Will92

Hi all,
I couple of questions for those that have replaced their axles - all of my boots are split open.

1. my factory service manual says to jack up the entire front end as well as to disconnect the tie rods and lower control arm. The MotorVate write-up linked in the sticky doesn't mention having to jack up the entire front end nor disconnecting the tie rod and lower control arm although a write up by DennisMik does mention perhaps needing to disconnect lower control arm. I have seen others here mention sometimes removing the strut helps though.
2. If tie rods and lower control arm do need to be disconnected, is a pickle fork adequate or one of those separator tools preferred? I read somewhere pickle forks can damage the boots tie rods and lower control arm fittings.
3. Should the tie rod or lower control arm need to be disconnected, is an alignment recommended afterwards?
4. For separation of the axle from the transaxle (I have a 5 speed MT), what is the safest tool to use to avoid marring either the transaxle or axle surface (I'm having the axle rebuilt)?
5. To avoid damaging the pinch weld, if I only need to jack up one side, can I simply use the OEM jack meant for tire changes as I know this exactly fits in an area of the pinch weld that has extra support. I would use a supplemental jack stand on either side in case of failure. I have looked at various pinch weld "cushions" on Amazon and all seem to be quite cheap with dubious benefits to just use that alone.

TIA for any support here.

98maxBK

I would jack the whole front end up seeing as how your doing both axles. You also want the inner portions to be fairly straight when you pull them out of the trans so you don’t damage the seals so this will help.

I normally leave the control arm/ ball joint connected and just remove the strut and the tie rod end from the spindle. If you remove the cotter pin and the castle nut from the tie rod you can give the beefy part of the spindle a couple good wacks with a beater and the tie rod will pop loose. I have never had luck with pickle forks and such.

I have an auto so the remainder of the procedure may be different but I normally carefully pry out the driver side with a big flat head just where the fat part goes into the trans. It will pop and you can pull it by hand. Pass side has the long shaft you have to remove the carrier bearing then you can separate it slightly just inside the bearing and it should pull out smooth.

Again for the MT the prep work should be same but removing the axles may be a bit different. I don’t know if the limited slip would play a part in removal or just reinstallation. I also think you may need to drain the trans fluid. Hope this helps.

And yes you should definitely get an alignment.

Yea, get yourself a floor jack and some jack stands if you plan on doing work.

Will92

Thanks 98maxBK. Does anyone know then if you can just jack up one side or does the whole front end really need to be raised?

Can anyone comment on item (5) above?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I usually jack up both sides of the car when I work on it. I do this in case I need to get under the car, even though I may not think I have to. It's amazing how many times I do end up under the car when I am trying to get at something from a different angle. You will need to be under the car if you are changing the right side (passenger) axle. But if you are doing the left (drive's) side axle, you can do it without jacking up both sides.

I live in the south where we don't have the corrosion caused by road salt and things come apart easier. Because of this, I don't own/have a pickle fork. I believe that a good pickle fork has a hollow to accommodate the boot and not destroy it. Cheap ones are just a wedge without any consideration for the boot.

If all you are doing is taking the tie rod end out of the control arm - no. However, the way I did the axle, I unbolt the steering knuckle from the strut. perfectionists say you should get an alignment done if you do this. I never have and have gotten away with it. If you do what I do - you're on your own.

This sounds like the driver's side. I have popped out new axles with my trusty crowbar because I did something wrong and I could not detect any damage to the axle.

I have made a block for my floor jack from a piece of 2x4 and tire tread. But as long as you are supporting the car on jack stands, which you absolutely should, the kind of jack you use doesn't matter.

Please note that the axle nut on the 5th gen is a smaller size that the 4th gen.

KP11520

Very COOL Dennis!

Easily beats every option on the market we can buy!



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