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Popping axle questions in regard to purchase.

SVTJON87 said:
wanna do a how-to? pretty please that way i will be comfortable doing this.
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There are enough How-Tos floating around. Basically, it's the same as the spring/strut how-to, except instead of removing the spring assembly from the knuckle you will remove the half shaft from the trans (after having drained the trans of course!). Here are a couple more how-tos:

http://www.newcougar.org/forums/how-tos/126417-struts-springs-courtesy-ukcougar-net.html
http://www.contour.org/mods/mods.php?s=howto&displayid=22

And here's one more, courtesy of WadeSpencer:

Jack up car, remove front wheel.

Drain transaxle fluid.

Unbolt the caliper brackets from the knuckle, along with the line holder on the strut, pull caliper/bracket assembly from knuckle and hang in wheel well (never let it dangle by the brake line).

Now remove the rotor.

Unbolt tie rod, sway bar link, and ABS sensor (if equipped) from knuckle.

Remove axle nut (32mm).

Remove ball joint pinch bolt, and use a long pry bar or your jack handle in the lower control arm to pry down and pop the ball joint out of the spindle. You can use a fork style ball joint separator if you have to (and you may if it's never been apart), but you will probably ruin the ball joint.

At this point the strut/knuckle assembly should only be held at the top.

If you are planning on re-using the axle, and you don't have some sort of axle puller like Bensenvill mentioned, thread an old axle nut on to the end of the axle, and tap it out of the spindle, hitting on the end of the nut. DON'T just hit the end of the axle, as you will ruin the threads and end up having to either re-thread it or buy a new axle. Trust me...I'm good at ****ing them up.

In your case, you can just hit the end of the axle since you are replacing it anyway.

Once the axle is out of the spindle, take off the top nut holding the strut assembly in, and remove the strut/spindle from the car as one piece. Don't **** around trying to get the knuckle off the strut...there is no reason to.

Using an axle pulling slide hammer, or a long pry bar, pop the axle out of the differential. It will take a good pop to get it out...there is a snap ring holding it in place.

When you put the new axle in, start it into the differential and make sure the splines are lined up. Push it in easily until it stops, then give it a good shove and it should click into place.

Re-assemble the same way you took it apart. You will need to use a new axle nut (the axle will probably come with one).

Don't forget to fill the transaxle with fluid before you're done.
 
I purchased a DSS stage 2 Axle for my Drivers Side. Im awaiting it to come in and then I will do this.

Planning on removing evertyhing except the strut, I will be replacing the Knuckle/HUB/Bearing as well. Possibly even taking on the LCA. So for the most part everything will be gone.

Wake up early on saturday and start it right up. Hopefully by the end of the day I will have one or even both sides done. What is the time frame to remove everything and put it back together, Pros and 1st timers chime in!

Removing: LCA, Knuckle w/ Hub, Caliper, Axle on each the drivers and the Passenger.

I have 2bolt LCAs and i hear the drivers side is a *** due to the tranny in the way....

- amyn
 
the drivers side 2bolt LCA really is not that bad. you just need a sawsall to cut one bolt out. then put the new one in upside down. and a long pry bar. i picked up a long pipe for this when i did it.

but after reading the Haynes I'm pretty comfortable doing the half shafts. ill just use this thread for questions i might have while doing it.

but i read bad things about cardone and GSP on other forums just due to them being faulty. so i am still unsure of what to buy.

i was going to replace my hubs/ bearing while i was in there but after reading my manual i don't want to touch them. i amd pretty sure mine are fine anyway.
 
Boo! Do it the right way and drop the subframe. You also have the option of loosening the motor mount on the tranny and jacking it up to make room. You'll need about 4" of clearance, as the image below shows. If you decide to invert the bolt, at least use Lock-Tite on it!

50.jpg


Pros can do both axles in four hours, but you better have your tools together, and not take any detours. Following the factory procedure, I replaced both LCAs, both axles, both struts, and the sway bar. It took me more than a weekend, but I took my time, treated rusty parts, painted new parts, dealt with a "spinning nut" in a subframe, and triple-checked every step.
 
replacing the bolt upside down is fine. the nut is a lock nut and should hold just fine but if you want to use locktite i guess go for it. mine is holding steady with just the nut.
 
I will end up dropping half the subframe and loosening the mounts and then from there jack the engine up a bit from the oil pan.... and then that i believe should give me a lot of slack..... otherwise I will do the upside down trick, drill and then put a cotter pin in the bolt....

Just awaiting the purchase of my drivers side knuckle/hub and LCA and passenger dss stg 2 axle!

- amyn
 
For what it's worth, from what I've read here and from the prices I've seen, I'm ordering new GCK CV axles from axlesforless. Raxles look excellent, but at 2 1/2 times the price (I know we're not supposed to discuss $ here) but I can't afford it. I haven't heard anything bad about GCK yet and both are new so I don't see where I can go wrong here.

I've got about $600 more just in parts to get this car where it needs to be. This weekend is out, but next weekend is open, so I will do the axles then.

I will post my success/failure as I go with pictures and hopefully you all will be here if I get stumped. Maybe a couple of us can do this job at the same time and work through it together.

One last "dumb" question, where do you place the jackstands to get the front end up in the air?
Thanks for all your input!
 
from what i read GCK are not totally new. the shaft is new but the joints may not be. why do company's do this. it makes things so difficult.

96SEBlack said:
One last "dumb" question, where do you place the jackstands to get the front end up in the air?
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i put mine on the rear of the sub frame.
 
i've heard that people who ordered from axlesforless.com have had to wait weeks for their axles. apparently, they don't keep much inventory on hand. that's why i shopped locally.
 
Well Im beginning to think my Diff is finally going as when driving straight my car decides to make the popping and the whole engine/front shakes VIOLENTLY..... So as my axles are coming in!!!!! I am saving for a new Tranny or at least a built one with a Quaife/Torsen, I am now in the market!!!

- amyn
 
SoopaCooga said:
i've heard that people who ordered from axlesforless.com have had to wait weeks for their axles. apparently, they don't keep much inventory on hand. that's why i shopped locally.
Click to expand...

mine were shipped the next day after i ordered them. or so the email said. i called when the discount would not go through on the last day and some one actually called me back and gave me the discount. so we shall see when they come.



qbcsvt said:
Well Im beginning to think my Diff is finally going as when driving straight my car decides to make the popping and the whole engine/front shakes VIOLENTLY..... So as my axles are coming in!!!!! I am saving for a new Tranny or at least a built one with a Quaife/Torsen, I am now in the market!!!

- amyn
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wow, that really sucks. i hope things get figured out.
 
SVTJON87 said:
wow, that really sucks. i hope things get figured out.
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Ya man! Well I believe I will be getting a great check the next couple of weeks as well as I just got my raise @ work so It provides me a couple extra dollars at the end of the month.....

so basikally my refund check of 2k will go towards a tranny.... and maybe ill add a bit more and talk 2 TH about doing this....

- amyn
 
OK, my axles came in today from axlesforless.com. The drivers side if GCK and the passenger side is Interparts brand. The Interparts one has a different ABS wheel than the GCK one. i honestly would rather have 2 GCK axles. also the GCK outer joint takes alot more force to move than the other 3 joints on both axles. no im not playing with the joints. i know better. :) here are some pics.
any thoughts?

Interparts:
P1010152.jpg


GCK on top and Interparts on the bottom:
P1010155.jpg
 
I ordered mine a day or 2 before you and both mine were GCK. I guess I got the last one. My drivers side outer is stiff also, it's probably ok.

I don't know much about any of the axle brands really, but axlesforless should have the same warranty no matter what they send. Maybe someone here can tell you good or bad experiences about Interparts before you go to all the effort to install.
 
Here's what Interparts website has to say:

The ultimate result of quality components and superior engineering.


THE INTERPARTS DIFFERENCE

Assembled with only high quality NEW Interparts components.

Designed to meet rigid tolerances and to fit OEM applications.

No remanufactured joints or inertia welded conversion joints are used in any Interparts assembly.

Assembled, checked and tested in accordance with our Unified Quality System procedures.

All of our manufacturing facilities operate under quality systems certified ISO 9001:2000 or ISO/TS 16949:2002.
 
Again take it for what it's worth since I don't have a lot of experience, but if it's the same overall diameter as your original and the "teeth" are roughly the same size and distance apart it should work fine. These teeth are just a pick up for the ABS sensor and I don't really see how it matters that much unless there is a clearance problem.
 
so can anyone tell me that the ABS ring is good to go? (pics above) also are the circlips the same on both sides of the car? (left side going in to the trans and the right going onto the intermediate shaft.) also on teamfordparts.com the circlip says "ring ret" is it supposed to be "set"? and well is it a set of two? sorry i just need this cleared up.
 
SVTJON87 said:
so can anyone tell me that the ABS ring is good to go? (pics above) ...
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I have an aftermarket axle with the tone ring that looks like that, no problems with it since installed in July of 07.
On the clips just make sure you seat it properly in the diff groove. I use a 5 lb dead blow hammer to knock the axle home, hitting it on the nut partially threaded on the axle.
 
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