous help, but you've still got it in for you. picture of the spindle with and without the inner races/bearings I just got my hands on another pair of trailing arms, maybe I'll pull the bearings out and take a crapload of pictures and make a how-to writeup. Edited April 11, 2009 by Numbchux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingFlyer Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Thanks Chux! This is great information. I tried pounding the ring nut with a punch and hammer like you said for 2 hours yesterday. Some of the notches are not so square anymore... But I'll try again today. I let it sit all night with some Wurth Rost Off, may be it will free it some. Thanks for the pointers about the bearings too. I'll follow your advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 their a pain on the car, i usally remove the whole hub, but thats alot of xtra work.. keep at it.. i feel your pain brother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suberstar88 Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Just remove that bottom bolt there on the swing arm thing, A good bar helps alot, just had to do a tranny swap yesterday, they can sometimes be a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingFlyer Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Well I tried most of the day but those damn ring nuts won't move. So I am going to put everything back together tomorrow so I can go to work on Monday and order the special pin wrench socket... 20 years of rust and road grim just won! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik litchy Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Well I tried most of the day but those damn ring nuts won't move. So I am going to put everything back together tomorrow so I can go to work on Monday and order the special pin wrench socket... 20 years of rust and road grim just won! eh im not sure the socket will work if the grooves are now worn. edit if you were closer id let you borrow my socket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 eh im not sure the socket will work if the grooves are now worn.edit if you were closer id let you borrow my socket meh, as long as you've got an impact wrench to use it with (so it won't slip off one side when you crank on it), it should work fine. has for mine, even if it's chewed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingFlyer Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Nope. Don't have an impact wrench. Just a breaker bar and a steel pipe that I use as an extension. I guess I'll try my luck and see. I just remembered that I know a mechanic that used to work for Subaru in the 80's. He has now his own shop where he works on fancy cars (Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin... always fun to visit his place!) I'll call him Monday and ask him if he kept his tools from his Subaru experience. If I'm lucky, he still has the socket and wil let me borrow it. Hey, I appreciate the offer for letting me use your socket, but Peoria is a little far from Little Rock. But that was nice, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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