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How To: Half Shaft Replacement

43K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  shawnsbabygirl1087 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok here is the DIY instructions to remove/replace half-axles. 3 hours should do it (2-3 beers?) It sounds imposing but really isn't any more difficult than brakes or shocks.

REMOVAL

1. Jack up car, chock and remove wheel.

2. Remove brake caliper, and support to avoid damage to the hydraulic line.

3. Remove rotor (take out the inner o-ring first).

4. Remove hub nut (36mm, may need PB blaster and a breaker bar).



(Hub with wheel, caliper and rotor removed)

5. Remove wheel speed sensor from the hub (hex wrench).

6. Remove hub bolts (3) and tap out the hub.

7. Disconnect the upper control arm from the ball joint.

8. Disconnect the outer tie rod.



(half axle just prior to removal)

9. remove stabilizer link.

10. Disconnect the shock clevis bolt from lower control arm (the fork on the shock.

11. At this point take a crow bar etc for leverage and pop out the half-axle from the front differential.

12. Maneuver the shock clevis away from the axle and slide the axle out.



(all out)


(old half axle-Can you guess where the pinpoint hole is? lol)



View of the front dif splines (and my pry bar)

INSTALLATION:

1. Slide the new axle in, bringing it under the shock clevis. Engage it into the differential turning it a bit with constant pressure until it pops in. It shouldn't rotate when engaged. Remember to use a little axle grease on both ends.

2. Install shock clevis bolt (125 ft-lb)

3. Install upper control arm to ball joint (55)

4. Install tie rod end (35)

5. Install stabilizer link (100 upper, 85 lower)

6. Install half shaft hub (and brake shield) gradually tightening the 3 bolts to 100.

7. Install hub nut (100).

8. Install wheel speed sensor.

9. Install rotor and caliper (125)

10. Install wheel (95)

I recommend wheel alignment afterward. In addition consider suspension upgrades such as shocks,springs, sway bar and stabilizer link while you've got your rig in pieces.

Have fun! :thumbsup:
 
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#8 ·
What brand axle did you replace the stock one with? Cardone, eBay, or stock? How's it holding up?
 
#10 ·
Man, thanks! You just saved me a seriously interrupted job. I have damn near every socket size EXCEPT for 36mm. Good thing I read this before pulling the wheel off. But not before I'd gotten everything else together, donned the warm clothes and put the left front up on a jackstand. Now, off to find the socket for tomorrow's task...
 
#11 ·
Is there some trick to getting the lower clevis bolt out? Damned thing just WILL NOT come loose. I take it there are threads on both ends of the bolt? As in, some that thread it into one side of the clevis fork and then the other side has the bolt to hold it? I've tried using a long ratchet arm and even an electric hammer driver and have had absolutely no luck getting that bolt out.

I wouldn't need to remove it if the damned thing was just a 1/2" wider. For that would allow the half-shaft to slide through the gap. But noooooooooooooo! I could disassemble the old one to get it out, but that wouldn't help me with putting the fresh new, whole half-shaft back into it.

ARRRRRGGHHH!!

And to make matters worse the head on that clevis bolt is getting a little rounded from my efforts.

So, what's my option here? I suppose I could drop the whole lower arm and go begging at a local shop. But what're my other choices? I don't know what hardness this bolt is, so sawing through it seems like a less-than-ideal proposition. Heat would surely cook the bushing in there. Ideas?

This would've been a relatively quick job if not for this danged clevis bolt.
 
#12 ·
The clevis bolt is a major pita and holds up a lot of people. Try some freeze off penetrant and alternating with heat. It will come. It's only thread on the one end. You can also bend the lock tab for the bolt and then hit it with an impact gun while hitting the end of the bolt (preferably with the nut on a few threads) with a hammer. It'll bust loose.
 
#13 ·
I'll try the impact & hammer trick tomorrow. Part of the problem is there's too much movement to get a good SMACK to reverberate through the bolt. I guess that's a direct result of the design for this sort of thing. But it means any hammering action it getting absorbed more than it's causing anything to break loose.

I managed to get it to turn and can clearly see it's twisting the whole sleeve inside both bushings, not just one or the other. They're looking a bit gnarly so I'm likely going to have to replace them anyway.
 
#14 ·
You can always cut the bolt head off and use an impact hammer to chisel the bolt out.
 
#15 ·
Yup, that's the route I'll be taking tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can get in-between the clevis and the LCA bushing. If just to avoid having to pound the bolt through both of the bearings. If I get it cut at the bolt head side I ought to be able to swing the fork out of the way and possibly just lever it around and off the thread end. I've already ordered a new LCA kit so I'm not worried about trashing the current one.
 
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