removing stub axels***HELP***

[Guest V8Z]

I trying to remove my rear stub axels to send them to Ross to have them drilled to 5 lugs. Well, I disconnected to cv flange bolts and the 1 1/16 stub axel nut in the center. My manual thens says to slidehammer the axel out. I have been slidehammering for about two hours now with no good results. Is there something I'm missing???? The slidehammer I have isn't the biggest weighted one I have seen but should pull these things out. Anyone had this problem, and how did you pull them. Thanks, Paul

[JMortensen]

Go get a big air hammer (~$20 to $30 at Sears or Harbor Freight). Put the pointy tip on it and stick it in the dimple on the inside of the axle. Lean into it and pull the trigger.

 

Or get a bigger slide hammer and fight with it for a couple more hours...

[SSflyer]

Yup, for me it was easier to drive it out from the back rather than use a slidehammer. I used a 2lb hammer and a big center punch. Knocked those little dudes right out.

[Guest V8Z]

I got a air hammer, I will try this in the morning and let you know how it works. It's got to be better than that &%$#@ slidehammer!!!!!!!

[brokebolt]

Below is a cut and paste step-by-step on rear axles that I've been handing out for a few years. If your not getting any success with the slide hammer or center punch with a hand driver method I'd remove the axle housing with transverse link and shock tower and spring and have a machinest press them out. This is the lowest risk method. After all the car isn't operational without the axle shafts so what's a few more hours or down time. You will need to only blead the brakes lines on install, else the process isn't that much more difficult. Mike

 

Rear stub axle tidbits:

To remove the rear axles take the car to a qualified mechanic with the tools and equipment to do the job right. For the rest of you who want to do this in your garage on the weekend do this.

 

Get your tools together: first get a 36" long 1" I.D. 1 5/16 O.D. sch 40 pipe and then get some flat stock steel 1"X1/2"X36" drill two 12.5mm holes or 1/2" (it doesn't have to be a precision bore) spaced 4 1/2" center to center or 3 1/4". Then buy thread lock, a 3/4" breaker bar and 1 1/16" socket, 1/2" center punch and 40 oz. hand driver. Next a tire bar 21mm or 13/16" and two 14mm combo wrenches. You should have needle nose pliers plus and minus screw sticks and other common tools. Most important, a service manual like Hayes or Chilton for general information.

 

Set the e-brake and jack the car and support it safely then remove the tires. Disengage the e-brake and remove the four half shaft bolts from the hub, removal of the four bolts from the third member is not required but is recommended for ease of accessibility. They are a shoulder bolt 14mm on both ends. Then the axle nut will be visible looking from the third member towards the wheel hub. (It is best to remove the A arm with strut tower and take it to a qualified machinist and have him remove the nut.) It is best to remove the crimp or bend it back but this can be more difficult than just removeing the bolt with the crimps in place. Either method you risk potentially damagings parts. Bolt the flat stock to the hub using the wheel huts and brace it against the car or the ground. Put the breaker bar with pipe and socket on the nut. Send the children to the neighbors house, their ears will be the better for it and now rotate the nut, or at least...try. The nut is crimped on so this can be tough sometimes and this is where most possible damage can occur. Once the nut is removed the half shaft flange should slide off, some don't, but don't worry it will. (It is better to remove the A arm and strut tower, take it to a qualified machinist and press the axle out.) Chilton recommends using a slide hammer and center hub puller. I use the center punch and place it in the dimple of the shaft and with the hand driver strike the punch with firm square blows. *DO NOT DAMAGE THE THREADS!!!* Glancing blows may cause damage here and a lot of hassle. The axle will take a few good blows but it will start to move. There is a whole pile of goodies to loose like two seals, two bearings and a center spacer inside the hub so be careful and don't loose any of it.

 

Now is a good time to replace bearings and seals.

 

On reassemble it is best to use new nuts, but if you use the old ones run a die or rethread tool through it, and on the axle shaft can't hurt either. Use the red thread lock on the nut to ensure it doesn't back off and make sure you tighten the $&!# out of it! I torque on the high side of the recommended 181-239 ft. lbs. (actually I go to 250).

 

To prepare a axle shaft to recieve a nut that is not in 100% good condition. First clean the shaft off the car and on the bench with a good bench grinder, or 4 inch hand grinder and a wire wheel or abrasive pad wheel to remove any bad areas on the shaft end, not the bearing seat only the threads. Next get a good rethread tool, M 20 X 1.50. I use one from my Snap-on set that I bought on-line RD-20. Next install the nut over the shaft and turn. I like to use tap-magic to help the tool glide over the threads. Unlike a die, the rethread tool or thread restore tool will cram the remaining metal back into shape to help revitalize the old threads. With a rethread tool, if the metal will not comform back to shape the tool will remove it and leave clean threads. A die will cut new threads in any metal that is there, that is the key, no metal no threads, their is a difference. This is only a fix to the issue of removing a nut that had not been properly prepaired before de-installation. Am I am the worst person for not preparing the nut before removal. Best of luck.

[Guest V8Z]

Thanks for the information, that is more info in 5 minutes than I found surfing for 5 hours. Let you know how it comes out in the morning with the air hammer. If it looks like it doesn't want to move, I'll take the whole assembly out and take it to the machine shop monday morning. Either way that axel is coming out. Thanks for your very valuable info. and time, Paul

[Michael]

I recently went through this procedure on my 280Z. The attempt to bend back the crimped flats of the companion flange retaining nuts (inboard side of the stub axle) proven to be hopeless. On the driver's side, I loosened the nut with lots of force and a long breaker bar; ended up eating the threads. On the passenger's side, I ground off the crimped flats completely, with a 4" grinder. The threads survived more or less intact.

 

I removed the stub axles by placing a block of wood on the inboard end (where the companion flange used to be), then whaling away with a sledge hammer. The stub axle flange was not visible damaged, despite the rather vigorous blows.

 

Does Snap-on (or anyone else, for that matter) sell a rethreading tool or rethreading die in the correct pitch and diameter, by itself? I don't want to buy a complete set!

 

Also, who sells the companion flange retaining nuts? The generic parts stores in my area (Pep Boys, Autozone, Advance, Napa) do not.

 

And finally, what's a decent price for the rear (inner and outer) bearings? Local prices are $30-$40 per bearing. That's around $140 for a set of four!!!

[Guest V8Z]

From what I have read in the search, the threads are 20mm x 1.5 mm and snap on does sell it on there tool trucks and on their web site. The bearing price are about the same as what I came up with.

[Michael]

Is this the correct item?

 

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_det.asp?P65=yes&qt=1&test=Die%2C+Rethreader%2C+Metric%2C+M20+x+1.50%3B%247.55%3BRD7-5%3B9754&qty=1&Item_id=9754&PartNo=RD7-5&Price=%247.55&ListPrice=%247.55&FORMNAME=3&Desc=Die%2C+Rethreader%2C+Metric%2C+M20+x+1.50&SUB_Cat_ID=&SUB_Cat_NAME=&Cat_ID=&Cat_NAME=&group_id=2425&group_NAME=Master+Spindle+Rethreading+Set

 

(Stock number RD7-5, Die, Rethreader, Metric, M20 x 1.50, $7.55)

[Guest Phil1934]

I'll add I could not budge mine on the car, but took the carriers out and was able to drive the stub axles out with a 5# hammer. I was going to press them but the shop hads some concern about bending something. Bearings and seals cost me about $200 installed so that seems to be the price.

[quicker240]

any tool truck(I run a Mac tool truck),Can get you an individual tap or die for this.Takes about a week to get it.There are also on the car press tools available that would work without removing the whole assembly.That being said,I did mine with a 12 lb. slide hammer without any problems,but the bearings have come apart doing them with a slidehammer in the past.Pressing them out is the best method,either on the car using a bearing press(commonly called a "hub shark")or off the car with a shop press.Good luck!

[brokebolt]

Hey, we got some real good positive and correct info here. Say tool man quicker240 what would a "hub shark" cost a guy?

Mike

[Guest V8Z]

The air hammer wouldn't push them out either, so I took the whole lower a arms loose and the top of the struts loose pulled it out of the car (15 mins. per side) and then took a big center punch and a 3 lb. hammer and knock those bad boys right out. It's a lot easier with it out of the car cause you can get a real swing with the hammer. Anyways, while all this is out time for coilovers!!!! Thanks for all the ideas.

[quicker240]

list price 430.00 part #mht491 .same as otc part #otc-6490.my cost around 275.00.I also noticed KD tools lists a master set #kdt3531.I have no price on this one but their stuff is usually a bit cheaper.

[74_5.0L_Z]

I've had good luck with the following very low tech method of removing the rear stub axles:

 

Remove rear driveshafts

 

Remove nut and inner washer/spacer

 

Cover end of stub axle with a rag

 

Place end of 4x4 (approximately 2 feet long) against stub axle and thread other end through control arm and below the differential.

 

Place blanket under stub axle extending outward ~ 3 feet.

 

Use a 5 lb sledge on end of 4x4 to drive stub axle out of strut housing. This usually take me 5 to 10 good blows with the hammer before the stub axle lands on the blanket about 2 feet from the car.

 

Just make sure that the 4x4 is parallel to the stub axle before you start pounding.

 

I've done this on 2 separate Z's with complete success.

[JSM]

Yes old thread I know. Anyway, attempted to remove some 280 companion flanges and stubs today at the junk yard. It was too expensive to buy the suspension arm and strut. It was like 100 for both sides and I don't need all those parts, nor did I want them.

 

Anyways tryed to roll back the penned part. Nope runned the threads. Tryed to get the companion flanges off. Nope bent them.

 

If you really need them and can't find them buy the whole assembly and take them home. It was a first class biotch to try and get these off in the hot FL sun.

 

It would have helped having the correct slide pull. I don't see how anyone could use a hammer and punch the center w/ it on the car. Just so little room. Off of the car sure.