I guess you don't really need to get it fixed right away because you have another car. Me on the other hand, I only have my max so when i did this it had to get done that night. If you have someone pull on the axle behind the cv joint (which you don't have anymore) and keep dinking them little bolt bumps with the screwdriver and hammer, IT WILL LOOSEN! You gotta keep hitting it, making it rotate. Just takes some time bro. Put down that beer! Had my max for 2 yrs now and have replaced my share of stuff as i am sure you have. This site has saved my **** plenty of times as far as info beyond the Hayes manual, by the way. I LOVE YOU MAXIMA.ORG..........uh,sorry
Good Luck

 

Here's how I budged mine:
1) Take a dremel, and cut a shallow, thin cut right along the split. Just enough so that you can put a chisel on there and have it drive securely between the halves.
2) Soak the split in PB Blaster, overnight if required. Do NOT use heat or else you'll ruin the bearing.
3) Take that cold chisel (sharpened) and drive it. It took quite a while until I saw it move, but from that point on I needed the chisel to separate them completely.

Dave

 

Sounds like a good idea. I will try that this weekend, and of course give an update with the results. Here we go again.

 

Drill it out

 

I'll try that after the dremel.

 

I take it that torch didn't work?

 

Didn't try that one yet. I will probably end up trying that also.

 

Well, 3 weeks later, the saga is over. My uncle (a mechanic btw) came over and removed the 3 bolts that attach the bracket to the car (as was mentioned a few times by different posters). I couldn't figure it out, but it took him like 10 minutes to get the bolts out, and then 20 minutes later the new axles were in and I was putting the wheels back on the car. I felt like an idiot, but hey, at least it was done. I took the car for a drive and it feels tons better. The only sounds I hear now are the drone of my Stillen exhaust and the different creaks that the car makes. So, thanks for everyones advice and thoughts, and I hope this thread helps somebody that runs into the same problem I had.

 

It is an humbling thing to watch a pro mechanic do a job you've spent a few hours on in about 20 minutes. It seems like everything they do works on the first try. Plus they have all the fancy expensive tools.

Dave

 

So what bolts did you take out when you were doing it? The bolts that attach the bracket to the block are the ones you are suposed to take out when chaning the alxe....

 

I took the bolts out that attach the bracket on the axle to the bracket that attaches to the car. He took out the bolts that attach the bracket to the car, and that was the way we were able to get it out.

 

air hammer works wonders........if u can get a hammer and chisle in there....do it

 

I guess that's why raxles' axle comes with the "bracket." They must know that sometimes it's a lot easier just to take out the whole assembly.

Anyway, congrats. The whole story made me want to tackle this by myself again if I ever need to replace an axle.

 

I am still confused When I have changed axles on maximas there were a total of 6 bolts you can take out. Three that connect the braket to the axle, and then 3 that connect the bracket to the block. Which three did you take out, and which 3 did you uncle take out? I'm just trying to understand what bolts were taken out.

 

u dont have to take the bracket off the block.....no necesaary....he only took the 3 mating the axle to bracket

 

oh thats what the problem was. Do you know how much easier it is to remove the bracket from the block as opposed to taking the axle loose from the bracket? During this whole thread I thought he had already removed the bolts that go thru the bracket into the block, and I thought the bracket was frozen to the block.

 

A little late on that one chief. I already got it out. BTW, I tried an air hammer, and it didn't work.

 

You got it now. I took the 3 10mm(?) out, and my uncle took out the 3 14mm(?) ones. My sizes are probably off, but you get the idea.