Infiniti G20 Nissan Primera Forum banner

Axles removal- Plan A or B??

11K views 36 replies 15 participants last post by  StangG20 
#1 ·
I know there are two schools of thought on clearing the knuckle to pull out the axle:

1. FSM protocol- unbolt the steering/lower ball-joints/king pin, supposedly requiring a realignment after.

2. Pull the two long bolts through the control arms.

I've been using Plan A (including replacing both lower ball joints), just had the alignment checked, it was fine and did not need adjustment, although the camber was off a tad due to the strut towers being a little off?? Man said it had nothing to do with the work I did with the ball joints. Seems to me if you don't mess with the tie-rod ends, you shouldn't have to get it realigned.

I haven't tried Plan B, so I really can't comment on that, but others seem to swear by it.
 
#2 ·
I've always used A personally.

The only thing unbolting the steering rack would possibly alter is toe. Toe is incredibly easy to measure and set yourself with a tape measure. And as you said if you dont adjust the tie rod ends I dont see it changing that much just detaching/reattaching the tie rod end. If anything the best part about plan B would be not having to bust the tie rod loose from the hub. That can be a huge PITA ;)


- Greg -
 
#3 ·
The way I have removed my passenger axle(now twice) is this.

Remove wheel. Remove bolts holding wiring leading to abs sensor, there are 2x 10mm bolts. Remove 1x 12mm bolt holding brake line to suspension. Remove caliper piston assembly from the part that holds the pads in place. Remove cotter pin, the cap, washer, 36mm axle nut and the metal washer. Remove the round dust cap on the top of the kingpin, I used a regular hammer and ended up denting mine in to get it to pop up :D Use a 17mm socket to remove bolt under the dust cap. Take a mallet and whack on your control arm and seperate the kingpin from the knuckle. Pull back (once seperated) on the wheel up towards the rear of your car if the axle is loose enough in the hub to move and then pull it out. Very easy

Took me about 45 minutes to remove and install a new passenger axle.
 
#5 ·
I am about to remove my passenger axle and have a silly question: since my CV joint seems about to break anyway, will it be easier to get the axle out if I drive around in circles and snap it? I was thinking once I have things apart it could be a much simpler matter to get it out from inside the hub/spindle assembly if I didn't have the whole thing connected from the hub to the transmission.

My driver's one was pretty hard to extricate but then I have heard (¿?) that the passenger one is easier, so perhaps it would not be necessary to do this?

Also, if I break it, will it be harder to budge the axle nut?
thanks kids, my apologies if this is a truly stupid idea.
 
#6 ·
magic_silver_box said:
I am about to remove my passenger axle and have a silly question: since my CV joint seems about to break anyway, will it be easier to get the axle out if I drive around in circles and snap it? I was thinking once I have things apart it could be a much simpler matter to get it out from inside the hub/spindle assembly if I didn't have the whole thing connected from the hub to the transmission.

My driver's one was pretty hard to extricate but then I have heard (¿?) that the passenger one is easier, so perhaps it would not be necessary to do this?

Also, if I break it, will it be harder to budge the axle nut?
thanks kids, my apologies if this is a truly stupid idea.

If it's snapped then it'll be easier to remove but you still need to be able to get the new one in...

Your pass side is the short one which is a PITA to get out of the tranny (get some rope round the inner joint right next to the tranny and pull like you've never pulled before), the long one is easy as it just slips out once you've disconnected the centre bearing.

Broken or not you can undo the axle nut with the brake applied...
 
#8 ·
I guess they're still driving on the wrong side of the centRE line over there... Most of the world have their short axles on the drivers (left) side, long axle on the passenger (right) side, (Brits: bonnets, boots, petrol, lorry's etc).

Also, if you're planning on replacing the axle, you might as well pull the knuckle off anyway.

Was it hard to pull because the knuckle was in the way or to pop it out of the trans?? I remember it was a bear to pull out the short side the first time because I tried to do it just taking off the lower ball joint. After that I took off the top kingpin too, then it was easy. Again, Plan B is to take the strut bolts out. I don't think the rt side is as hard because it doesn't have the circlip, I think maybe because it is held in place by the bearing carrier in the middle of the axle. The FSM (without actually looking) I think says to pull the rt (long) side first, then stick a screw driver thru the differential and tap out the left (short) side.
 
#9 ·
Getting all confused here. Yep, your pass side is the long one..:-\ :LOL:

The short one was a PITA just getting it out of the tranny. The long one was easy to get out but more wotk as you have to disconnect the centre bearing...

It's our language...ENGLISH!! so it's you guys who are wrong with your bloody hoods, trunks, fenders etc..:lick:
 
#11 ·
i speak o00o0oo0o00oo0

lysander said:
Was it hard to pull because the knuckle was in the way or to pop it out of the trans?? I remember it was a bear to pull out the short side the first time because I tried to do it just taking off the lower ball joint. After that I took off the top kingpin too, then it was easy. Again, Plan B is to take the strut bolts out.
on the left axle the hard part for me was just getting to fit through and get out of the place. like if i could have made it shorter somehow then it would have been easy. it slid out of the transmission and out of the spindle pretty easily for me (i think). but i did it at a mechanic's shop, so i could not work at my own slow pace at home, and i did not retain a good memory of exactly how things transpired.
 
#12 · (Edited)
so yesterday i pulled out my passenger axle. i removed the brake caliper via 2 bolts. i removed the rotor by hitting the hat (middle part) with a hammer while pulling on it. i removed the upper and lower bolts from the suspension (the bottom one that goes through the shock and the top one that goes through the upper link), the bolt that holds the brake line onto the suspension, and the swaybar endlink. the swaybar endlink made a big difference allowing me to tilt the suspension parts to make clearance. i hung up the caliper with a coathanger so the brake line didn't have to hold its weight. i should have done the same thing with the suspension middle link (whatever you call it) cause the ABS sensor wire runs along that. with the endlink off, i tapped teh end of the axle a bit and then i pulled on the spindle until i could get the end of the axle out of the hub. then i removed the three 12mm bolts that hold teh middle of the axle onto the carrier thing. i (should have) put a drain pan under the hole the axle was about to come out of. i pulled it out gently to avoid damaging the axle seal. i found that if you pull the axle out slowly, you can control the incoming torrent of transmission fluid (or you can drain it beforehand if you have a big brain). i then found out that the non-lsd passenger axle i bought is different, so i am going to make a post about it.

here is everything taken apart

here is the swaybar endlink unbolted

you can also see the tie rod on the bottom, i didn't need to remove it from teh spindle

PeacE
 
#13 ·
You'll want to unhook the ABS cable to relieve strain on it.

I think I'm having a problem with a bad (noisy) carrier bearing (the one in the middle of the RH axle shaft). I'm assuming replacing that means replacing the whole axle as it is not a DIY item?
 
#15 ·
My experience

Thanks to the previous posters. I swapped both of my ’96 G20 Std’s 5spd, 152k, axles this weekend and would like to give my overview.

I would consider the FSM method the “easy” way though it leaves out a few steps. Lift the car onto jack stands and remove the tire(s), duh. Remove the plastic shield(s)*. Drain the transmission fluid, clean the plug, and screw plug back in. The drain plug is visible from the driver’s side and fits a ½” socket. Remove the axle nut while the brakes are on so you can use them to keep the axle stationary. Remove the brake piston and caliper assemblies and hang on the suspension above. Remove the rotor. Disconnect the tie rod (steering arm), cotter pin and 18mm nut, from the knuckle. Using the hammer tap the tie rod free of the knuckle. Remove the top two bolts for the ABS sensor wire, it the only wire going to the wheel hub at his point, to create slack on the wire. Use a 3/16 flat screwdriver and light hammer to dislodge the base of the kingpin cap, the domed cover. After prying the cap off remove the kingpin nut, 17mm. Hammer the end of the axle a couple of time to loosen it. Pull down on the wheel hub and then hammer on the A suspension arm, bottom one, to free the kingpin bolt from the top. Now you should be able to swing the wheel hub out and remove the end of the axle from the splines. For the driver side axle (short axle) push in a little and then pull back really hard to pop the axle out (look at where it goes into the tranny first so you can tell when the new one is seated all the way). For the passenger side (long axle), you will need to remove the three bolts that are right above the exhaust downpipe, 10mm?, then the axle will easily slide out. Clean off debris around the seals on the tranny if necessary. For both axles make sure the splines are lined up before inserting into the tranny. For the driver’s side screw the axle nut onto the threads, but don’t let the threads come through the other side, and then hit it with the mini sledge while holding the axle level with your other hand. It is in when it will just fit into the wheel hub and it should look the same as the old one at the tranny. The passenger side slides in and needs to be secured by the three bolts to hold it in place. Insert the axle into the wheel hub and put the washer and axle nut back on, hand tighten. Slide kingpin bolt into place (use the floor jack if necessary to lift the A arm), and put the washer and nut back on. Reconnect the ABS wire. Reconnect the tie rod with the nut and cotter pin. Slide the rotor back on. Inspect your brake pads and then reinstall the brakes. You may want to compress the piston slightly to make it easier to install the brakes. Tighten the axle nut. Refill the transmission and replace plug. The fill plug is on the front and fits something bigger than a 3/8”, but smaller than a ½” (I used a 3/8 to unscrew it anyway). Install tires and lower car. Now take a short easy drive to test the install before taking it to the track for a top speed run.
*My car no longer has the wheel well shields. Driver’s side was lost by the shop that did my clutch along with a few other mishaps! Pass side was loose and a heavy snow stole it before I could reattach it.

Tips
Get the transmission gear oil ahead of time. It needs to be GL-4 oil. If you have to get it local, Napa carries an 85W-90 which is probably good down to 40°. I would recommend draining the tranny as opposed to draining what comes out from the axles. The drain plug is magnetic so you can clean off ferrous pieces of metal plus my fluid was almost black at the bottom and got lighter the more that drained (the last few ounces were actually translucent yellow like the new stuff).
I would recommend removing the tires the night before and spaying penetrating oil and the axle nut, center of the rotor, and in the two threaded holes of the rotor.
First of all I ran into trouble with getting the axle nut off. An 18” breaker bar with a 12” cheater couldn’t break them loose. A 100psi impact driver got it done in 60 seconds for each side.
You should be able to pop off the rotor by threading two bolts into the holes on the rotor and turning each one a little at a time. You can also do this, but make sure you have a good piece of wood to protect the rotor.
I attacked one of the 3 bolts for the passenger axle from the driver’s side using several extension pieces, (1) 6” and (2) 3”.
Harbor Freight is a good source for decent Mechanics Gloves, protective eyeglasses, and earplugs.
The tranny fluid is like maple syrup, so use a large hose. I think you can fit a 5/8" outer dia hose into the fill plug.
Spread out newspaper to catch the debris and grease that will drop and wear your garage/yard/painting clothes.
I have a magnetic LED shoplight that I can position just about anywhere. It was very handy.
 
#18 ·
Trying to do a passenger side axle replacement now . .

I'm trying to get the axle (the long one) out of the transmission. I undid all the stuff at the end of the axle (where the tire hangs out and stuff), followed by removing the three bolts just above the exhaust (which are scarcely mentioned anywhere, seriously I'm surprised they even put them in at the factory because I don't even see them listed in the FSM either!) but the axle wont budge!

I tried prying it apart, but realised that I was prying the axle off of itself essentially and took another break. Does the car need to be in neutral, or something instead of park?
 
#19 ·
I'm trying to get the axle (the long one) out of the transmission. I undid all the stuff at the end of the axle (where the tire hangs out and stuff), followed by removing the three bolts just above the exhaust (which are scarcely mentioned anywhere, seriously I'm surprised they even put them in at the factory because I don't even see them listed in the FSM either!) but the axle wont budge!

I tried prying it apart, but realised that I was prying the axle off of itself essentially and took another break. Does the car need to be in neutral, or something instead of park?
Would that be the carrier bearing bracket? If not, there's your problem.
 
#22 ·
Did the axle portion of the carrier assembly get split after the 3 12mm bolts were removed? It can rust in there and be pretty difficult to get apart, it's a tapered fit. Need to get in there with a hammer and screw driver and separate the axle flange from the carrier bracket.

The axle should then just slip out of the trans- no circlip on that side iirc.
 
#24 ·
Ok, at this point I can certify that removing the axle flange from the carrier bracket is the most difficult part of this entire operation. Seriously, It is so sandwiched together that I'm having a difficult time determining where the flange ends and bracket begins. I've been hammering a flathead with a rubber hammer into what I thought was the lip between the two for a while now and have only made some scuff marks.

Should I be hitting the axle through the bracket with a long stick and sledge or something?

What about tying a rope to one end of the axle and forcefully pulling it away?

I put some penetrating oil on it and will give it another shot with the hammer and flathead again in an hour or so. Already broke one screwdriver in half. I was hoping the bracket would come off the engine with a bolt or something, but I can't seem to find any such thing.
 
#25 ·
is this going to end up like your engine repairs? please put the hammer away, sir! SIR! PUT THE HAMMER DOWN!

sorry buddy, i don't mean to mock you too much, but you're going to mess more stuff up doing all that unnecessary whacking! take a break!

i've done the passenger axle at least twice, and just got done doing the job again. i've never had to hit anything to get it out. you undo three 12mm bolts on the carrier bracket, and if the outer end of the axle is clear of the spindle (see original post), then the axle just pulls easily out of there. i'm guessing that either there's still a bolt holding it, or you've got an issue with rust/corrosion starting to freeze parts together. the parts are really not the least bit difficult to separate normally, i never even thought to consider it a step in the process before.

if you are sure there aren't any bolts on, and you must pry them apart, try a more delicate approach. tap a razorblade in there (wear gloves) to just barely make a separation, then try some kind of very thin wedge, then put a trim stick in the gap and use leverage instead of pounding. if you don't have a trim stick already, get one because it is an incredibly useful tool beyond its intended purpose of pulling off door cards and things.

good luck.

oh and on the original topic, i definitely recommend option B, plus undo the swaybar endlink also- this is key. then watch out for the ABS wheel speed sensor. the wire wraps around the vertical link and should probably be unscrewed to prevent stressing it.
 
#26 ·
LoLz! I certainly hope this ends a little better than the engine repair did as well. The shaft of the axle is capable of sliding in and out about half an inch, but something seems to be holding it in and I'm pretty sure the bracket has rusted onto the flange.

Judging from the replacement, there are no bolts on the transmission itself so the only thing I'm left with is the rust. Unfortunately the car is so close to the ground I really have very little room to operate, even on the jack.

Quick question: I bought a replacement axle from RockAuto.com. It is an A-1 Cardone Select P/N#666057 (w/ ABS, w/o LSD) which I'm pretty sure goes with my transmission because the label said RE4F03A in the engine bay, and it's just a plain G20, AND ther's no big bellhousing bulge that I could see to indicate it being LSD. But the axle I got does not have the little rubber damper between the boots on the shaft. Is that ok?
 
#27 ·
Autozone rents a slide hammer attachment that slides in behind the axle and the trans. A few whacks should do the trick provided there is nothing bolted on still.
Most aftermarket axles don't have the dampener you speak of. Not ideal but it will work. Some report vibrations without them but I have had no issues.
 
#28 ·
My Stuck Axle

So I am continuing in my attempt to remove the axle from the transmission. I have everything disassembled, but the axle seems stuck in the carrier bracket.

I used penetrating oil, used some rust remover, and continued the hammering with the screwdriver. The progress has been terribly slow, but on the plus side I have three newly resized flathead screwdrivers! I will go to the store tomorrow to get the slide hammer, and trim stick, and see how that works before I end up going through all my flatheads.

I have photos for the amusement of all: http://s1152.photobucket.com/albums/p483/mrashidi/

I have pulled so hard on the axle that both the outer CV, and inner CV joints have come apart. At this point I could just say "screw it!" and rebuild the old axle by regreasing and repacking the bearings and putting some new boots on. Plus I'd get to keep the dampener on the axle! Any suggestions?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top