91 GXE. Before everyone directs me to the phantom autozone repair guide, I've been there. It's gone. I'm registered on their site, have tried every 3rd gen year, and it says there's no guide. Now that that's out of the way, can some one please please please tell me exactly how they got the 3 carrier bearing bolts off the passenger cv axle? I've read every post and sticky but no one says exactly how. I read about extensions, swivel sockets, and flex wrenches and how it's a pita but not how they finally accomplished it. I've worked on cars my whole life, consider myself reasonably intelligent and exceedingly patient but this is killing me. Can anybody describe exactly what tools they used, how many, how they angled them, what area they put them through, etc? You will have my eternal gratitude.

 

I always have to use a 1/4" swivel socket and a few extensions. Typical 3/4" tools are too thick to angle properly with the crossmember in the way.

Unfortunately, you might find out once you get those bolts out that the even bigger problem is getting the axle separated from the carrier bearing. Good luck!

 

Ok, so how do I go about angling the 1/4" ratchet, what extension, and how would I get the top bolt? Also, I had an idea of using my 1/2" drive, 18" long breaker to get all 3 out with a 12mm deep socket. Think that might work somehow? Thanks for helping!

 

I was thinking slide the breaker and deep socket right between the y-pipe and crossmember or perhaps get an extension and go at them from the other side of the y-pipe?

 

I mean you can use any length extension you want, you just need to get it out past the crossmember. IIRC, you go between the crossmember and y-pipe. Without looking at it directly as I type this it's hard for me to describe from memory. It is fairly easy/straight forward I just can't contextualize it off the top of my head.

And actually, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I use a ratcheting wrench box-end to get the top bolt loose.

Also, I've never worked on a VG, and while I know the setups are very very similar, the spacing/fitment might be just different enough that what works on a VE might not work on the VG.

Aaaand now that I double think about it, if you're still on the stock y-pipe you might need to drop it. The aftermarket y-pipes give a bit more clearance through that area (at the very least because of the removal of those shrouds around the flanges).

 

Man, thanks for all the info and help! I really appreciate it. Lots to try tomorrow!

 

I always drop the exhaust "Y" pipe, its only 6-14mm bolts (if rusty use PB blast), then use a 1/4" drive deep socket with a swivel, ratchet and a 12" extension for the bottom bolt and the front bolt. I use a short 1/4" drive 12mm socket with the swivel and a 12" extension for the back bolt.

Hope this helps..

 

I have also used a box end ratcheting wrench for the back bolt...and for a real tight back bolt I recall using a stubby wrench a hell of alot of grip and a few choice curse words........

 

It sure does help! With all the details from you guys I think I know how to launch my second attack on those 3 suckers tomorrow. Thanks!

 

Man I remember fighting those. When Get them out I use to take a hammer hit the bearing carrier to turn it a tad then use a chisel to seperate the too eventually tap lightly and seperate them completely.

 

Bapmax, these are a nightmare. I have a GXE with stock Header Pipe. I had to do the same task on 3 different GXEs. First I had to heat up the little bolts then used penetrant on them. Then tapped them with a chisel. Then I used a high end 1/4" ratchet with no drive extension and a small 12mm socket, and attached a tiny bottle jack pipe handle onto the end of the 1/4" ratchet to give it leverage, makeshift extension, and it worked. The Header Pipe was removed already because I was removing the engine.

It took me over an hr to do it, maybe even more. They wouldn't move, and you have to be extremely careful that you don't strip them. If you do get them out, I suggest you replace them with Stainless Steel bolts, and MAKE SURE to use anti-seize or you'll go through the whole thing all over again.

The worst part though, is separating the axle from the bracket. The screws were nothing compared to this task. (By the way if the screws strip, you'll have to cut the axle out anyways). For 2 axles, that were original axles, heat, and even banging it with the chisel thing, wouldn't separate them. I tried peeping through the whole in the tranny to see if I could bang it out from the other side, but this doesn't work as the side gear is in there blocking the hole straight through.

In the end I had to cut the axle in half about 6 inches from the tranny. Then I could lift the engine straight out the top. I finally got them separated outside the car by pounding it out with a sledge hammer on anvil, after heating it with a torch. The rust on the inside of the ring had seized completely all the way around.

The little bolts will come out, JUST DON'T STRIP THEM!

 

the bolts were the easy part for me. Getting the axle removed from the bracket was the challenge, I used a hammer and chisel between where it separates and bit by bit i was able to work it loose. Put anti sieze on the bracket before you reinstall the axle

 

So, OP, how did it go for you?

I hope you're not still struggling with separating the axle from the carrier bearing

I swear, the first time I had to do that on my old black VE that was from up north it took me an entire weekend. That sucker was completely rusted/fused into one piece. That's got to be one of the most frustrating experiences in my ~15 years tooling on cars.

 

I am glad that I have read this thread. I am getting ready to do my axle on my 89 and didntg think that it was going to be that hard.

 

I had to reassemble the passenger side strut/hub with w/carrier bearing bracket bolts removed and drive her around over a bumpy road to separate the carrier bearing from the carrier bearing bracket. Without a lift/air tools the carrier bearing can be a nightmare in your driveway.

 

woah I was thinking of replacing both right/left cv axles on my Max with remanufactured ones...would I be running into this same problem?

 

The carrier bearing is a hassle either way, but is a major major major hassle if the car is from up north because the rust causes the axle and carrier bearing to rust together into one clump.

If the car is a southern/western car with no rust it's not that big of a problem. Even though I'm from Texas, the car I mentioned that had all those issues spent the first 12 years of its life in Pennsylvania so it had a good long time to rust up.

 

I did this myself as well and I used a lift out at the navy base in mayport florida. My father is retired and it makes the task so much easier its not funny. So I highly recommend doing it that way.. but now that I have done this I am having to chase down a loose front end now, something is wrong but ok at slower speeds so I am thinking that my ball joint is bad or something of that line.

 

If it happened directly after your axle install then the ball joint is a good bet.. Check the boot, is it ripped? That can be a good indicator.