I'm lost ... why are you using a "puller"? The thread title says "replacement" ... shoot some pentrating oil on the splines if they are rusted in and give it a good whack with a 5 lb. sledge with a 2x4 between the sledge and the threaded end of the half axle where the nut goes. This assumes that you have already removed the hub/knuckle from the LCA and positioned it further "outboard" than it sits stock. Otherwise, hitting with a sledge could damage the other end's trans seal. Am I making sense?
1) loosen axle nut (must remove center cover on wheel)
2) jack up car and support with stands
3) position wheels in the straight ahead position & then remove them.
4) disconnect the sway bar end link from the strut housing tab
5) remove the steering arm from the knuckle/hub
6) remove the "pinch bolt" from the bottom of the hub where it connects to the ball joint
7) Using a long pry bar or the hanle of your jack (if it detaches), seperate the hub from the ball joint
- now, the hub/knuckle should be free floating, allowing you to move it left/right/out ... spring in strut assembly stops you from moving up and half axle stops you from moving in.
VERY IMPORTANT: if you plan on reusing the half-axle, be careful with the threads and hit the axle nut end of the half-axle with a mallet/dead blow hammer ... something with a very big flat surface that is not harder than the metal of the half axle. If you use a 5 lb. sledge, either be accurate or carful and use an insulator like a piece of wood.
1) move hub/knuckle away from the car slightly so that the blow doesn't damage the trans seal on the other end
2) strike axle nut side hard and quick
- if nothing happens and the axle doesn't dislodge from the hub, spray some pentrating oil in there really good and let it sit for 10 minutes and try again
- feel free to use repeated blows as long as you can hit the end of the axle flush and not damage the thread
* If you plan on using this as a core and have the replacement axle, which this thread title suggests, smack the crap out of it with reckless abandon
** if you do this, be sure not to damage the bore that the axles spline sit in.
- Now, once it's loose, it's simply a matter of pulling/rotating the strut/hub assembly enough to get the length of splined axle to clear the hub.
