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IC: Drive Shaft Shop Level 3.9 Axle & Hub Kit

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These are just about ready??? wow. awesome! I wouldnt mind test fitting them on my car. My only problem is removing the present axles from the hubs. I dont have air tools to be able to get them out. Unless someone can enlighten me on how to get that large nut off...

You'll need to press the hubs out of the knuckle too as this kit comes with new hubs. The large nut needs to be torqued down to 200 something Nm too... so if you don't have that capability I'd rather someone with the right tools test fit them as well so everything is installed correctly.
 
These are just about ready??? wow. awesome! I wouldnt mind test fitting them on my car. My only problem is removing the present axles from the hubs. I dont have air tools to be able to get them out. Unless someone can enlighten me on how to get that large nut off...

The process can be done with all hand tools except for pressing the bearing in and out of the steering knuckle. However, if you can get access to air tools and a compressor, I highly recommend it. Bugzuki has a nice two part write-up in the M&M How-To Section:

Part 1:

http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?51669-Wheel-Bearing-Replacement-with-pics

Part 2:

http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?51670-Wheel-Bearing-Replacement-part-two

The biggest headache is usually trying to get the CV joint out of the hub. Bugzuki uses a punch but that may not work if corrosion has siezed the joint into the hub. If you run into this, you can try this genius method that ButtonPuncher came up with if you have the spare brake discs to make the tool:

http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showt...t-removal-tool&p=880099&highlight=#post880099

I have posted a link in the ButtonPuncher thread to a hub puller tool that I rely on when dealing with siezed hubs. If your car has been in Texas all its life, you probably won't have this problem; it is common for us people up in the Rust Belt.

The CV nut is 32 mm and when you go to reinstall, the Torque is 284 Newton Meters or 209 ft lbs.
 
Alright guys this is going to work out. I'm now looking for someone to test fit these axles. Frank at DSS should have a set ready to go in about a weeks time. So if you are capable of installing these yourself in a reasonable amount of time please let me know. My transmission is currently being sent out to be built up to handle the 600bhp and obviously my engine isn't built so I am not capable of test fitting it myself. Please get back with me ASAP. Thanks!

Mike,

If I had a spare set of knuckles, I could do a dry fit but am not ready for a road test. The dry test does generate some questions to ponder here:

1. Is dry fitting good enough? Shouldn't the test fitter take the car out for a drive afterwards? Think of this as a combination of "Static & Short-Term Dynamic" test.

2. Are there some sort of measurements or pictures that need to be taken. One thing I can think of is "What if the floating bearing depth on the inner CV joint is not quite right?" Should the dry fit involve getting axles with no inner boots and grease on them so that pictures can be taken of where bearing sits when the tires are fully unloaded vs. car resting on the ground? Same thing goes for hard left and hard right steering positions. We might be able to catch an issue of the bearing wanting to pop out of the joint or bottoming in the socket or some other anomaly which might lead to short bearing life. This test would eliminate the ability of doing the Test Drive previously suggested but still might be useful.

3. Whoever does the test fitting, what happens when the test fitting is done? If those new hubs have to be pressed back out, somebody has to be willing to eat a set of wheel bearings since these bearings usually don't survive the removal process.
 
Mike,

If I had a spare set of knuckles, I could do a dry fit but am not ready for a road test. The dry test does generate some questions to ponder here:

1. Is dry fitting good enough? Shouldn't the test fitter take the car out for a drive afterwards? Think of this as a combination of "Static & Short-Term Dynamic" test.

2. Are there some sort of measurements or pictures that need to be taken. One thing I can think of is "What if the floating bearing depth on the inner CV joint is not quite right?" Should the dry fit involve getting axles with no inner boots and grease on them so that pictures can be taken of where bearing sits when the tires are fully unloaded vs. car resting on the ground? Same thing goes for hard left and hard right steering positions. We might be able to catch an issue of the bearing wanting to pop out of the joint or bottoming in the socket or some other anomaly which might lead to short bearing life. This test would eliminate the ability of doing the Test Drive previously suggested but still might be useful.

3. Whoever does the test fitting, what happens when the test fitting is done? If those new hubs have to be pressed back out, somebody has to be willing to eat a set of wheel bearings since these bearings usually don't survive the removal process.

All good questions. However we are not the first ones to install this on a Contour ;) As it turns out Frank has already built this kit and someone perhaps on CEG is running it. He built the kit quite a while ago and actually the person contacted him recently because he messed up a hub and needed a replacement. So the only difference between the kit he built before and our is the newer, stronger material, for the inner CV end going into the trans/intermediate shaft. Also the CV shaft lengths were already reverse engineered from a set of CV shafts that they tore down when they first started making axle kits for the Contours with their stage 1 and stage 2 kits.

The test fit should include a test drive as well. However after the fitment is complete the 'tester' can keep the kit. I mean who ever tests the kit will have to pay for it obviously, but I don't anticipate there will be any problems.
 
That's great progress... and news! I wish my car was back on the road... I couldn't test fit them right now either.
 
That's great progress... and news! I wish my car was back on the road... I couldn't test fit them right now either.

I can bring the black car up for the test bed. It needs ADC's tune, so it needed to come up soon anyway...
 
I am just waiting for my tax return to come in the mail or a car to sell and I will be back in on this. I could totally do the test fit, just don't have a way to completely pay. I will see what I can do.
 
Well the test kit will be ready to ship tomorrow. I should have pictures tomorrow morning from Frank at DSS. Looks like I'll be buying them since no one has come through for the test fit. This means that test fit will not happen for some time as I won't be able to get to it until early July.
 
Well the test kit will be ready to ship tomorrow. I should have pictures tomorrow morning from Frank at DSS. Looks like I'll be buying them since no one has come through for the test fit. This means that test fit will not happen for some time as I won't be able to get to it until early July.

Yeah, sorry about the test fitting thing. I simply wouldnt have been able to without figuring out how to get that main nut off.
 
Err, I have money, but one time SHM LT headers are kinda more important than these. BADSVT, that bolt is super easy to get off. Just get the right size socket (forget what size it is) and a breaker bar or something and with the car on the ground just break it loose. Although getting the new hub in could be a pain.
 
HAHAHAHA!!!! God is great!!! I already had money planned for this, but some lady wasnt looking where she was going and side swiped my truck. The insurance company will be giving me a check to fix it. However, the money will go to these axles:). HOORAH!!!:D
 
HAHAHAHA!!!! God is great!!! I already had money planned for this, but some lady wasnt looking where she was going and side swiped my truck. The insurance company will be giving me a check to fix it. However, the money will go to these axles:). HOORAH!!!:D

That sucks & congratulations!
 
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